First Halter
By me
Starring: Anansi, Keane, Chad, Dane
By me
Starring: Anansi, Keane, Chad, Dane
The air was crisp and misty as Anansi trotted over to the paddock fence. His trainer, Keane, was calling him over. There was something in the human's hand, and Anansi had to know what it was.
Reaching the fence, Anansi immediately pushed his nose into Keane's hand. He was happy to find a sugar cube there, and was about to inhale the thing when he felt a rop over his neck and shoulders. Anansi froze, nose hovering over Keane's hand.
Keane must have sensed his change in behaviour, as he started to gently urge Anansi to eat the sugary treat. Anansi refused, and started to back away from the fence. The rope tightened, and Anansi snorted. He wasn't about to go wherever Keane was trying to take him. Keane opened the paddock gate and tugged hard on the rope.
"Come on, stallion." he said, as gently as he could.
Anansi reared up, kicking out with his front legs in a desperate bid to get Kean to drop the rope. Instead, the rope was pulled harder, forcing Anansi to move forward.
"That's it, good."
Keane's encouraging words did nothing for Anansi. He was about to rear up again, but from the corner of his eye he could see more humans approaching. Deciding that he could not take on all three men at once, Anansi reluctantly relaxed.
Anansi followed Keane all the way to the stables. He didn't really understand why the rope was around his neck; had he known that they were going to the stables, he would have followed Keane quite happily. They walked inside, and Keane tied the rope around a post that was attached to one of the walls. The two other humans, Chad and Dane, walked in behind them.
Anansi watched Keane as he walked over to a wall filled with various tack items. There were many halters there, and Anansi could see that he seemed to be picking one out. The horse knew what halters were; all of the horses in Shadow Cove wore them.
Finally, Keane settled on a green cloth halter with a grass-like pattern and brass buckles. He pulled it off of the wall, and Anansi tensed when he realized that Keane wanted to put it on him.
Oh no. There was no way he was wearing that.
He went to rear up again, but there was not enough slack in the rope to allow him to do so. He walked back as far as he could before the rope ran out. Dane stepped forward, putting one hand on Anansi's shoulder, and Chad held on to the rope to stop him from moving about. Keane reached up and slipped the halter onto his face. Anansi protested loudly, neighing and yelling loud enough for horses still out in the paddock to hear him. The halter was tightened, and Anansi snorted.
Let back into the paddock, Anansi bolted as far away from the humans as he could. He shook his head from side to side the whole while, trying to shake the halter off. It seemed though that Keane had tightened it just enough for it to be comfortable, yet not fall off.
What a pain.
Finding the trees at the other end of the paddock, he stopped in front of them and rubbed the halter and his face against the bark of a large oak. Still the halter didn't even move. He snorted angrily, but finally gave up.
Sinking down onto the ground, he rolled around angrily in the grass for a while. He loved being outside, but this whole halter thing was ruining that.
Reaching the fence, Anansi immediately pushed his nose into Keane's hand. He was happy to find a sugar cube there, and was about to inhale the thing when he felt a rop over his neck and shoulders. Anansi froze, nose hovering over Keane's hand.
Keane must have sensed his change in behaviour, as he started to gently urge Anansi to eat the sugary treat. Anansi refused, and started to back away from the fence. The rope tightened, and Anansi snorted. He wasn't about to go wherever Keane was trying to take him. Keane opened the paddock gate and tugged hard on the rope.
"Come on, stallion." he said, as gently as he could.
Anansi reared up, kicking out with his front legs in a desperate bid to get Kean to drop the rope. Instead, the rope was pulled harder, forcing Anansi to move forward.
"That's it, good."
Keane's encouraging words did nothing for Anansi. He was about to rear up again, but from the corner of his eye he could see more humans approaching. Deciding that he could not take on all three men at once, Anansi reluctantly relaxed.
Anansi followed Keane all the way to the stables. He didn't really understand why the rope was around his neck; had he known that they were going to the stables, he would have followed Keane quite happily. They walked inside, and Keane tied the rope around a post that was attached to one of the walls. The two other humans, Chad and Dane, walked in behind them.
Anansi watched Keane as he walked over to a wall filled with various tack items. There were many halters there, and Anansi could see that he seemed to be picking one out. The horse knew what halters were; all of the horses in Shadow Cove wore them.
Finally, Keane settled on a green cloth halter with a grass-like pattern and brass buckles. He pulled it off of the wall, and Anansi tensed when he realized that Keane wanted to put it on him.
Oh no. There was no way he was wearing that.
He went to rear up again, but there was not enough slack in the rope to allow him to do so. He walked back as far as he could before the rope ran out. Dane stepped forward, putting one hand on Anansi's shoulder, and Chad held on to the rope to stop him from moving about. Keane reached up and slipped the halter onto his face. Anansi protested loudly, neighing and yelling loud enough for horses still out in the paddock to hear him. The halter was tightened, and Anansi snorted.
Let back into the paddock, Anansi bolted as far away from the humans as he could. He shook his head from side to side the whole while, trying to shake the halter off. It seemed though that Keane had tightened it just enough for it to be comfortable, yet not fall off.
What a pain.
Finding the trees at the other end of the paddock, he stopped in front of them and rubbed the halter and his face against the bark of a large oak. Still the halter didn't even move. He snorted angrily, but finally gave up.
Sinking down onto the ground, he rolled around angrily in the grass for a while. He loved being outside, but this whole halter thing was ruining that.