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Post by Renathan on Apr 12, 2018 21:35:16 GMT -6
The stallion leans forward and noses at the saddlebags as well, since he now seems to know what he was supposed to do and all. Renathan was happy to see him get used to the leather smell, the treatment smell, and perhaps even the paint smell; since Renathan had dyed his tack a little. Renathan then pets the stallion, giving him some pets on his shoulder and a gentle pet on his muzzle. The next part of this was going to be the really hard part. Renathan asks the stallion to get up; which he does. Then he stands there for a moment petting and cooing at him to make sure that he is as calm as possible. As of right now; the stallion has never even been ridden before. He then takes the hackamore and while petting the stallion's muzzle, attempts to slip it loosely over the muzzle. The stallion shakes his head back and forth, forcing Renathan to pull back away from the stallion to make sure the hackamore wouldn't be harmed.
[5]
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Post by Renathan on Apr 12, 2018 21:45:29 GMT -6
The stallion wasn't trying to be disobedient of course; it was just a little uncomfortable to have something on his face like that. Renathan coos and pets his muzzle again sweetly, trying to keep him from spooking a little. He then goes to give the stallion a little pet on his side. Just as he does this, he slips the hackamore onto his muzzle and makes sure that it is properly seated on his bridge. The hackamore would be better than a traditional bridle; since the stallion had those extra teeth still. The hackamore would go around his muzzle. The stallion realizes that he had something on his face and he was -not- used to that. He goes to shake his head, but Renathan pets him again, and then distracts him with a piece of apple. This works well enough; the stallion looses interest in dislodging the hackamore and then nuzzles Renathan carefully in the shoulder. So far, so good.
[6]
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Post by Renathan on Apr 12, 2018 21:50:09 GMT -6
The stallion still didn't like having the hackamore on; but Renathan was not really done here. He grabs the reins ever so gently in his hands, since the stallion's nose would be sensitive, and he gave the command for the stallion to come. He wanted to get him used to the reins and being led around. He wouldn't always have this on, but he wanted to make sure that the stallion was used to it enough to accept them whenever it came time. After they were done walking around the fence and making him more comfortable and used to the strange and restrictive new piece of equipment; Renathan gives him a piece of apple. There, that was very good! He then glances over the other pieces of equipment. He would be waiting to put the saddlebags on; since that would probably be his first little bit of weight added in the future; before Renathan introduced himself to the saddle eventually.
[7]
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Post by Renathan on Apr 12, 2018 22:45:17 GMT -6
Renathan picks up the saddle after leading the stallion over to it, and then goes to place it on the stallion. The stallion shies away, dancing with his hind legs. Yes, this was going to be difficult. He pets the creature carefully on it's back, and then puts just a little pressure on it with his hand. The stallion watches him curiously, but doesn't move since it was Renathan, after all. Renathan then lifts up the saddle to the stallion's face, allowing him to sniff it again. It couldn't hurt him; it was dead, he thought. Then he tried his best to exude a sensing of calm about him through the empathic link; and then he slowly, gently slipped the saddle onto the stallion's back. The stallion stamped a foot under the light, but strange, weight on his back. Renathan bent down gently to tighten it onto the stallion, but the stallion slipped it off of his back while he did this.
[8]
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Post by Renathan on Apr 12, 2018 22:48:43 GMT -6
Renathan is able to catch the saddle before it hits the ground, but he fixes the stallion with a stink eye. He pets the stallion on the side yet again and then coos, slipping the saddle back onto his back quickly. He waits a moment, petting the stallion and cooing at him to see if he would keep it on. Then he quickly bends down and tightens the strap to the appropriate level; so that the creature wouldn't slip it on it's back, but wouldn't be too tight either. The stallion stamps his feet a little, and wrings his tail. Renathan stills him with a touch, and then after a moment of the stallion being calm with the saddle on his back he quickly gives the stallion a treat. He did not want to treat the stallion while he was acting poorly with the saddle on his back. The stallion turns a circle, looking at the saddle after he had it on his back, but didn't try to bite at it or anything of that nature.
[9]
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Post by Renathan on Apr 12, 2018 22:53:27 GMT -6
Renathan had counted that as a success that day, so he took the pieces off and then he took the stallion home. Over the next two weeks, he takes the stallion out every day and puts the tack on him and leads him around the new corral with his hackamore and reins, and the saddle on his back. The stallion was nervous about it at first and took a little poorly to the strange trappings. At the end of the first week, the stallion was much more used to it and took to the saddle a lot quicker, tolerating Renathan to place the equipment on him quite easily. The hackamore took a little more getting used to to actually be useful, but soon he was being lead around quite easily, as he was anticipating Renathan's needs based off of his body language and the emotional link. Renathan was very pleased with how well the Stallion was taking to his tack at the end of the two weeks; he hoped that he would be able to move on to the next leg of the mount training soon.
[10] - [END of 'Tack Up']
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Post by Renathan on Apr 13, 2018 1:22:22 GMT -6
Renathan is dreading this; in all honesty, but he has to do it anyway. Renathan brings the stallion back to the secluded paddock with the brook that wound through the fenced in portion. He has brought the tack again; this time for a different reason. The stallion stands there, nosing his tack every now and again since he is used to the general tacking up routine by now. However, today would certainly be different. Renathan pets the stallion carefully on his back and on his muzzle gently, to make sure that he is calm and relaxed. Then, he slips the hackamore onto the stallion's muzzle and carefully cinches it in place, and then he makes his way to the creature's back, placing the saddle on him and then cinching the saddle to make sure that it would stay in place. A few more clips and buckles; and then he goes to place the saddlebags on...
[1] - [START 'Carry Load']
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Post by Renathan on Apr 13, 2018 1:31:50 GMT -6
The stallion knew that this was not the usual routine! The saddlebags were certainly different; they were heavy and hard and thick, compared to the load he usually carried in these last few weeks. The stallion turns around to sniff at the saddlebags. They seemed rather familiar; like he had smelled this item before. Still, he scented it and then attempted to nibble on them; Renathan pulls them away and gives him that disappointed noise. He stops and sniffs it again. Then, Renathan goes and places the strange item on his back. He shakes his back; dislodging the offending item and then looking at Renathan. Didn't he already have enough weight on his back? Why would he need more? Renathan catches the saddlebags and then pets him again on his side, looking disappointed. At this, he goes to place the saddlebags on his back again. He stands there, flicking his skin around the area of the saddlebags.
[2]
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Post by Renathan on Apr 13, 2018 1:39:34 GMT -6
The stallion is twitching around the area that the saddlebags are hanging, as if he dislikes the rubbing on his skin. Renathan removes them gently, checking them over for troublesome things like burrs or stiffness. The saddlebags were new; and that probably made all the difference. He moves them around in his hands to warm them up and make them less stiff, and then he places them back on the stallion again, a little higher up. The saddlebags hung over the saddle; and seemed to bother him much less here. Still though, the weight of the saddlebags certainly encumbered him enough to make him less than stellar about this. Renathan pets him gently, and then treats him with an apple piece whenever he doesn't do anything to dislodge the piece of equipment. Renathan knew there were a few more steps now, but they were already very close to being finished with this. With their level of closeness, the stallion was taking to new things like a champion.
[3]
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Post by Renathan on Apr 13, 2018 1:44:38 GMT -6
Renathan then opened the saddlebags as the stallion was eating his apple piece. He quickly filled one of the sides of the saddlebag with some marbles poured from out of a large pouch that he had. The tiny glass spheres of rainbow colors filled one side of the saddlebag with about half-fullness and quite a bit of weight. The equillion was suddenly a little off balance, but not too much. He works to correct himself, twitching his skin in an irritated fashion as he does this. The stallion was taking this very well, thankfully! Renathan was thinking this; before the beast turned to it and stared it down in what was most likely an angry fashion. Renathan chuckles a little; and gently pets him on the side closest to the offending heavier side. Since the stallion was taking this so well, Renathan quickly filled the other side about half-full with the multi-colored marbles anyway.
[4]
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Post by Renathan on Apr 13, 2018 1:54:03 GMT -6
Renathan watches as the Stallion works to correct himself again, this time incredibly quickly. Well, he was taking this super well, in a surprising fashion! Renathan figured that this would be easier than getting himself in the saddle with a creature that had not previously been ridden before, after all. The stallion swaps over to stare at the newly filled side, and then back to the previous side again. Renathan then takes the stallion by the reins and gently leads him forward, hoping to show him how to move with extra weight on the body like this. The stallion does horridly; he carries the packs on his back but stumbles here and there, and then moves forward and steps back. He stamps his feet; and wrings his tail at first. Renathan stops and gives him some careful pats and quiet cooing in an attempt to get him to be a little less stressed in his movements.
[5]
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Post by Renathan on Apr 13, 2018 1:59:41 GMT -6
The stallion stops moving, and then he seems to return to normal; his tail held calm and his body held still. Renathan takes a moment to look at him; he was still getting used to the new growth of the equillion. The equillion was so much bigger now, his legs appeared leaner, and his fur seemed to always look wet, even if it wasn't. Renathan figured that it was probably some type of oil, used to water-proof the coat perhaps? The stallion's tail was so much longer now, it was almost just long in a baffling way. Renathan waits for a moment, consoling the stallion before going to lead him forward using the reigns gently yet again. The brook-horse-like equillion steps forward only reluctantly, pulling his head to one side as he did, protesting the extra weight on his back. Renathan was actually surprised that he was being so uncooperative! He checks the saddlebags again after stopping, but leaves them on the equillion to keep from rewarding poor behavior.
[6]
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Post by Renathan on Apr 13, 2018 2:04:04 GMT -6
Renathan goes to lead the equillion forward yet again; the stallion was acting up just a little, stomping about and shaking his head, but Renathan holds him gently but firmly. He continues leading the equillion without stopping, to keep from rewarding the previous poor behavior that he was not going to tolerate. The stallion eventually stops stomping about, but he continues to shake his head until Reneathan is truly frustrated. The uncontrolled frustration weeps across the link like poison; and the stallion can feel the discomfort that such frustration lent across a link like that. The empathic link that Renathan hated so much at first came into good use at this moment; the stallion tries his best to tolerate the added weight onto his back. The stallion walked forward, straight and just hardly twitching his skin as he kept his balance with the added weights on his back. Remathan felt very relieved!
[7]
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Post by Renathan on Apr 13, 2018 2:08:42 GMT -6
Renathan was very pleased with this development. He reaches to his pouch to pull forth the piece of pink apple that he was using as a treat for the stallion, and then he gives the pink apple piece to the stallion so that he would associate his good behavior with positive situations. The stallion takes the pink apple piece and begins chewing on it quietly. Renathan was hoping that they wouldn't have to spend too much more time on this trick; since they still had so much to do left and he wanted to get them at least proficient in riding before they started working on any more of the battle work. The reason why lay in the fact that the battle training seemed to be straining on the stallion; even though there was so much more that needed to be done. Renathan pets the stallion once he is finished with his treat.
[8]
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Post by Renathan on Apr 13, 2018 2:12:14 GMT -6
The stallion and Renathan still had a lot more to go on the general riding training, but not much further to go with this particular trick. They had already gotten over the most difficult part of this training; which was getting him acclimated to actually carrying the saddlebags at all. Then, they would need to up the weight to the most Renathan thought he'd carry in these saddlebags. He opens the left saddlebag and then he pours some more marbles into it until it was filled to the top; it would just barely close. That was great; but the stallion was not enjoying this at all. The stallion turned to look at it with an angry gaze, and as he was distracted Renathan filled the right side up just the same, emptying his bag of marbles into the right saddle; filling it up to the top and just barely getting it closed. Now the stallion was encumbered by two full bags of marbles.
[9]
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