Post by Rendezvous on Jul 30, 2017 22:32:24 GMT -6
He was angry, hateful even. Who could blame him? The horse has been abused for the earlier parts of his life. The fact that he came to KC Racing as a 3 year old had been both a blessing and a curse.
Hellagood was more of a handful than even Enrapture, a dirt filly who gave every filly and mare she ran against a run for their money. Hellagood, on the other hand, hated anything that so much as breathed in his general direction. He'd buck off every jockey he had and for a few days he tolerated Lara Hansen on his back, but soon bucked her off and tried to trample her under his feet. Trainer John insisted on either gelding the colt or selling him, the latter would only lead to one fate for such an unruly colt.
So, there was only one person left to give the colt a try. The stable owner herself.
John shook his head as he watched a sleek, tall dark bay-almost black- colt try to take a chunk out of a groom's arm. "I got him." said Kim Kenny, owner of KC Racing as she handed an apple slice, a peace offering, to the colt. Hellagood sniffed the apple and flattened his ears before taking the apple and tossing his head.
Mikael had joined John and he too looked on in disbelief. "Has she ever jockeyed anything? I know she rides, but she doesn't ride racehorses." The assistant trainer commented as Kim tried to gently run her fingers along the colt's shoulder. "You know, I can hear you. Be quiet for a second." The stable-owner demanded as the colt stamped his hooves and bared his teeth almost looking ready to lunge.
The woman was ready for him, however, and surprised him with a peppermint. "Hey Taz, I'm not gonna fight fire with fire. So go ahead, fight me. I'm not gonna fight back and I'm not gonna run." She knew the horse probably didn't understand but he'd probably notice that she wasn't raising a hand up at him or flinching away. After a few more slices of apples and carrots, Kim swung up into the colt's saddle.
Taz immediately dipped his head and bucked a couple of times, but Kim stayed on and simply patted the colt's shoulder, probably surprising him. "John, get your old-timer watch ready. I'm gonna work him." John looked over at the woman as though she was nuts. Taz chewed on his bit, but Kim kept her reins loose as she nudged the colt to walk towards the dirt track.
The track was muddy after a recent rain that Texas so desperately needed. Taz's hooves left prints in the mud and he seemingly lifted his hooves up in a prancing motion. Kim rode the colt into the starting gate and Mikael hurried over to close it which caused the colt to squeal in surprise. "Hey you big goof, you're the king of this track, you don't have to worry about anyone. This is your track, your race." She whispered to the colt as she adjusted herself on the colt and held the reins in her hands.
This was both her and the colt's first rodeo but she was certain that they'd be able to learn and grow together. As soon as the gates opened the colt flung himself out on the starting gates, flinging up mud back at Mikael. "Hey!" He called, but his words didn't register as the colt galloped down the muddy dirt track.
Kim didn't hold the colt back, she knew he would only try to fight her every step of the way if she so much as tried to slow him. Instead she let him run his own race since he had spent so much of his life being controlled and bullied. All she would do was make sure that the colt stayed close to the inside and rounded the corners. Taz kicked up mud as he went, bouncing off of every step and lathering himself up in mud. Although his ears were pinned, as they often were, something seemed to click in the horse's heart. He was happy out here on the track, running as though nothing could catch him.
Carefree and as tenacious as ever, Hellagood rounded the bend into the stretch and dashed through a particularly wet part of the track, unfazed. He cleared seven furlongs as though it was child's play and allowed his jockey to slow him to a manageable canter before going to a walk altogether. "Well, I'll be damned." John spoke in disbelief, removing his hat as he studied the time on his clock. "Can't believe you rode Satan himself and didn't end up in the ER. Was thinking we'd have to sell the farm because you kicked the can because of that horse." Kim couldn't help but roll her eyes as she gently asked the colt to walk out of the track. "Right, I'm gonna walk him out some more, I think his mind works better when he's on the move. I think he's a diamond in the rough, he just needs someone that'll listen to him." The woman suggested as she let the colt walk with a loose rein towards a particularly tasty patch of grass.
The horse wasn't perfect in terms of personality, but he had a certain spark to him that prevented him from giving up on himself which allowed him to push himself above and beyond his limitations.
Hellagood was more of a handful than even Enrapture, a dirt filly who gave every filly and mare she ran against a run for their money. Hellagood, on the other hand, hated anything that so much as breathed in his general direction. He'd buck off every jockey he had and for a few days he tolerated Lara Hansen on his back, but soon bucked her off and tried to trample her under his feet. Trainer John insisted on either gelding the colt or selling him, the latter would only lead to one fate for such an unruly colt.
So, there was only one person left to give the colt a try. The stable owner herself.
John shook his head as he watched a sleek, tall dark bay-almost black- colt try to take a chunk out of a groom's arm. "I got him." said Kim Kenny, owner of KC Racing as she handed an apple slice, a peace offering, to the colt. Hellagood sniffed the apple and flattened his ears before taking the apple and tossing his head.
Mikael had joined John and he too looked on in disbelief. "Has she ever jockeyed anything? I know she rides, but she doesn't ride racehorses." The assistant trainer commented as Kim tried to gently run her fingers along the colt's shoulder. "You know, I can hear you. Be quiet for a second." The stable-owner demanded as the colt stamped his hooves and bared his teeth almost looking ready to lunge.
The woman was ready for him, however, and surprised him with a peppermint. "Hey Taz, I'm not gonna fight fire with fire. So go ahead, fight me. I'm not gonna fight back and I'm not gonna run." She knew the horse probably didn't understand but he'd probably notice that she wasn't raising a hand up at him or flinching away. After a few more slices of apples and carrots, Kim swung up into the colt's saddle.
Taz immediately dipped his head and bucked a couple of times, but Kim stayed on and simply patted the colt's shoulder, probably surprising him. "John, get your old-timer watch ready. I'm gonna work him." John looked over at the woman as though she was nuts. Taz chewed on his bit, but Kim kept her reins loose as she nudged the colt to walk towards the dirt track.
The track was muddy after a recent rain that Texas so desperately needed. Taz's hooves left prints in the mud and he seemingly lifted his hooves up in a prancing motion. Kim rode the colt into the starting gate and Mikael hurried over to close it which caused the colt to squeal in surprise. "Hey you big goof, you're the king of this track, you don't have to worry about anyone. This is your track, your race." She whispered to the colt as she adjusted herself on the colt and held the reins in her hands.
This was both her and the colt's first rodeo but she was certain that they'd be able to learn and grow together. As soon as the gates opened the colt flung himself out on the starting gates, flinging up mud back at Mikael. "Hey!" He called, but his words didn't register as the colt galloped down the muddy dirt track.
Kim didn't hold the colt back, she knew he would only try to fight her every step of the way if she so much as tried to slow him. Instead she let him run his own race since he had spent so much of his life being controlled and bullied. All she would do was make sure that the colt stayed close to the inside and rounded the corners. Taz kicked up mud as he went, bouncing off of every step and lathering himself up in mud. Although his ears were pinned, as they often were, something seemed to click in the horse's heart. He was happy out here on the track, running as though nothing could catch him.
Carefree and as tenacious as ever, Hellagood rounded the bend into the stretch and dashed through a particularly wet part of the track, unfazed. He cleared seven furlongs as though it was child's play and allowed his jockey to slow him to a manageable canter before going to a walk altogether. "Well, I'll be damned." John spoke in disbelief, removing his hat as he studied the time on his clock. "Can't believe you rode Satan himself and didn't end up in the ER. Was thinking we'd have to sell the farm because you kicked the can because of that horse." Kim couldn't help but roll her eyes as she gently asked the colt to walk out of the track. "Right, I'm gonna walk him out some more, I think his mind works better when he's on the move. I think he's a diamond in the rough, he just needs someone that'll listen to him." The woman suggested as she let the colt walk with a loose rein towards a particularly tasty patch of grass.
The horse wasn't perfect in terms of personality, but he had a certain spark to him that prevented him from giving up on himself which allowed him to push himself above and beyond his limitations.
Horse: Hellagood | Type: Breeze, first workout |
