Taste of The Wild: Life Through the Eyes of a Wild Mustang

Chapter 16

     For the next several days, Edward worked tirelessly with me. I was getting agitated with all the training, and my patience was running low. Edward knew this, but he only kept on. When I saw the saddle sitting on the fence post, I knew this couldn't be good. He had been putting weight on my back before, which I tolerated, but never a saddle. I knew that when I submitted to the way of man, I was no longer a wild mustang. 

     As Edward swung the western saddle on me, I shook with fear. He emptied his pockets with grain, feeding them to me so I could connect a saddle with a positive note. When I had finished eating, I was a little calmer. Edward moved me around in the round pen, and when I was used to it, he got on me. 

     As soon I felt him on me, and I understood the situation, I bolted around the pen. I tried to run him off, buck him off, and do every trick in the book. He stuck like glue. When I was thoroughly tired, Edward got off. He walked out of the pen and returned with a bridle. I was used to him putting a bosal bridle on me, and it was a surprise to have metal in my mouth. 

     My mind flashed back to the roundup when a rider pulled on the bit super hard. I opened my mouth and closed it, trying to relieve myself of the horrid thing. I balked as Edward tried to move me forward. Of course, he mounted me and then tried to move me. I stood my ground. This was it. There was no way that I was gonna let him take over my independence. 

     Edward was getting aggravated with me, and in anger used a leather strap to hit me. I knew why he did it, but it surprised me, and I reared up high in the air. So high I thought I was gonna tip over. I didn't, but Edward did. As I landed on the ground, I looked over him. He had the wind knocked out of him, and I trotted over to scold him. I lifted his hat off the ground and stomped on it, then I kicked it out of the pen. I stood in middle watching him.

     He rolled over, groaning in pain and defeat. Edward stood up and leaned against the railing. I danced in anticipation of my next move. If Edward tried to get near to me, I would play keep-away. Instead, he walked out of the pen, picked up his hat, and limped away. I expected him to come back, and I stood there, the split reins from the bridle hanging at my sides, the saddle still on. 

    When Madison saw me standing there, alone, she became quite mad. She marched off, found her dad, and said, "Why is Flint in the round pen, alone?!"

     Edward calmly told her what happened. "Flint will just have to stay in there until tomorrow,"

     ''That's no reason!! Get back on the horse!!"

     "Do you want me to die?!" They argued like this for a long time, and I watched happily as my eyes laughed.  After a long while, Edward finally said, "Fine! I'll get back on the animal!"

     An idea was planted in my head. As he swung on me, I acted like everything was fine. Edward's legs relaxed, he put more slack on my reins and asked me to lope. My lope was very smooth and fast, and right when Edward was getting used to it, I jumped to a stop. Losing his balance, he ended up on my neck. I tensed up, my back becoming a stiff board. My TNT pack was about to explode when Edward quickly got off. 

     I crow-hopped around the arena and Edward looked at Madison with a told a' so look. She hopped down from her spot on the rail and came to me. Taking my reins, she calmed me down. "Poor Flint has to be ridden by the big bad wolf," She said with humor in her eyes. "The big bad wolf is really mean, isn't he?"

     "If I'm such a 'big bad wolf', why don't you try to ride him," Edward said and stepped to the side. Madison, after thinking it over, walked up to me. Rubbing me down my neck, she put her foot into the stirrup. In one quick motion, she swung onto my back. I stood shocked still. Not because it was Madison on my back, but because I couldn't believe what was happening. I would get rid of my rider, only to the rider to return on my back. 

     Madison gently squeezed my sides. I stood, defiantly in my spot. I felt heels pushing into my stomach. I fought the urge to move forward. Finally, I put one foot forward. Madison stopped all pressure and rubbed me. Then, she repeated the whole process again. I was tired of this nonsense and just wanted to be done. But somehow I knew that the only way to do that was to comply. So, this time, I did as asked.

     I walked around the arena several times in both directions, and after trotted some of it was I done. Sweat formed into a white lather on my mouth, neck, and sides. I breathing very heavily, and as Madison dismounted and turned to her father with a big smile, I felt as if I was going to collapse. 

     "See, I told you I could make him do it," Madison said cheerfully as she led me out of the pen.

     "Okay, I give in," Edward replied, putting his hands in the air to surrender. "Let's give this bad boy a bath of cold water and some oats, and I think his girlfriend is waiting for him in the pasture,"