The Colt That Could

Breaks Bring Problems

"Come on West, it's been nearly 4 months. Mischief and Athena were turned out to pasture whilst you were busy with college. You need to get to the yard. Mischief bit the trainer this morning, and Athena kicked the exercise rider. Those horses trust you, and only you by the looks of it. Plus, Mischief needs to be backed today. He's old enough for it, so go do it" sighed Danny as he watched West walk lazily around the house, looking down at the ground. "I'll go. Just... Cool it, okay? College kicked me around way too much this year. I just needed a damn break from everything. And that trainer wouldn't have gotten bitten if they didn't try and crush Mischief's nose with that damn bit of his. Yeah, I know about it. Craig told me. The trainer forced a bit into Mischief's mouth, and leaned on his nose in the process. If I see the guy, I'll punch him in the damn nose. No one abuses my horse and gets away with it" muttered West, grabbing her phone before walking from the house.

She jogged down to the yard, heading straight to Mischief's stall. The 3 year old looked straight at her the second she came into sight, stretching his neck, trying to get to her. As West opened the stall door and stepped inside, Mischief pressed his nose to her cheek before resting his head against her shoulder. "Missed me, huh?" she said quietly, rubbing his neck gently before hugging the stallions' neck. "You bit the trainer, didn't you? Don't worry. I know what he did, and he won't be coming back" smiled West, rubbing Mischief's nose once more. "They're gonna tell me to have you gelded. But that's not gonna happen. Your bloodlines need to be continued. But how about we get you racing before we think about that, huh?" she smiled, watching as the stallion trotted to the corner of his stall. "I'll take that as a yes" chuckled West before she hooked the leadrope onto Mischief's headcollar. She led him from the stall, and out towards the small arena.
As she walked with Mischief at her side, she gave an inwards frown, realising how much she'd missed whilst she'd been away from her horses. Mischief had his 3rd birthday, and Athena had came on in leaps and bounds with her training. Despite the kicking and biting incidents.

Once in the arena, West unclipped the leadrope. Letting Mischief trot away from her for a moment. "They said to train you when you were 2. That's way too young. But now you're 3, and it's okay to train you. 3 years old is the best age to back and train horses. Or at least to begin to do so. We'll start light. Tack training first, then ridden training. We're not gonna rush this, okay?" she said carefully, watching Mischief as he trotted around for a moment longer before trotting to her. "Okay" she sighed with a smile, grabbing the racing tack that she had been given by a family friend. She carefully pulled the bridle onto Mischief, watching him for any signs of discomfort, and giving him chance to move if he needed to. Once the bridle was on, she moved to pull the saddle on. Lifting the saddle pad on to his back, she gave a soft chuckle. "You've grown Mischief. 17.2 I'm guessing. Well. That's how it feels anyway" she smiled, lifting the saddle onto him and tightening the girth. She moved back near his withers, clipping on a longer leadrope. With a soft smile, she walked Mischief a few feet, seeing how he responded to the tack being on his back, and his head.

After a few laps of the arena, she moved to the middle, and sent Mischief away from her. Giving gentle encouragement to him to trot around the arena. When he did so at the first command, West smiled, seeing his eagerness to learn. She watched how he trotted, how he cantered, how he responded to the feeling of the tack. She couldn't be happier with the response, and the quick progress. "Mischief, we have gallops here. Don't tempt me" she chuckled softly, watching how the stallion continued his canter around the arena. "Did that trainer sit on you?" she asked, more to herself. "He did" came Craig's voice from behind West. "The trainer sat on Mischief without tack and said he was learning too quick. But that trainer knows nothing, clearly. He thinks it's okay to shove a horses' nose for not taking the bridle straight away"

West brought Mischief back to her side, walking to the fence to talk to Craig. "Well that trainer isn't coming back here. And he isn't getting away with what he did. I want him reported to the cops. And, if he sat on Mischief. And Mischief didn't throw him. Think I could ride him today?" she asked, rubbing Mischief's neck gently, watching as he reached his head to Craig. Craig smiled, rubbing Mischief's nose before looking to West. "If you think he's ready and that he can take the weight of a rider in the saddle. Then go for it. I'll stay here just in case. You can never be too careful these days. And I'm glad you waited till he turned 3 to do this. Horses trained at 2.... Well you know how that story ends"

"Yes I do, and I think he's ready. Not for the track, and not for any races just yet. But he's ready. He's ready for training, and he's ready to show us what he can do on the gallops" smiled West, excitement in her voice as she hugged Mischief's neck once more.

"You need to think of a racing name for him. I'll have a saddle pad, bridle and a rug made for when you have a name sorted for him. And I promise you, this stuff will be as high quality as it comes" smirked Craig, looking forward to the idea of working with a racehorse right from it's foal stages up to it's stud stages.

"Oh, I'll have a name sorted. Just you wait" smiled West, chuckling when Mischief started nibbling on Craig's cap. "He's that kind of racehorse" chuckled Craig, watching when he cap was taken off by Mischief and shook around before it was eventually dropped to the ground.

"He's my kind of racehorse" smiled West. "The perfect kind"

[Author's Note: Said I'd be back! And this time, I'm really happy with Mischief and how he's turning out. Yes, I fast forwarded to make him 3 years old. Deal with it, things are gonna get better from here with Mischief's race training!]