by Kelly Wilson
“She’s looking so good,” said Vicki.
“It’s only been ten days, but I’m sure her ribs are starting to disappear,” Kelly replied.
“Mum said that’s why they’re so friendly,” Amanda said as she pushed handfuls of grass through the fence to keep the foal distracted. “They’re so thankful for all the grass we’re picking for them.”
“Look,” said Kelly, pointing at Jude. “Mum’s trying to halter her for the first time.”
Slowly, so as not to startle the pony, Mum reached out the halter and rope, rubbing it gently against Jude’s neck. Not used to the feel of the rope, Jude backed away, shaking her head. Distressed, the foal nickered and rushed to her mother’s side.
Vicki watched as her mum patiently started again, slowly rubbing the horse’s neck before reintroducing the rope. This time the mare stood still, although Vicki could see she was stiff with tension. Over the next twenty minutes, she slowly relaxed, until finally she stood and lowered her head into the halter and allowed it to be buckled.
With a final pat, Mum unclipped the lead rope and gave Jude’s neck a rub. Smiling, she left the yard and walked over to where her family stood watching.
“Jude’s haltered, Squizzy’s letting Dad touch him and even Dandy is making progress,” she said. “These ponies don’t seem so wild anymore.”
Chapter 10
Eye Level
THE NEXT DAY, DANDY MET Vicki at the fence and waited impatiently for his apple. Laughing, Vicki pulled it from her pocket and held it out for him.
“Patience,” she said. “It’s taken me hours to get to this point. Don’t try and rush now!” Carefully he lipped it from her fingers and crunched into it.
Less than two weeks earlier he’d been all fire, but now he seemed to enjoy her visits. Holding out her hand for him to sniff, just like her parents had showed her, Vicki waited to see if Dandy would let her touch him. Stiffly, he held his head away from her. Although he hadn’t taken a step back, it was obvious he wasn’t ready.
Disappointed, Vicki dropped her hand. Dandy swung his head back to look at her. “What’s taking you so long, huh?” Vicki asked.
Swishing his tail, Dandy yawned. Vicki’s mind flashed back to the first day in the yards. He’d been so scared back then — sometimes it was hard to remember just how far he’d come.
“OK, OK, I get it,” she said with a smile. “You’ll trust me when you’re good and ready, and not a moment before. I’m only impatient because I want to take you out of this yard so you can stretch your legs again. Wouldn’t you love a gallop?”
Shaking his head, Dandy continued to watch her. His eyes were no longer wild and she could see kindness in them. She was convinced he wouldn’t hurt her. She looked around to check no one was watching, then slowly climbed down the rails until she stood in the yard beside him.
“I’m not supposed to be in your yard,” she whispered. “But I just want to show you how little I am. Nothing to be scared of.”
Snorting, Dandy backed up, unsure about having Vicki at eye level. He circled and stood in the corner, watching her warily. The movement drew the attention of Mum, who looked over and yelled, “Vicki, get yourself out of that yard right this minute!”
Vicki quickly climbed the rails, but she had her argument ready.
“I think I’ll be less scary if I’m in the yard with him. I must look like a giant, always sitting above him,” she called back.
“You should have asked first. It’s not safe to try when no one is there to keep an eye on you. If anything went wrong there would be no one to help.”
The following day, Mum stood by the gate and nodded for Vicki to enter the yard again. “Go on, then. Grab a handful of grass and let’s see how it goes.”
Unable to believe she was finally allowed in the yard with Dandy, Vicki climbed down the rails again and took a step towards the watchful stallion.
“That’s far enough,” Mum called out. “Now keep your eyes lowered and hold the grass while you wait for him to make the next move.”
Vicki waited for what felt like forever, her arm growing tired, but still Dandy didn’t step forward. Minutes passed. Too tired to continue, she lowered her hand.
“Don’t you dare quit now,” her mum said sternly. “You’re not leaving that yard until he relaxes.”
Raising her hand again, Vicki waited. Every time her arm grew tired she’d lower it and swap the grass to the other hand. She talked to Dandy the whole time, softly pleading with him to trust her.
“I’m sure you’re ready to be touched,” she said. “But I can’t force you. You’re going to have to come a little closer.”
Amanda and Kelly joined their mum at the rail.
“Why is Vicki standing there like a statue?” Amanda asked.
“She’s giving Dandy time to get used to her.”
“It doesn’t seem to be working,” Kelly yawned. “She’s been there for ages.”
“Hopefully he’ll approach her soon,” their mum said. “Can you see how he’s starting to relax? Notice his back leg resting, and how he licks his lips.”
Another half-hour passed before Dandy gathered his courage and took a cautious step towards Vicki. She waited, barely able to breathe and desperate not to scare him. Step by step the stallion crept forward.
When he was close enough, he stretched his neck to full length, tugging the grass from her outstretched fingers before backing up to eat.
“That was perfect,” Mum said, smiling. “Let’s leave him now and you can do more after school tomorrow.”
Vicki couldn’t believe the transformation. The next day, as soon as she entered his yard, Dandy met her halfway. Instead of putting his evening grass in the blue drum, Vicki hand-fed him. This time her Dad supervised, still not trusting the once-wild stallion to be left alone with his little girl. Dandy still had a long way to go before Vicki would be allowed near him without an adult around.
Certain Dandy was ready for more, Vicki reached out her other hand as he ate, to touch his head. Startled, the young stallion leapt back, eyeing her in surprise.
“I’m sorry, boy,” she said. “I just couldn’t resist. Shall we try again? I promise to be slower this time.”
Holding up her hand slowly, she waited until he relaxed before gently reaching forward and rubbing him between the eyes. This time Dandy stood frozen — even his munching on the grass stilled as he stood to be touched for the first time.
“That’s a good girl,” Dad said quietly. “Keep your hand on him and rub circles on his forehead.”
Slowly Vicki trailed her hands over his white blaze, almost as if she was in a dream. Dandy stood, relaxed and enjoying the attention. When she ran her hand down his nose he tensed, but Vicki was too distracted to notice him pin back his ears.
“Vicki,” Dad’s voice warned. “Stop what you’re doing and slowly back away from him.” Freezing, Vicki dropped her hand and retreated. Once she was at a safe distance, she turned to her dad with a questioning look.
“What did I do wrong?” she asked.
“You missed the warning signs,” he said. “Every time you’re working with him you need to be watching his body language and the expression in his eyes. Dandy wasn’t comfortable when you moved your hand down his nose. You’re lucky he didn’t bite your head off.”
“I promise I’ll pay better attention next time,” Vicki said sorrowfully. “I didn’t mean to upset him.”
Dandy now stood relaxed.
“Now quietly try again,” said Dad. “And don’t let your mind wander this time. You need to be giving that pony one hundred per cent of your attention.”
Chapter 11
Venturing Out
EVERY DAY THAT WEEK Vicki worked with Dandy, until she could touch him on both sides of his neck and head. Soon he was ready to be haltered.
Carefully she mimicked how she’d seen her mum catch Jude for the first time. She slowly rubbed the halter all over his neck and head before holding it in front of
him to lower his muzzle into. When Dandy didn’t even flinch, Vicki was elated.
“Feels weird, doesn’t it?” Vicki said, patting him. “I can’t believe how far you’ve come. Only three weeks ago you were running in the mountains, and now you trust me completely.”
Dandy yawned and nudged her. “First time wearing a halter and you’re already bored, huh?” said Vicki, laughing.
Turning away from her pony, Vicki glanced at her mum, patiently watching from the fence. “Can I take Dandy out for a walk? I think he’s ready,” she said.
“Practise leading him around the yard first,” her mum replied. “Once he can turn and stop we’ll open the gate and practise in the laneway.”
“And if that goes well, can I take him out to the paddock so he can nibble on some fresh grass?” Vicki asked, with a hopeful smile.
“We’ll see. It’s taken you a lot of patience to come this far — there’s no point rushing things now.”
Turning back to Dandy, Vicki talked quietly to him.
“It’s pretty simple, really. When I walk, you walk, and when I stop, you stop. Shall we try it?”
Stepping away, Vicki loosened the lead rope so Dandy could follow. As he was now used to being with her, he quickly mimicked her movements.
When they reached the end of the yard, Vicki turned and continued in a circle, and again Dandy followed her lead. When she stopped, Dandy stopped beside her, and Vicki gave him a pat.
“That was perfect! Good boy!”
Looking over at her mum, Vicki raised an eyebrow in question, then smiled when she saw her mum lean over and unlatch the gate.
“He’s only following you because he wants to be with you, not because he understands he’s supposed to stay with you,” her mum said. “Not once did you have any pressure on the rope. Be careful out there, as he won’t know what it means the first time you need to tug on the halter.”
When they reached the gate Dandy paused, uncertain. With a gentle but firm hold on the rope, Vicki asked him to step forward. Unsettled by the feel of the rope pulling on the halter, Dandy tossed his head and backed up. Again Vicki tugged on the lead rope and this time Dandy reared, pulling her off balance. She slipped in the mud and fell to the ground. Dandy leapt backwards in fright.
“Woah, boy,” she said as she regained her footing, wiping clumps of mud off her face. “It’s going to be OK.”
Once Dandy relaxed again, Vicki walked up and patted his head in reassurance. Confident he was ready to try again, she walked towards the gate. This time Dandy stuck close beside Vicki, but as they stepped into the laneway he rushed forward.
Unable to hold him, Vicki dropped the lead rope. Dandy panicked as the rope snaked along behind him. Sliding into the gates at the far end, he stood, shaking.
Vicki slowly approached him. “I am so sorry,” she whispered. “It shouldn’t have been scary. I was only trying to give you an adventure.”
Over the next half-hour, Vicki walked Dandy up and down the laneway. Once he could turn and stop, Vicki put him back in his yard and joined her mum on the fence.
“You were right,” Vicki sighed. “He’s not ready to go out in the paddock yet.”
“It’s a lot to learn for a wild horse,” her mum said. “Getting used to fences, being touched by humans, and now wearing a halter and being led.”
“I think we’re both been learning a lot,” Vicki said as she watched Dandy in his yard. “Working with him is totally different to every other pony I’ve ever had.”
“You’ve done a good job with him,” her mum said. “Let’s round up your dad and sister to go and cut their evening grass. I’d like to get home before dark tonight.”
Two days later, after another practice in the laneway, Dandy was ready to be led out to the paddock. Vicki was careful to take things slowly, but as soon as he stepped onto the driveway he tugged on the lead, a spring in his step.
“It’s a big wide world out here,” said Vicki, as she struggled to keep up. “There’s all sorts of things to see.”
When they reached the paddock gate, she held firmly on the rope to ask Dandy to stand, and breathed a sigh of relief when he paused beside her. “Good boy!”
As soon as her mum had the gate open, Vicki led Dandy into the paddock, careful to turn him to face the gate while it was shut again so he didn’t get a fright. Here the fences were wire instead of wood, and much lower than in the stockyards. Vicki hoped he wouldn’t get loose and jump out.
“No silly stuff,” she said sternly. “We’re just out here so you can graze.”
Dandy wasn’t interested in the grass, though — he wanted to explore. Deciding the practice would be good for him, Vicki stepped out in front, asking him to follow. Carefully, she led him between trees and over to a little stream that ran through the paddock. When they reached the water’s edge Dandy pawed at it, sending droplets flying.
“You got me wet!” Vicki said with a shriek.
She watched in surprise as Dandy buckled at the knees, laying down in the cold water to roll. Over and over he rolled, until every part of him was dripping wet. Vicki had never seen a pony roll in water before and she wondered if he’d liked to cool off in the mountain rivers when he ran wild. Tugging gently on the rope, Vicki got Dandy to stand and led him over to a weeping willow tree. This time when she stopped, he lowered his head to eat.
Chapter 12
Coming Home
BY NOW IT WAS THE START of winter, and everyone was desperate to get the ponies out of the yards and back home. A storm was on its way, and since the stockyards had no shelter from the worsening weather, and all three ponies were now able to be safely led, the family made a plan to bring the horses home so they could be turned out into the paddocks.
On Saturday morning, Vicki and Kelly rode Twinkle and Charlie over to keep Dandy company while Squizzy and Jude were led home across the farm, leaving the foal loose to follow. The girls had ridden over a number of times now to visit the horses in the stockyards, and Dandy no longer tried to attack the other ponies — in fact, they’d almost become friends.
That afternoon they returned to the yards, this time with Dad driving the horse truck. Dandy would be led over the farm like the others, but they needed the truck for all the blue drums, the mucking-out rakes and the wheelbarrow.
As Dandy had been out of the yards only twice, Vicki was anxious about having him out in the open — but she was still disappointed when her parents decided it was safer for Mum to lead him.
“If anything goes wrong, I’ll have a better chance of holding him,” she said. “Especially once we get to the road, where there will be no fences to contain him if he gets loose.”
“But he trusts me,” Vicki argued. “I’m the only one that’s worked with him.”
“If we had another week to train him, it would be different. But with a storm coming, it’d be awful for him to be left shivering in these yards.”
Vicki walked into Dandy’s yard and quietly haltered him. Once he was caught she waited for her mum to approach. Unsure about having a stranger so close, Dandy nervously swished his tail and backed up a step.
“It’s not going to work,” Vicki said adamantly.
“Give him time. He’s probably unsettled by having two people in his yard. You’ve always worked him alone. Why don’t you wait by the gate while I make friends with him?” Mum replied.
Sulking, Vicki walked off and watched as her mum held out a hand to Dandy. She was torn, half hoping that she had a special bond with Dandy and that he’d ignore her mum. The other half hoped he’d be perfect so they could get him home as quickly as possible.
When Dandy stepped forward and let her mum touch him, Vicki was proud of her pony. She’d spent hours developing his trust of people and it was rewarding seeing how good he was, although she still wished she could have been the one to lead him home.
As they made their way down the laneway, Mum kept a firm grip on the lead rope. Dandy pranced beside her, tugging on the lead, exc
ited by all the new sights. When a rabbit darted out from the hedge he startled, leaping in the air before rearing and striking out. Talking to him quietly, they waited for him to calm down before they continued.
Vicki, who was leading Charlie in front, walked backwards so she could keep an eye on Dandy. She was relieved to see him walking calmly now, occasionally bending his head to snatch mouthfuls of grass.
They walked through paddock after paddock and finally they came to the last gate. Now all that lay ahead was an old wooden bridge before they had to make their way along the road, past some houses and down the long driveway to the paddocks.
When they got to the bridge, Dandy didn’t even hesitate, boldly stepping forward. Even the asphalt surface of the road didn’t seem to bother him.
Soon he was safely in the front paddock, which overlooked the vegetable garden and the aviary beside the house. Setting him free with Charlie for company, Vicki watched anxiously as the ponies circled the paddock at a canter. It was the first time Dandy had been able to move that fast since he’d been running free on the mountain.
“Do you think they’ll be all right together?” Vicki asked. “He won’t fight Charlie, like he used to fight the other ponies in the mountains?”
“We’ll watch and see,” her mum said. “Hopefully not. It will be good for him to have a friend.”
Soon the ponies settled down to eat, grazing side by side like old friends. It had been less than a month since Dandy had been caught, but already he looked so different. His once shiny coat was now hairy in preparation for a cold winter, and his halter, which they’d left on to make catching him easier, made him look far from wild.
“Do you think he’s enjoying his life with us?” Vicki asked.
“The scariest changes are already behind him, and he’s coped really well so far,” Mum said, giving her a smile. “Now leave him to settle. Go find your sisters and spend some time with all your other animals, which you’ve been neglecting ever since these ponies came into our lives!”