by Paula Boer
Everyone agreed that would suffice. Ben struggled to stand. "I"m at least going to come and watch. I"m not that bad."
By the time Graeme and Jacinta had helped Ben out to the horse yards and sat him on a camp chair, Louise had Brandy ready to start work. The stallion ran around the inside of the fence, snorting and calling to the other horses. Cracking a stock whip, Louise jumped in front of him and stopped him short.
Simon cheered Louise on as she took control of the horse. "That"s the way! Make him behave."
Ben soon realised that Louise had learnt a lot since they first caught their brumbies in the mountains. With confidence, she made Brandy walk, trot and canter in both directions. If he didn"t respond immediately, she charged at his shoulder, dropping back when he obeyed. Within fifteen minutes, the stallion lowered his head and chewed, submissive to Louise.
She continued to work him, making him do turns on the forehand and hindquarters, step sideways across the centre of the yard and back up between L-shaped poles on the ground. After another half an hour he gleamed from exertion.
As Louise brought the horse to a final halt in the centre of the yard, the liver chestnut sighed and nodded his head. His lower lip quivered as Louise scratched his crest as a reward. "Do you think that"s enough?"
Ben couldn"t contain his admiration. "That was fantastic, Louise. He"s really soft. It"s been great to see someone else work him. Thanks."
Simon opened the gate for her to walk the horse out. "Anyone would think you were born in the bush with wild horses."
Chapter 11
An orange ribbon of road snaked below Louise as she peered out of the window of the plane. Her seat vibrated and outside sounds were muffled under her earphones as the twin engines of Simon"s Cessna soared into the air. The few trees around the homestead appeared to shrink to the size of garden shrubs as the plane climbed higher. From this vantage point, Louise could see the layout of the house and horse yards, the green lawns amidst the arid country, the tracks and pads of vehicles and animals meandering around the creeks and hills.
The earphones crackled. "We"ll head out west first."
Louise didn"t try to answer over the noise. Focusing on the vista that stretched to the horizon, she pushed away her fears of flying. With Simon"s property behind them, she could no longer see any buildings or signs of human habitation; no power lines, no roads, not even a water tank on a stand. The early morning light threw long shadows across the parched ground making it hard for her to discern any movement. A few cattle strolled along well-worn paths and kangaroos hopped away from the low-flying plane. But no brumbies.
The plane tipped on one wing as Simon banked to turn along his search pattern. Louise grasped her seat, her stomach in knots. She didn"t dare look out of the window with only sky above. As the plane levelled out, her gaze refocused on the ground. A dark shape moving at speed attracted her attention. "Is that a horse?"
Simon glanced where Louise pointed. "Looks like a bachelor. We need a big mob or two. We"ll check this area for a few more laps then head to a spot up north."
Simon had explained the night before that they needed to find brumbies close enough to his home for the portable yards to be set up. Graeme and Jacinta had offered to stay on the ground and help Simon"s men. Greg and Steve had also elected to stay, saying they had collared enough stallions for their research. A couple of neighbours also arrived to join in. In all there were eight people on horseback.
Louise felt sorry for Ben with his injured leg. This morning he had been much better than the previous day, but he"d said squeezing into the tight seat of the plane would be too uncomfortable. He wasn"t even sure if he should ride. He had been disappointed missing a brumby muster with Brandy but Louise wondered whether the stallion was ready for that type of work anyway. She also thought Ben welcomed the excuse to drive the horse truck. Being on private property, his age and the fact he wasn"t licenced didn"t matter. He often drove the farm machinery and his dad"s ute at home.
Simon"s voice came over the headphones. "There! Out past that rise."
A cloud of dust gave away the location of the brumbies in the distance. As the plane approached, Louise could make out a herd of well over thirty horses. There were no tiny foals, though a few youngsters ran amid the mob. A grey mare led a mix of bays, chestnuts and greys, manes and tails streaming out as they cantered along. They didn"t panic away from the plane, changing direction only as Simon swooped lower. When they settled in the direction he wanted them to go, he flew higher and backed off.
"We"ll see if we can find another few to join them. There"re usually stragglers around a big mob like that." After radioing in the location to the ground crew, Simon banked and scanned for more horses.
Louise spotted three brumbies beneath a tree. "There"re some!"
The horses left their protection as the plane flew low. Fleeing the buzz of the engines, they ran in the direction of the others. Over the next half an hour, the plane shepherded another dozen or so horses towards the agreed mustering place.
Letting the horses slow, Simon turned away. "I"ll check the lie of the yards so I don"t run them the wrong way past the catchers."
Using a technique similar to that which Ben and Louise had used in the mountains, Simon intended to drive the wild horses into a narrow gorge. The yards were arranged to trap the fleeing horses while the men rode out on the wings to turn any that tried to escape. Louise had originally hoped to help on the ground, but the lure of seeing the horses from the air had proved too much.
The radio burst into life as Graeme called. "We"re in position. We can hear you towards the south of us. Ready when you are. Over."
"Copy that. I"ll head them your way now. Over."
Louise"s stomach hit her throat as Simon dropped the plane and raced towards the horses. The brumbies had slowed to a walk, some of them grazing as they travelled. Spread out, Louise knew there was a risk they"d scatter in all directions. She thought Simon very skilled as he flew close enough to get the horses to break into a trot and regroup without panicking them.
Once the herd moved towards the yards at a steady pace, Simon fell back. He looped once, gaining height like Louise had watched the wedge-tailed eagles do. She felt like a bird in the tiny cockpit, looking through the Perspex screen at the world beneath her. It seemed odd to see the horses moving without hearing the thud of their hooves, only the rising dust giving any sense of movement. The whole scene had a dreamlike quality.
Louise could see the riders at their stations as the brumbies approached. One of the horses on the edge of the group saw the trap and tried to veer away. Louise watched as Jacinta burst into a gallop and turned the fleeing horse. Simon"s men did the same on the other side. Then it was Graeme"s turn. Everywhere she looked, horses galloped in all directions, riders waving hats and cracking whips, spinning and driving back escapees.
The first of the horses entered the metal gates. Louise realised it was the lead mare. Most of the other horses followed her without hesitation. Those that baulked at the foreign obstacle were turned back by the riders. The men had made a large yard, using a sheer wall as one side of the corral. She spotted the horse truck drive from where it had been hidden behind a boulder and act as a barrier between the horses and freedom. Graeme leapt from his horse and closed the gate behind the captured brumbies. Not a single one escaped.
Louise saw Ben climb out of the truck and limp over to his uncle. Looking up, he waved to the plane. Louise waved back through the glass but doubted anyone on the ground could see her.
Simon throttled back the engines. "We"ll head back to the house and get the ute. That"s a big mob we"ve got there. There should be some good colts to keep."
The trip back to the portable yards gave Louise an opportunity to talk to Simon. "What happens next?"
"I"ll select the young stock I want. We"ll need to handle each of them before we truck them home. That coul
d take some time." The wrangler explained how he would ride in amongst the brumbies and cut them out one at a time.
When they arrived at the muster point, Louise could see the men had been busy while she and Simon had returned the plane. Some of the panels had been removed from the large capture yard and made into a small holding pen and a round yard. The brumbies stood in a group as far away from the humans as they could get. There was no hay or water for them. Some looked on with interest at the activity, others snapped and kicked amongst themselves, not used to being in a confined space.
Simon"s men had a horse saddled for him. "Graeme, can you come in with me? My guys will operate the gates."
Louise watched as Simon rode at a slow walk towards the huddled horses. They didn"t seem concerned about a domestic horse with a rider. The lead mare trotted across and challenged the newcomer with a strike of her foreleg and a snort. Simon forced her back with a flick of his whip along the ground. She spun and retreated, kicking up her heels as she split the herd apart.
Simon pointed to a pale chestnut colt. "We"ll start with this three-year-old. I"d guess he"s one of the bachelors we brought in."
Graeme walked his horse alongside Simon"s. Together they advanced on the chosen brumby. Without fuss, they manoeuvred him to the outside of the mob. With a sudden lunge, he broke into a canter and headed away from the herd. Simon held a lasso in his right hand while he guided his horse with his left. Graeme moved to block the brumby from returning to the wild horses. With both riders keeping him alone, Simon chased him until he was close enough to swing his rope. The lasso slipped over the colt"s head and tightened on his neck.
Louise jumped up with excitement from where she sat with Ben. "That didn"t take long! Now what?"
In answer, the men swung a panel wide enough for two horses. The colt didn"t realise he was in a different yard as he tussled with the rope around his neck. Once the panel had been secured behind them, Simon released the rope, freeing the brumby. He bucked and bolted around the smaller enclosure. Once he settled on the far side, Simon indicated for another panel to be opened for him to ride out.
After catching and moving two more brumbies, Simon dismounted as his horse puffed hard after the work of keeping up with the wild horses. "Does anyone else want to have a go?"
Jacinta nodded. "Has this horse I"ve been riding done this sort of thing before?"
"No. I only caught him last year. He should be fine though." Simon loosened the girth for his mount as he pointed out to Jacinta the horses he wanted.
Louise couldn"t help but be impressed with the way Jacinta rode. Ben"s cousin sat relaxed in the saddle, her aids impossible to see. She and her father singled out a small filly. As they attempted to drive her away from the herd, she shot back to a sway-backed mare.
Ben shifted on his fold-up chair to ease his leg. "She looks like she"s still running with her dam. She should have been weaned by now."
"That mare will be one to cull. We"ll get her tomorrow." Simon rested one foot on the bottom rail of the yards, watching the antics of the riders.
With a few more tries, Jacinta had the filly alone. Her first throw of the lasso fell short. Looping it up before it tangled in her horse"s legs, she swung it again. This time she caught the filly to cheers from the watchers.
After releasing the young brumby in the small pen, Jacinta jumped off her horse. "That"s harder work than it looks! Do you want a go, Louise?"
Louise shuffled her feet. She suspected Jacinta made the suggestion anticipating she would fail. "I"m not sure I can throw a rope. Perhaps I could ride second horse while Graeme catches one?"
Simon untied Splash"s reins where he stood with the other saddled horses. "Give it a go first. You won"t know if you don"t try."
Louise mounted Splash and rode in to where Graeme waited in the ring. He gave her a thumbs-up sign. Simon had suggested a lanky black colt as the next horse to catch. The youngster stood on the far side of the mob, twitching his ears this way and that. The other horses ignored him or tried to shove him away. Louise suspected he was another outsider from the herd.
"Ride through them and try to walk alongside him, Louise." Graeme let her go first and followed a few paces behind.
Splash knew what to do. When it became obvious which horse Louise was trying to separate, the pony started to anticipate the brumby"s moves, changing direction to block the young horse from joining the mob. The tactics worked; the black colt shot to the other side of the yard and slid to a halt before encountering the men leaning on the fence.
The rope in Louise"s hands weighed more than she expected. The coarse loops were awkward to handle. Trusting in Splash"s ability, she crossed her reins over his neck and dropped them, guiding him with her legs. With both hands free, she sorted out the tangle of rope. As Splash moved up towards the brumby, the colt trotted off. Graeme blocked it and sent it back to Louise. As she approached, the colt veered away. Graeme raced to block it again.
When the brumby returned to Louise"s side of the yard, Splash took control. He snaked his head at the colt and nipped him on the rump. The wild horse squealed and submitted to the skewbald pony. Now Louise was able to ride alongside at a trot. She knew she wouldn"t be able to swing the lasso over her head like Simon had done. Holding the noose open, she chucked it with both hands. Loud cheers confirmed her success.
Roping the brumby and getting it through the panel into the small yard proved to be different matters. As the noose tightened around the colt"s neck, he ran backwards with his head on the ground. Afraid that the lasso might come off, Louise looked to Graeme. Sweat dripped down her neck and her arms started to shake from exertion. "Can you help? I"m not strong enough!"
Graeme urged his horse beside Splash and leant over to grab the rope. With short sharp tugs, he pulled the brumby up and over to the panel. With Louise riding behind, the two of them managed to force the brumby through the opening.
Ben stood up and hobbled over to the rails. "Well done, Louise!"
Jacinta frowned. "He"s really weedy. I don"t know why Simon would want that one."
Chapter 12
Watching Jacinta and Louise work with Simon and Graeme, Ben rubbed his sore thigh. The bruising spread from above his knee to his hip with great blotches of yellow. He knew he was lucky not to have broken his leg, but sitting still didn"t suit him. Knowing that cutting out colts would be too hard on his body, he hadn"t brought Brandy in the truck with the other riding horses. He wished he had, though it had been fun to drive the big vehicle.
"You can use my horse if you want a go." Simon must have seen the frustration on Ben"s face.
Ben shook his head. "I really need to ride Brandy. Can I take your ute so I can go back for a short ride?"
Steve overheard the conversation. "A bit of gentle exercise is probably a good thing, it"ll get the blood circulating. Don"t overdo it though."
Graeme also agreed that both Ben and Brandy needed an outing. "Stay within the southern paddock so we can find you if you get into trouble. It"s too far away for us to hear you on the radio."
Ben started the ute and waved goodbye to the girls. "I"ll be back around lunchtime. I want to watch Simon work the horses he"s selected."
When Ben reached Simon"s, a familiar bark reminded him that Snifter needed a run as well. He ruffled the dog behind the ears as he unclipped his chain. "I suppose you can come. We"re only going to walk."
Feeling better than he had since his accident, Ben groomed and tacked up Brandy. Despite not doing ground work as he didn"t want to strain his leg, the stallion stood still as he mounted.
Being on a horse cheered Ben up as usual. He thought back over the morning and remembered how Louise had cut out the feisty black colt. He could tell that Simon was impressed with her horsemanship. Maybe they needn"t have brought Splash for her after all, but they worked well as a team. Louise"s time at Patti McGrath"s had been well spent.
Brandy strode out along the track, ears pricked and listening to the sounds of the bush. Corellas cried overhead and a tumbleweed rustled by. At one stage a flock of thousands of budgerigars swooped low in front of Ben, their green feathers flashing as they moved like a shoal of fish, swerving and diving as one.
Snifter had a good time too. He snuffled under bushes, wagging his tail as he darted from shrub to rock. Various lizards scampered out of his way, some scuttling along the ground on all fours while others ran with their front legs in the air. Not a single cloud marred the blue sky and a light breeze wafted the aroma of warm horse to Ben"s nose.
Ben called his dog. "Keep up or I"ll take you back."
The blue heeler leapt at his owner"s voice. Ben thought that he looked fully recovered from the dog fight. His wounds had scabbed over and he didn"t seem lame even though it was hard to tell with him missing a front leg. "You"re a very lucky mutt. Come on, let"s see if you can go faster."
Brandy broke into a trot the instant Ben applied his legs. The stallion bounced along, keen to go. The jolting jarred Ben"s bad thigh, causing him to gasp. "Whoa. I don"t think I"m ready for that speed."
Bringing the horse back to a walk, Ben shifted in the saddle. He certainly wasn"t up to cutting out brumbies. At least he could enjoy a ride out in the bush alone. He realised that part of his bad mood was probably due to not spending much time on his own since leaving home; as much as he enjoyed company, he also loved solitude.
Lost in his thoughts, Ben didn"t realise for a few minutes that Snifter was no longer with him. He whistled for the dog to no avail. "Where are you, you stupid dog?"
Turning Brandy around, Ben retraced his path. After a short distance he could see a hairy butt sticking out of a bush, Snifter"s tail rigid like a stick. "What are you doing? Come out of there!"