Casper, the Spirited Arabian

by Kelly Wilson

  “I think they’re going to be fine,” Mum said to Vicki in relief. “Let’s leave the two of them together. If they’re settled by tomorrow then Charlie, Dandy and Jude can join them.”

  Chapter 7

  Less is More

  ALTHOUGH IT WAS A STRUGGLE, Vicki managed to leave Casper alone for a few days so he could settle in. It was hardest the day after Casper’s arrival, since it was Sunday and there was no school to distract her. For hours she leant on the railing watching Casper graze, and when that grew boring she caught Dandy and groomed him.

  As she brushed Dandy’s coat, she reminded herself that he hadn’t always been trusty and reliable. At the beginning he’d been unpredictable and difficult, just like Casper, and Vicki was confident that, with time, her grey Arabian would settle down, too.

  Every evening when the girls came out to feed the ponies, Casper would hang back, but gradually he started to walk up and eat some hay while Vicki and her sisters stood nearby patting the other ponies.

  “I haven’t seen your ears go back since you arrived,” Vicki told Casper on their fifth evening together. “Maybe tomorrow I’ll try to catch you.”

  The next day, when the girls got home from school, the family gathered at the paddock gate. Slowly Vicki approached the new pony, stopping to pat Dandy on her way. Casper watched her curiously, his ears flicking.

  As soon as she lifted the halter, he bared his teeth and reared. Vicki paused, fear racing through her. “It’s all right, boy,” she said. “I don’t have to catch you today. How about I just give you a pat?”

  Dropping the halter, Vicki stepped closer, relieved that Casper seemed calmer. Dandy, Cameo and Charlie crowded around her, wanting more attention, and slowly Casper stepped forward to join them. But as she laid a hand on the Arabian’s neck, he swung his head uneasily.

  “As soon as you relax, I’ll leave,” Vicki promised him, as she slowly stroked his neck. Over the next few minutes she felt the tension leave Casper’s body, and when she saw the fire leaving his eyes, Vicki lowered her hand and backed away.

  “See, that wasn’t so hard, was it?” she whispered, turning to join the rest of her family at the fence.

  For the next week, Vicki continued working with Casper every afternoon after she got home from school. She no longer took the halter out with her, but instead just spent a few minutes with him each time she checked or fed the ponies. Day by day, Casper got a little easier to approach and stayed relaxed for longer while she patted him.

  “Will you freak out if I go and get the halter?” Vicki asked Casper as she stroked his neck.

  Vicki was filled with nervous anticipation as she returned with the halter. She was sure Casper was starting to trust her and didn’t want him to turn nasty on her again.

  “See, it’s not so bad,” Vicki said, as she reached out and laid a hand on Casper’s neck. Slowly she lifted the halter off her shoulder, but the movement startled the pony and he backed away. He stamped a hoof, and although he didn’t rear he flattened his ears and watched her warily. For five minutes they faced each other in a stand-off.

  “I just need you to flick an ear forward,” Vicki told Casper, “or sigh, or lick your lips, or step forward. You can even shake your head. Anything to show me that you’re relaxing.”

  Patiently Vicki waited, her eyes never leaving Casper’s. The timing was crucial and she knew, from working with Dandy when he was a wild pony just off the mountain, how important it was to understand and respond to Casper’s body language.

  And then it happened: Casper exhaled and lowered his head for just a fraction of a second. Vicki rewarded him by backing away a few steps, to give him space.

  “That was a pretty big deal for you, huh?” she smiled proudly. “But you didn’t rear, or show me your teeth, so I’m happy.”

  Again she approached Casper, watching him closely. In the instant he tensed, before he could react badly, Vicki stopped her advance and stood quietly watching him. This time it only took a few minutes for Casper to chew his lips and relax, and Vicki was quick to retreat again.

  For the next half an hour they danced, forward and backwards. At last she stood in front of Casper, who let her secure the halter on his head.

  “That was amazing,” Vicki whispered to the relaxed pony. “It might have been slow, but there wasn’t any bad behaviour!”

  Stepping away, she led Casper around the paddock and was amused when she saw Cameo, who was always keen to play follow-the-leader, fall into line behind him. Once they completed the circle, she took the halter off and set Casper free. She watched as he wandered over to join his new friends. “You sure are happier with the other ponies for company, aren’t you, boy?”

  Vicki turned and headed for the gate with a spring in her step. Glancing back, she saw that Casper was watching her and a smile of pure happiness broke over her face.

  Chapter 8

  Bareback Pony

  THE NEXT DAY IT ONLY TOOK ten minutes to halter Casper, and Vicki was lightheaded with joy. He was making progress!

  Within a week, Vicki could catch Casper like a normal pony, and each day she’d lead him out on an adventure. There were a number of times, as they ventured around their property or down the roads, that Vicki thought he was almost ready to ride. But not wanting to rush things, she waited patiently for the right moment.

  “I think today’s the day,” Vicki told Casper as she finished brushing him one morning. Casper was more relaxed than ever, and had stood dozing while Vicki brushed every inch of his body and picked out all four of his hooves.

  Heading for the tack shed, she collected her saddle and bridle and made her way back to the tie-up rails. Carefully she laid the saddle across Casper’s back. He moved restlessly in response.

  Vicki reached for the girth, but paused when Casper pinned his ears back, talking quietly to reassure him. “Woah, boy, I promise it’s not as awful as you think.”

  Slowly she tightened the girth on the saddle, then put a bridle on over his halter. Although Casper didn’t misbehave, from the way he chomped on the bit and pinned his ears back it was obvious he was unhappy. Vicki felt terrible.

  As she led him off, Casper dragged on the rope, something he hadn’t done since they’d first seen him. Hoping he’d get used to the feel of the gear, Vicki clipped the lead onto Casper’s bit and asked him to trot in a big circle around her. Disappointment filled her when she pulled on the rope to slow him and he reared up.

  Vicki sighed. “This just isn’t working, is it?” Casper had seemed so contented over the past few days, but with the saddle and bridle on, he was back to his old ways. Stroking Casper’s head, she wondered what to do next. Casper nuzzled her, then swung his head to look back at the saddle, chomping on the bit.

  “The saddle and bridle have to go,” Vicki said as she looked at her unhappy pony. “Is that what you’re trying to tell me?”

  Vicki untacked Casper and laid the saddle and bridle over the gate. Instantly, Casper’s mood lifted and he pricked his ears forward.

  “Maybe you’re a bareback pony?” Vicki wondered as she studied the highly strung Arabian. “I think we need to start from scratch and train you with just a halter on, the same way we started Dandy and Cameo.”

  She tied Casper up, and sprinted back to the tack shed to grab her helmet. Then she went in search of her mum and dad. It was a family rule that her parents had to be there if the girls were trying something new with their ponies, just in case something went wrong.

  “I’m going to ride Casper for the first time,” Vicki told her sisters as she ran past them on the lawn, where they were playing with their pets. “Meet in the front paddock in a few minutes?”

  Not wanting to miss out on the action, Amanda quickly put her rat back in his cage, and Kelly lifted the rabbits into their hutch. Once all of the animals were safely away, they joined Vicki and their parents at the fence.

  “He’s been ridden before, right?” Amanda asked her mum as she climbed up and sat on th
e gate.

  “Yes, but only a handful of times in the past year, and he’s been difficult every time.”

  Excited and nervous at the same time, Vicki turned to Casper, who stood waiting patiently. If everything went as well as she hoped, she’d be riding him in no time at all.

  Gently, she jumped up and lay over his bare back, as if she was mounting an unbroken pony for the very first time. Casper showed no concern as she lay there, so, after a few minutes, she moved to sitting upright on his back.

  “He certainly seems relaxed at the moment,” Dad said, impressed. “You sure do have a gift with horses.”

  Vicki smiled, glad everyone else was starting to see how special Casper was, too. At Vicki’s urging, he stepped out eagerly around the paddock.

  “How about a trot?” Vicki asked the pony as she squeezed with her heels. Casper quietly broke into a trot, more relaxed than he’d ever been, and Vicki grinned.

  But with each stride, her grin faded into a frown. Casper might be behaving perfectly, but he was the most uncomfortable pony to ride bareback!

  “He’s so bouncy at the trot,” Vicki complained as she brought him back to a halt in front of her family. “And his wither is so bony.”

  “Perhaps he’ll be easier to sit on once he’s gained some weight,” Mum replied. “He is still quite skinny.”

  “Try a canter,” Kelly suggested. “That should be smoother.”

  This time Vicki let Casper trot for only a few strides before encouraging him into a canter. His long mane whipped her face as they circled the paddock, and he remained steady beneath her. Laughing, she slowed Casper to a stop, wrapping her arms around her pony’s neck.

  “Never in a million years did I imagine I’d be cantering you when I woke up this morning,” she whispered into his ear.

  As if in understanding, Casper tossed his head. Vicki leapt to the ground, and gave him another hug before undoing his halter and setting him loose.

  “I knew you had potential, Casper, but I never dreamed you would be this good so soon!”

  Chapter 9

  Taking a Tumble

  THE NEXT FEW DAYS Vicki felt like she was in a dream: every day she rode the Arabian bareback with a halter, and Casper didn’t put a foot wrong. Encouraged by his good behaviour, she decided it was time to ride him out on the neighbour’s farm. Her sisters would be bringing along their ponies, so Casper would have some company.

  “It feels so good to be on Cameo again,” Kelly sighed happily. “I’ve missed riding her so much.”

  “Charlie’s going to enjoy himself, too,” Amanda agreed, as she clambered onto her little pony’s back. “I know the holiday was good for him, so he could rest after the Royal Easter Show, but I think he was starting to get bored in the paddock.”

  Vicki tuned out their chatter as she slipped a bridle on Casper in case she needed extra control while out riding on the farm. Although he was a little unsure, he didn’t seem nearly as anxious as the first time. She smiled hopefully. Maybe, now that he’d had a few good rides and trust had built up between them, all his other issues would improve.

  Vaulting onto his bare back, she followed her sisters down the road, heading towards the farm. But right from the start Casper was unsettled. Vicki had to keep a firm grip with her legs as he jumped sideways passing the letterbox. Even the white lines on the road seemed to scare him. It took all of Vicki’s focus to stay balanced.

  “He’s not having a good day, is he?” Kelly said, looking over in concern. She sat relaxed on steady Cameo, who was completely at home riding on the road. “I’m glad I’m not the one riding him. Maybe we should head back?”

  Vicki shook her head. “Let’s keep going. I think he’s just scared of all the new sights, but once we reach the farm gate there won’t be as much to spook him. Remember, he hadn’t left his own property for more than a year before he came to us, and so far I’ve only ridden him in the front paddock.”

  Soon they turned off the road into the neighbour’s driveway. As they neared the farm gate, Vicki pulled back on the reins, asking Casper to halt. The Arabian sharply threw his head in the air and spun around, causing Vicki to slip sideways. Clutching the reins to regain her balance, she hung on desperately as Casper reared. But she was already dislodged, and she tumbled to the ground, rolling to the side to avoid Casper’s flailing hooves.

  “Are you all right?” Amanda asked, jumping off Charlie and running over to Vicki. “You hit the ground hard!”

  It had been a long time since she’d taken a fall off a pony. Vicki stiffly rose to her feet, not quite sure what had happened. “I think so,” she grimaced. She poked her hip, which felt as if it was already starting to bruise.

  Looking around, she saw Casper grazing on a clump of grass by the gate, and limped over to him. “What was that for?” Vicki asked her pony in confusion. “You’ve been doing so well.”

  She led him through the gate on foot, then leapt back on, knowing she needed to ride him again straight away so he wouldn’t learn any bad habits.

  “Let’s just walk up this hill,” Vicki told her sisters as she settled on his back. “I’d rather not risk falling off again.”

  Casper seemed calm and relaxed as they made their way up the hill. Vicki’s confidence was returning, so she took the lead, cantering him up the next slope. But as she reached the top and slowed him back to a trot, Casper tossed his head violently and bucked. Vicki grabbed for a handful of mane to stop herself slipping off, but it was too late. She threw herself to the side, landing on her feet before falling forward onto her knees.

  “I think you should lead him home,” Kelly pleaded with her sister, bringing Cameo to a halt, with Amanda and Charlie following suit. “He’s not safe.”

  “Most of the time he’s perfect,” Vicki said in frustration, shaking her hair out of her eyes. “It makes no sense.”

  Her entire body now felt battered and bruised, but she knew that if Casper didn’t finish on a good note she’d be worried about riding him the next day. Catching him again, she hesitantly remounted.

  “Let’s head back,” she said. The sisters turned their ponies towards home, walking the entire way.

  Chapter 10

  Slow Progress

  BACK AT HOME, just as they reached the tie-up rail, Vicki pulled on the reins, asking Casper to halt. But once again he reared.

  Struggling to stay on, Vicki clung to his mane and gripped tightly with her legs. Several seconds passed as if in slow motion, as Casper balanced precariously on his hind legs. When he finally dropped back onto all four legs again, Vicki leapt to the ground, shaken.

  “He’s been so well behaved the past few days,” Vicki said as she unbridled him. “There has to be something causing him to act badly.”

  “Maybe he doesn’t like open spaces?” Amanda suggested.

  “Or it could be the bridle,” Kelly added. “He was fine in the halter.”

  Vicki swung around and stared at her sister, her mind connecting the dots.

  “You’re right! It’s every time we slow down,” she exclaimed.

  “What are you talking about?” Amanda asked.

  “Casper only reacts badly when I’m pulling on the reins!” Vicki explained, with growing excitement. “The first and the last times he reared were when I was asking him to halt, and the second time he bucked when I was asking him to slow from a canter to a trot.”

  “So how are you going to fix that?” Kelly said, frowning. “You know you can’t just ride Casper at one speed.”

  “No, don’t you get it?” Vicki said. All the pieces were clicking into place. “It must be the bit. He doesn’t like it.”

  Kelly gasped as she understood. “That actually makes sense! Let’s try riding out on the farm again tomorrow, and this time you can try him in a halter instead of the bridle.”

  Although Vicki was stiff and sore the next morning, nothing could stop her from feeling positive. Now that she had decided the bit was to blame, with Casper back in a halter s
he was confident the ride would go smoothly.

  But when the girls retraced their steps from the day before, as soon as Casper was out on the road he spooked in all the same places. Vicki was filled with dismay.

  “Maybe I was wrong about the bit,” Vicki cried as she fought to stay on her anxious pony. “So far he’s exactly the same.”

  “I read once that Arabians are more sensitive than other breeds,” Kelly said, reassuringly. “Let’s just see how he goes once we’re off the road.”

  When they reached the gate where Vicki had fallen off the day before, she braced herself and asked Casper to stop. Relief flooded her when he calmly came back to a halt.

  “So far, so good,” Amanda smiled, as she jumped off to open the gate.

  To test him, the girls cantered up the hill, and again Casper behaved well. In fact, he seemed the happiest Vicki had ever seen him. From paddock to paddock they ventured, stopping and turning as often as possible, and not once did Casper misbehave.

  “So most of his issues do come from wearing the bridle and the saddle,” Vicki mused, as they rode home. “I wonder what’s happened to him in the past to make him hate being ridden with gear on?”

  “If you can only ride him bareback and in a halter, you’ll never be able to ride him at Pony Club or at competitions,” Kelly pointed out. “What are you going to do with him?”

  “I’m not sure,” Vicki said. “I just have to keep hoping that he’ll get used to them over time.”

  But Vicki soon learnt that time made no difference. As the season changed from winter to spring, Casper was no better or worse. If she rode him bareback with a halter he was faultless, but every time she tried him with a saddle and bridle it always ended badly.

  Put off by falling so many times, she eventually stopped trying to ride him with gear on. It seemed as though her mum had been right all along — Casper would never be a show pony. But Vicki wasn’t going to let that get her down.