Post by Deleted on Aug 7, 2012 13:42:04 GMT -5
Lucas had slowly been resigning himself to the fact that, for as long as he worked for his brother, he would never be a jockey. He had trained to do the one thing he’d always had a passion for, only to never actually reach the track. He had, since his arrival, argued with his brother over the fact that he felt he was being held back but he had yet to emerge victorious from the arguments. No one had. They had clashed time and time again with no clear victor, except that as the boss Matthias would always win until Lucas could get his point across simply by denying his brother the chance to ride.
Now, as head handler for the stable, he found himself with a thousand and one things which kept him from arguing his point. He had to make sure the grooms were doing their jobs, ensure that the horses arrived where they were supposed to be on time and was generally in charge of checking the horses for heat in their legs. He had staff to co-ordinate and that wasn’t to mention the time he spent checking through Matthias’s training and racing schedules.
As head handler, he also tended to take the responsibility for bloodstock because his brother had yet to get around to sorting anyone else out to do it and Lucas did not really trust anyone else with the future of the stable. If nothing else, it gave him a chance to watch the horses he longed to ride grow up and gave him a bond with them that the jockeys would never understand. Yes, they spent hours bonding with the youngsters but Lucas had worked with them from day one. He knew each of them intimately, and he cared for them all.
It was time to bring the bloodstock in, and he had already brought the studs in and most of the mares. There was only one mare, and her young filly, remaining; Mona and Imogen. He had heard that Imogen was causing a problem for the jockeys in their bonding sessions, and refused to even let them near her without her galloping off, but he did not have an issue with her. In fact, he found her to have a sweet disposition and her displays of beauty and elegance were endearing. She had the confidence of her parents, the talent to go on to great things and perhaps most importantly she was competitive.
With Mona’s headcollar hung over his arm, he stood at the fence and watched mother and daughter together. It was a beautiful sight, the bay mare gently grooming the small filly beside her while the filly seemed to relax. Lucas smiled softly. Imogen’s had been a difficult birth, he had been there throughout and the vet had feared that the mare would reject the youngster. However, Mona had proven to be a natural and had accepted the youngster gladly. Now, their bond was as strong as any other and Imogen showed no signs of the fight she’d had to come into this world.
The handler jumped the fence into the paddock and approached the mare and foal slowly, in no rush to disturb the pair in their moment of bonding. But soon, the filly heard him and came cantering over to him and Mona rose her head to watch what the foal was doing. Lucas was sure that if he were a stranger, Mona would have been on him in a moment, but instead her audits flicked and she lowered her head to graze on the green grass of the pasture.
Lucas made no move as the filly slowed to a standstill before him and, slowly, approached him. He did not even watch her, but instead allowed his gaze to remain on Mona. It was the first time the filly had approached him, and she was a good two meters away from him and clearly a little nervous. She knew he meant her no harm, but at the same time she was wary of him and usually when she was near him her mother were closer. Lucas looked to the filly for a moment, then walked over to the broodmare and ran his hand across her back. Mona lifted her head and nuzzled him slightly before resuming to ignore him. Now, the filly was much closer to him. If he lifted his hand, he would be able to touch her. He looked to Mona, completed at ease, then turned his gaze to her young foal. Slowly, he crouched and put himself at the filly’s level and then he lifted his hand.
Lucas was not touching her, but he was close. He was waiting for the filly to come to him, and would not press her to make the move. The filly’s ears flicked back across her skull, and she took a step back. But Lucas did not move. He just waited, still, and soon she approached again. This time, she was braver and she put her nose to his hand before cantering to the other side of her mother. Satisfied, Lucas rose and put the head collar on the broodmare. They had progress, who said this filly would never bond?
Now, as head handler for the stable, he found himself with a thousand and one things which kept him from arguing his point. He had to make sure the grooms were doing their jobs, ensure that the horses arrived where they were supposed to be on time and was generally in charge of checking the horses for heat in their legs. He had staff to co-ordinate and that wasn’t to mention the time he spent checking through Matthias’s training and racing schedules.
As head handler, he also tended to take the responsibility for bloodstock because his brother had yet to get around to sorting anyone else out to do it and Lucas did not really trust anyone else with the future of the stable. If nothing else, it gave him a chance to watch the horses he longed to ride grow up and gave him a bond with them that the jockeys would never understand. Yes, they spent hours bonding with the youngsters but Lucas had worked with them from day one. He knew each of them intimately, and he cared for them all.
It was time to bring the bloodstock in, and he had already brought the studs in and most of the mares. There was only one mare, and her young filly, remaining; Mona and Imogen. He had heard that Imogen was causing a problem for the jockeys in their bonding sessions, and refused to even let them near her without her galloping off, but he did not have an issue with her. In fact, he found her to have a sweet disposition and her displays of beauty and elegance were endearing. She had the confidence of her parents, the talent to go on to great things and perhaps most importantly she was competitive.
With Mona’s headcollar hung over his arm, he stood at the fence and watched mother and daughter together. It was a beautiful sight, the bay mare gently grooming the small filly beside her while the filly seemed to relax. Lucas smiled softly. Imogen’s had been a difficult birth, he had been there throughout and the vet had feared that the mare would reject the youngster. However, Mona had proven to be a natural and had accepted the youngster gladly. Now, their bond was as strong as any other and Imogen showed no signs of the fight she’d had to come into this world.
The handler jumped the fence into the paddock and approached the mare and foal slowly, in no rush to disturb the pair in their moment of bonding. But soon, the filly heard him and came cantering over to him and Mona rose her head to watch what the foal was doing. Lucas was sure that if he were a stranger, Mona would have been on him in a moment, but instead her audits flicked and she lowered her head to graze on the green grass of the pasture.
Lucas made no move as the filly slowed to a standstill before him and, slowly, approached him. He did not even watch her, but instead allowed his gaze to remain on Mona. It was the first time the filly had approached him, and she was a good two meters away from him and clearly a little nervous. She knew he meant her no harm, but at the same time she was wary of him and usually when she was near him her mother were closer. Lucas looked to the filly for a moment, then walked over to the broodmare and ran his hand across her back. Mona lifted her head and nuzzled him slightly before resuming to ignore him. Now, the filly was much closer to him. If he lifted his hand, he would be able to touch her. He looked to Mona, completed at ease, then turned his gaze to her young foal. Slowly, he crouched and put himself at the filly’s level and then he lifted his hand.
Lucas was not touching her, but he was close. He was waiting for the filly to come to him, and would not press her to make the move. The filly’s ears flicked back across her skull, and she took a step back. But Lucas did not move. He just waited, still, and soon she approached again. This time, she was braver and she put her nose to his hand before cantering to the other side of her mother. Satisfied, Lucas rose and put the head collar on the broodmare. They had progress, who said this filly would never bond?