It'll Look Different

Serenity Motion's Equestrian Festival

Featuring:
Horse's Name & Ref: SRR Ill Booten Gotty

Rider/Handler Name: Justin McBride

Class Entering: Cutting

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Extras: Vet Check - Ain't Used to Lookin' Domesticated

Placed: First!

Results

Follows after:  

(story summary below the wall of text, feel free to scroll on down for all your non-reading needs~)

     “So let her come up and-”

     “Work the hind end,” Sydney finished Justin's thought for him. He gathered up Duck’s reins, showing Justin how the stud arched his neck over and rocked back against the pressure on the reins. “This breed tends to be built more uphill than the stock horses yer used to,” He explained. “More action on the front end. Ya gotta ride ‘em sat back in the saddle a little more. Get outta the way on their shoulders, that’s where all the steering comes from. She’ll plant her hind like a quarter, but she’s gonna come up and over on the front end, not sink down like a stock cutter.”

     Justin watched as Sydney demonstrated with his own Tharoksu, Duck. The collection from these horses were more rounded over and higher than the stock horses he was used to working with that tended to be a little flatter along the topline. As Sydney explained with how the different kinds of conformation determined how a horse would collect up better. Of course, they could force the horses to hold a collection they wanted but it wasn’t going to be optimal in developing musculature or movement. But just because they looked and moved a little different didn’t mean they couldn’t do the task asked of them. It just took a hand that knew how to use their natural abilities.

     “So when I roll him back, watch his front end,” Sydney called over to Justin as he loped the stud down the center of the arena. Duck picked up the pace like a reiner should do, giving him the gas to get into a slide when he tucked his haunches underneath him. True to what Sydney described, the horse’s front end didn’t lurch forward into the slide. Instead it was a quicker stop, a minimal slide and then ever so elegantly and almost weightlessly, the horse pirouetted his front end around and bounded into a canter again.

     “It’ll be a lot like that when yer cuttin’ on yer mare. Up and around. A lot more action and movement but she’s quick. You better grab on or yer gonna get slung,” he chuckled.

     “I feel that way with the stock horses too,” Justin laughed. A reall cutting horse was no joke. Once they set in on that cow, it was a whole different mindset. Sydney had mentioned these Tharoksu horses had some kind of natural instinct to hone other animals and Justin raised the question if they made for good cutters. He let Sydney have a hand in his mare, Pierce to kind of test the waters while they were being used as sponsors for the breed’s versatility. Turned out, Pierce took to it very quickly.

     Pierce was all ears as soon as she saw the cattle. Justin could feel her tighten up underneath him as they approached the herd. She wasn’t as calm as she should present herself with her ears flipping from one calf to the other, jigging before it was time. “Hang in there, squirt. Let’s get us a good one before you go guns blazin’,” Justin spoke to her, trying to pry her attention away just slightly. Judging by the shaking snort he heard come out of Pierce, she was hot for it.

     Justin didn’t mind if they looked a little out of place. He was used to being the class clown anyway. He did have the added pressure of hoping he didn’t make a total fool out of himself in front of Erkki and now as a semi-rider for RidgeRunner. He probably should have played it a little safer for his debut but eh, what was a splash in the ocean if he threw a pebble? No one noticed that. It was high time he made some waves clap.

     Justin had a couple calves picked out but it seemed Pierce had made her decision. A little squirrely black one. Often times, not the one a rider would pick out. Too squirrely and they’d leave the horse in the dust. But that was the one Pierce didn’t peel away from. Rather than make a scene out of it, Justin let her have it. These horses knew what to look for when “hunting” right? It was instinct. Just as a cow horse is bred with that instinct, Justin trusted the Tharoksu’s nature to be true.

     Pierce slid almost immediately and twirled on her hind legs, sending the cow into it’s bucking romp. “Oh shit-” Justin hunkered down, grabbing the horn of his saddle and placing the reins on Pierce’s neck. It was time to get to work! This was her stage! He better hang on!

     Pierce snorted, bounding after the cow, cutting its path off before spinning her front around again and hopping forward. She zigged and zagged, her eyes and ears deadlocked on the calf. She had it locked down. So much so, Justin wondered if it would give up too soon. But the little calf tried and tried again back and forth with no success to get past the mare. Justin pinned himself in the back of the saddle, keeping his eyes on the cow - never look at the cutting horse or he’d fall behind her movements. A couple times she jarred him pretty hard and he was relieved when she turned back the other way - he honestly knew the little sneaky mare might throw a crop hop in during practice when she got too hot. But so far, she seemed all business.

     Justin finally gathered her up and backed her off the cow, having to physically turn her around so she’d let it go. He laughed as she hopped on her front end trying to turn back and return to her hunt. He patted her neck, sitting her little bucks on her way out of the arena. She was not done even though they class was over. What a horse! How did he tell her she did a job well done when all she wanted to do was jump back into the arena and show that cow what for!?

(1016 wordcount)

TLDR SUMMARY;

--Sydney gives a lesson to Justin on how to utilize a horse breed he's not too familiar with in a discipline he's very familiar with; the differences and the similarities

--Justin puts that lesson to use for the show, letting his mare do what she does best

--Hoping he doesn't look like a total clown but eh, that's okay too

--Pierce kicks ass

--Pierce would like more cow

--Mad she doesn't get more cow >: ( "y we done? im not done"

--Justin: : D plz 

Previous: Ain't Used to Lookin' Domesticated  || Next: TBA

     Here's the yeehaw!

     Since I was bullied into entering, I wanted to do something fun! And I haven't gotten to use this lil' lady yet so I thought, heck, may as well see how this goes! Tharoksu horses tend to be a little more baroque/warmblood-y so you wouldn't think they'd really take a shine in a cutting class - and sure, stock horses built a little more intended for the purpose but, you ever watch the bull fighting baroque gorgeous hunks of horses and just how nimble and athletic they are??? Like, holy damn, yes, they can get around a cow. Let's get to work, m'lady!

     AKA, me just nerding out about how horses can be so versatile (and fighting the stigmas breeds get taped to them).  It's gonna look different, but she's gonna get the job done!

     This style chosen to survive the deadline and it's fun to get loose and roll with whatever these fingers do. I had a good time and now I must heckle @Saoradh to completion. : D

Justin/Pierce/Sydney/Duck/Art © @Drasayer

Erkki © @Saoradh

No specific refs for yeehaw or moos

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