Belonging to the Iceman

Trouble in Paradise

He was nervous, he couldn't deny it.

The horse stood just metres away from him, Dan holding onto his halter.

"You sure you're ready Icey?" He asked, watching the Finn trying to say calm.

Kimi had been told he was going on his first muster, riding a horse.

He had been having injections for six weeks now, was in training to getting his helicopter's licence and had earned his place at Emu Creek Station.

But today was the test, the ultimate challenge, going from a Jackaroo to a Stockman, something that Kimi wanted badly.

His boisterous, young Red Cattle Dog cross Dingo, Senna, stood by his Master's side, ready to help him.

"As ready as I can be Dan," Kimi said, eying the beautiful horse.

"Come and meet your new boy, a fine four-year-old Colt that's about to become a Stallion, like you are about to become a Stockman, bred right here at Emu Creek Station, this is Midnight Ice or Oddie for short," Dan said.

"Oddie?" Kimi questioned, "Why Oddie?"

"Because he's a total oddball like you!" Mitch, one of the Stockmen said, from atop his bay gelding.

"Icey, you can do this!" Dan said, glaring at Mitch.

Kimi felt his heart race as he put his foot up in the stirrup and lifted himself up into the saddle.

Oddie had other ideas as the Finn settled into the saddle and took the reins, the young spirited stallion reared up in his hind legs, surprising Kimi completely, but he remembered Steve's words and he clamped his legs against Oddie's sides, and held the reins firm but not cruel enough to hurt or cut the horse's mouth.

"Tule Oddie, rauhoitu ystäväni, meidän on työskenneltävä yhdessä tämän, meidän täytyy todistaa kaikille, että olemme enemmän kuin valmiita ottamaan paikkamme täällä Emu Creek kuin Stockman ja hänen Stallion! Sennan täälläkin, todistaa itselleen! ('Come on Oddie, calm down my friend, we must work together on this, we must prove to everyone that we are more than ready to take our place here at Emu Creek as Stockman and his Stallion! Senna here too, prove to himself!)  Kimi said calmly to Oddie in his native tongue, the Stallion listened and soon calmed down, ready to take Kimi on his very first Cattle Muster.

"What the hell did you just do?" Dan stammered, blown away, they had been sure that Midnight Ice would buck and throw Kimi forcing him back into the chopper with Steve. "What language came out of your mouth then Icey?"

Kimi gently patted the Stallion's neck "Hyvä poika Oddie, nyt minä tarvitsen sinua auttaa minua tänään! Olen vielä oppimista maasto ja rajoja ja jossa kaikki karja ovat!" ('Good boy Oddie, now I need you to help me today! I'm still learning the terrain and boundaries and where all the cattle are!') He said calmly to the horse, then he answered Dan, "my native tongue, I spoke Finnish to Oddie, now are we going, or not?"

Slowly the stockmen headed off and Oddie took Kimi where he needed to go.

About an hour into the ride, Senna who was running beside Oddie smelt the Cattle and began barking.

"Icey!" Dan called "this is it Mate, run Oddie down the gully and come behind the herd, remember you and Senna are the bosses over the cattle! Go you Finn!"

The Iceman made the other stockmen look like they were the beginners, not him.

He rode Oddie exactly where he needed to ride him and with the team, he helped muster the thirty thousand head of cattle from one paddock to the one near the holding yards, where in just a few days they would be loaded and shipped to the abattoirs in Darwin and around Australia.