Diablo (DO NOT READ, UNDER REVISION)

Chapter 6

It's good to be living with Linda again. Shaylin was so exited to see me. We went on a trail ride yesterday with Dream and Eclipse dancer.

Star loves it here. Dream and buck are already used to the place, obviously. They all get along with the other horses, except Diablo.

I've been trying to have him let me pet him for days and nothing's working. I try my first plan again. I throw an apple on the ground for him to eat.

once he's eating it I walk beside him and clip a lunge line onto his red halter. One he realizes that is on him, he gallops away from me and starts to buck.

I pull him back to make him stop. Eventually, he reluctantly does. As a reward for stopping, I toss an apple slice on the ground next to him.

"Good boy, Diablo." I coo. I notice that I've drawn an audience. Shaylin and Ally are sitting on the fence.

I wave my hand behind Diablo to make him go. He starts at a brisk trot, then I ask him to reverse directions.

He's obviously been lunged before. When I ask him to stop her slowly does. I toss another apple slice on the ground for him.

Next, I ask him to come to me. I hold out another apple slice and take two steps towards him. He takes one step forward and stretches his neck out.

Diablo grabs the treat with his lips and eats it. I think that good enough for today. I unclip the lunge line.

I walk over to Shaylin and Ally. "So, what do you guys think?" I ask. They both think that I was great, but Diablo is so wild and blah, blah, blah.

I decide to try to jump Buck. It's been years since I've jumped him. I tack him up English then head out to the jumping arena.

I warm him up, then take him over a 1'9" jump. I try to stop him and bring him over the same jump, but he canters toward a 3'4" jump.

I close my eyes and hold on for dear life as he goes over it. When he's on the groung I look back and see that he didn't knock down a pole.

I guess Buck likes jumping more than I thought.