Canyon Love

Chapter Four

Clinching up another horse I lead it out of the room. There were easily over a hundred heads of horses at the corrals and easily there was probably every figure of horse here. We had a good twenty horses in the lower gates where they waited for the tourist to come and ride.

Finally I got to saddle the one horse I've been anxious to get on. Montana stood calmly as I clinched up his saddle and placed the bit in his mouth. Surprisingly Montana hadn't thrown a fit for anything like normal Wrangler horses.

Shifting the stirrups around I got them to my comfortable position before mounting up. Again the big mammoth of a horse didn't move as I gently adjusted everything around. The big old roping saddle that was given to me to ride in was comfortable enough. The seat a good 15 size which was normal for me. Shifting my weight around I sent Montana into a walk.

There was nowhere to really work a horse up here in Canyon. Either everything was a trail, road, hay barn, or corral up here. The other wranglers didn't bother to mount up knowing that it was only eight. All of the other wrangler's sat at a picnic bench enjoying their last free half an hour for the day. Liz on the other hand had mounted up.

With the clicks of hooves on the gravel I turned my attention to Liz on a short little black and white paint. Besides noticing the color and stockiness of the horse I also noticed his plump belly. A sure sign that he had made his way up in the peeking order just fine.

"This is Monty" Liz patted the marshmallow of a horse. Smiling I nodded as I let Liz lead the way out onto one of the main trails here at Canyon.

"I'm hoping we can find a bison on the way that I can teach you to move" Liz shouted over her shoulder as we disappeared from the main hub of Canyon.

"You sure it was a good idea to move me to buffalo chaser already?" My voice timid with nervousness.

I've heard stories of chases that've gone great but also some sour ones. Ones where the bison never got the memo to move its whole body but instead jerks its head to either your horse's chest or your leg. But if your lucky they'll just charge you, or that's what the wranglers' say at lest.

Liz turned in her own saddle to send me an award winning smile.

"I got nobody else. Plus think of the bison as a barrel. You got to get around that barrel fast and with in a certain amount of time. Now for the bison you still need to go fast and fearless as you would in a rodeo arena" Liz tried her best to put the whole situation into a perspective I'd know well.

But no way was anyone going to trick me into believing that the bison was just like me barrel racing. Nope not seeing it.

"Come. We have lots to show you and only a half hour to do it" Liz sped up to a extended trot giving me and Montana no other choice but to move out as well.

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The trails where beautiful. There where dead trees from fires years ago that poked through the freshly growing forest. Although the dead trees gave out a spooky/eerie feeling it the new forest that took my breath away.

The bright green stood out beautifully against everything that crossed its path. The grass was drying up here in Montana already with it being late summer and all but some how the rest of the land stayed a vibrant green. The rocky mountain range broke up the scenery in a beautiful frame. I patted Montana on the neck having been pleased with the way the horse was doing on the trials.

Finally reaching a clearing Liz pulled us to a stop. I pulled Montana up next to Monty and Liz. Silently Liz pointed straight ahead making me follow her finger. Sure enough only a a few yards ahead of us stood a bull bison standing on the trail for rides.

Most of time a wrangler or two would be sent to clear off trials during breaks to make sure that a string of horses wouldn't be met with something as big as this bull. His hump was huge as his massive head contuined its lazy hunt for good grass.

"There's your chance. Go chase him" Liz shoved my shoulder moving Monty off the trail.

The trail becoming my run way just like at a rodeo. Only difference was I was out in the trials and instead of three sturdy barrels that didn't move on their own I had a bull bison. Taking in a deep breath I sent Liz a worried look.

"Don't think to hard about it and psych yourself out. If you doubt yourself and your horse then Montana won't go towards it. Just be crazy and stupid for a second and pretend you don't have a brain" Liz's little pep talk/ advice only erased some of my fears as I collected my reins.

Montana's ears shifted between me and the bison as his nostrils  started to flare. Reading off his body language I knew he already understood what I wanted.

"Oh and like growl" Liz quickly recalled her last bit of advice.

"Growl?" Raising an eyebrow I questioned my coach for this job.

"Yea as in when you yell at a dog and your voice gets gritty and kinda growls" I nodded my head as once again I mentally prepared myself.

The bull barley moved with in the minutes that had passed and I knew in reality I wouldn't have this much time to think out my moves as I did at this moment.

Taking in what I thought might be my last breath I released Montana. My reins slid up his neck giving him his head while my heels clicked against his sides as an extra push. The noise that moved out between my lips could best be described as a hiss/spitting. It was a weird combination that I did when I pushed my horses into a run. Which to my pleasure worked well for Montana who barreled towards the bison.

Jerking its head up from the ground the bull bison stood its ground. Head down, body squared off, and eyes a blazing at us I couldn't help but fear this would be a game of chicken. A game that Montana was not willing to lose as he upped his speed and pinned his own ears flag against his head as if in a challenge to the bull bison.

Now I'd like to say that I rode Montana perfectly into the buffalo but really Montana did everything that we wanted him to do. He was a fearless pony that gave me no doubt in my mind that he'd down this before.

With a snort and the toss of a head the bull raced off the trial. It's massive brown body escaping into the over growing forest. Pulling Montana to a stop I couldn't help but let out a whoop. Falling down onto Montana's sweaty neck I gave him a good old pat.

"I knew you two could do it. See this is why I assigned you bison chaser" Liz and Monty strolled up as if it was just a normal Sunday evening ride. Rolling my eyes I breathed as if I had just ran four miles, at noon, in the Arizona desert. Chuckling I patted Montana once again.

Oh yes. We'd be a very special pair.