Cowgirl Up 2 (Sequel) ✔️

Chapter Sixty Seven

I watched with baited breath as Blayze eased the toe of his left boot into the left stirrup of the two year old Thoroughbred Colt's borrowed saddle.
'Bucky' was his stable name and from what we'd been told, he certainly lives up to the name Jared Thompson's Grandkids had given him as a Foal.
I think they were starting to regret giving him the name now that they wanted him to run on the track and win money, except nobody could stay on his back.
Blayze had gone through plenty of groundwork with the Colt during the last week and a bit and the little guy had since learned to lead rather patiently, not barge his way through his handler, tie up fairly calmly and he stood still to be saddled.
Blayze had earlier spent some time leaning across the young horse's back and he'd tolerated that well, so Blayze was upping the anti by attempting to sit on the Colt's back.
Or at the very least practice the mounting routine.
I watched as Blayze applied some weight to the stirrup.
The Colt turned his head slightly to look at him and flicked an ear to listen.
I couldn't hear from behind the round yard fence what it was Blayze said to the young horse, but he gave him a praising pat for remaining calm.
The Colt released a breath and worked his jaw, giving a lick and a chew.
My heart tightened apprehensively and my eyes watched with keen interest as Blayze placed his weight into the stirrup and let his right foot off the sand floor.
The Colt tensed, but Blayze kept the position, hovering in the one stirrup and waiting for a change in the Colt's posture, to show he was processing what was happening.
The little guy released a breath that was visible as his sides moved and Blayze stepped back down and gave his neck a pat.
I couldn't help but smile.
Blayze always breaks through to the horses, even when people seem to think there's no hope left.
He'll show this Colt that somebody sitting on his back isn't the end of the world!
Blayze set up the procedure again, gathering the reins and placing the toe of his boot into the stirrup.
The Colt blinked, but didn't move, so Blayze leaned into his weight and lifted his right foot off the floor once again, a little sooner than before.
The Colt licked his lips.
Blayze gave the horse's neck a pat and stepped back down to the ground.
Some would say he takes too long and should've already swung a leg over because the Colt didn't protest.
Blayze was all about setting up a good foundation though.
He believes the Horse needs to be confident in what you are setting him up for.
Plus, that approach would be virtually useless considering the Colt in question has already thrown every person who'd tried to sit on him.
If Blayze moved too fast, Bucky would just revert back to the same tactics he'd used on the other guys.
I released a breath as Blayze went about the steps yet again, knowing he was just preparing the Colt for the big stuff.
This was really the big stuff anyway, because it was preparing the little guy for Blayze's weight as well as for what was to come when he eventually close to swing a leg over and sit.
By the time Blayze made the move, the young horse would know that the right decision was to-
My breath caught in my throat when Blayze unexpectedly swung his jeans clad right leg over the back of the saddle.
I could only guess that he figured the young horse was ready for it.
But, watching how the black Colt's ear's swivelled around in an almost circular motion, basically pointing inwards, towards each other and he seemed to focus on the floor in front of his front feet, arching his neck slightly, I began to think Blayze had misjudged the timing.
"Blayze-"
I tried to warn, but not yell so as not to startle the young Thoroughbred.
It was useless though, because his focus was on the horse beneath him and his own movements.
Slowly and carefully, he allowed his weight to settle onto the young guy's back, the saddle tree dispersing his weight evenly.
A few tense seconds ticked by and I found myself releasing an anxious breath I'd been holding.
Nothing-
Blayze touched the leather reins and the Colt exploded into a humping frenzy.
At first he was merely quite literally bouncing on the spot, sucking his belly in and pushing his back skyward.
Then as Blayze went to turn his head, he leapt off the ground, all four hooves flailing.
When his hooves touched the sand floor again, he dropped his head to point his nose at his chest and BOING!
He seemed to buck tirelessly, little grunt's of effort sounding from him as he headed for the fence line, bucking all the way.
It was now more than clear how and why he'd been named by Jared's Grandkids!
To Blayze's credit, he sat the Colt's efforts well, but it appeared the Colt was only just getting warmed up because he began to add spins into the mix, one spin going clockwise, then he'd buck, then spin himself anti clockwise.
When he changed up his routine and spun himself on a dime, going twice around anti clockwise, Blayze went soaring over his lowered neck when the little guy threw in yet another buck as part of his performance.
I cringed as my poor Cowboy hit the sand with a thump, his own cloud of dust filling the summer air, though a fair bit smaller than the cough inducing cloud Bucky had created.
I was just glad I had a cover over the top of Luka's pram, so he didn't have to breathe in the dust while he slept.
The Colt bucked twice more now that Blayze was off his back, then he shook out his body like a wet Dog and stared at the Cowboy who was now sitting up in the middle of the round yard, looking more or less like a silhouette in the cloud of dust.
"You okay?!"
I called out, edging closer to the post and tail round yard fence.
I watched Blayze push himself to his feet, while the Colt stood only a few horse lengths away, watching him intently.
Blayze pulled his hat off his head now that the dust had settled down again and he smacked the black Akubra against his dust smeared jeans clad thigh as he eyed the horse, but walked towards my section of the fence.
"He seemed so ready..."
He declared, sounding almost bewildered.
"You might not wanna hear this, but I did try to warn you about his change in mindset when you went to sit."
I told him, folding my arms across what was about the third from top rail.
He sighed, but rolled his deep blue-green eyes.
"I couldn't hear what ya said, but I saw your change in expression. I just didn't expect him to have that much fight in 'im."
He looked almost mystified as he shook his head, then slammed his hat back on.
I shook my own hat covered head.
"Well clearly he's strong willed."
Blayze sighed audibly.
"Yeah. And I'm probably gonna hit the dust a few more bloody times before he and I come to an agreement."
I knew that some people believed that getting bucked off was all a part of horse training, especially the early ridden stages.
I also knew that Blayze believed it was also not always a necessity.
I've watched him sit and ride plenty horses for the first time, including my own dear Phoenix and his own horse Rowan, without a single buck, pigroot or even hump being involved.
Blayze sighed, then stretched his arms above his head, arching his back a little to get the stretch going into his back muscles as well.
If he hadn't already been a Rodeo rider who rode Bull's and Bronc's for around the last eight years, I'd have been worried he'd probably pull up sore tomorrow.
It's been month's now since his last Rodeo though, so he still might come up a little stiff after he sleeps.
"Guess I'd better get back to doin' somethin' with this bloody horse."
He grumbled.
"I might take Luka inside and fix up some lunch. Come in when you're ready."
I declared.
The day would start to warm up soon and I really wanted to get Luka inside away from the heat.
Even though he's going to have to learn what our Summer's are like...
Maybe we could track down that old kiddie pool...
"You okay there?"
I blinked, realising I'd zoned out, thinking of ways to keep our Son cool during Summer.
"What?"
I asked Blayze, who was now standing on the bottom rail of the round yard fence, his arms folded on the top rail and staring down at me, his hat casting most of his face into shadow.
"You zoned out."
He explained.