I swung up and slid gently into my saddle as the worn leather creaked slightly as I situated myself on Buttons my mare. The leather felt cool to the touch and the warm Colorado sun shone out of a clean slate of blue that brought out the comforting smell of horse and leather. I breathed in deeply and caught the piney scent of the sage brush which quickly turned to dust in my nose as the horses in the corral churned up the dry, dusty dirt of the mountains. I rode past the weathered wooden barn with the rows of stalls on either side. They all looked lonely without the tossing heads of the horses and bustling of the wranglers. I leaned over to my right and snatched my handy stick off the rickety table in front of the barn and made my way through
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It seemed a rainbow of horse colors. I picked out the lead mare, Bandit, and watched as she eyed my every move with her intensely deep colored eyes. Her rich midnight black coat glistened in the sun and I almost felt as if I need sunglasses to look at her. Not a speck of white was on her. She snapped at any horse who ventured too close or acted out. I could hear the restlessness and anticipation of the herd rising as I steadily made my way down the hill of the corral, sending up puffs of dirt with every step. I glanced behind me and noticed two of the troublesome horses nipping at the others and darting away, hidden by the cloud of dust their quickly moving hooves created. A stern look from Bandit restored calm but couldn’t completely expel the restlessness of the herd. I slid off Buttons and proceeded to unlatch the old, rusty gate and let it swing open. All eyes were fastened on me as I quickly mounted again. I snatched my radio off my belt and cheerily called to my coworker Emily, who had stayed at the top of the corral to push any horses who wouldn’t follow …show more content…
Set. Wrangle!” I cried through the radio. I yanked my purple wild rag up around my nose and squeezed Buttons and darted through the open gates. The herd closed in quickly behind me as I proceeded down the narrow dusty shoot with fencing on either side and lush mountain meadows beyond. The dust billowed about me and began to fill my nose through my bandana as I peered about me and waved my handy stick about in the haze to keep any unruly horse from charging past and taking the lead. No longer could I see the sweet sun or clear skies. I could see a slight glimmer of hope beyond but it soon disappeared as the 320 hooves pounded into the ground and sent me into my bubble of dust and imprinted a loud rhythmic thumping in my head. As we rounded a bend in the shoot I faintly saw ahead a cowboy gate closing off our way. Instant panic whelmed over me as I realized we would be turned off into the wrong pasture. I spurred Buttons on and put some distance between us and the rest of the herd. I flew off Buttons as if I had wings and snatched at the wire loop attaching the gate to the post. It stayed fast and I stared up the shoot to see the horses rounding the curve and thundering towards the gate strung tightly across their way. I yanked franticly and it suddenly flew open and I rotated it 90 degrees to my right to close off the other section. As I was about to clasp it, the herd pounded up to me and while most continued down the now open shoot, several charged past me
It seemed a rainbow of horse colors. I picked out the lead mare, Bandit, and watched as she eyed my every move with her intensely deep colored eyes. Her rich midnight black coat glistened in the sun and I almost felt as if I need sunglasses to look at her. Not a speck of white was on her. She snapped at any horse who ventured too close or acted out. I could hear the restlessness and anticipation of the herd rising as I steadily made my way down the hill of the corral, sending up puffs of dirt with every step. I glanced behind me and noticed two of the troublesome horses nipping at the others and darting away, hidden by the cloud of dust their quickly moving hooves created. A stern look from Bandit restored calm but couldn’t completely expel the restlessness of the herd. I slid off Buttons and proceeded to unlatch the old, rusty gate and let it swing open. All eyes were fastened on me as I quickly mounted again. I snatched my radio off my belt and cheerily called to my coworker Emily, who had stayed at the top of the corral to push any horses who wouldn’t follow …show more content…
Set. Wrangle!” I cried through the radio. I yanked my purple wild rag up around my nose and squeezed Buttons and darted through the open gates. The herd closed in quickly behind me as I proceeded down the narrow dusty shoot with fencing on either side and lush mountain meadows beyond. The dust billowed about me and began to fill my nose through my bandana as I peered about me and waved my handy stick about in the haze to keep any unruly horse from charging past and taking the lead. No longer could I see the sweet sun or clear skies. I could see a slight glimmer of hope beyond but it soon disappeared as the 320 hooves pounded into the ground and sent me into my bubble of dust and imprinted a loud rhythmic thumping in my head. As we rounded a bend in the shoot I faintly saw ahead a cowboy gate closing off our way. Instant panic whelmed over me as I realized we would be turned off into the wrong pasture. I spurred Buttons on and put some distance between us and the rest of the herd. I flew off Buttons as if I had wings and snatched at the wire loop attaching the gate to the post. It stayed fast and I stared up the shoot to see the horses rounding the curve and thundering towards the gate strung tightly across their way. I yanked franticly and it suddenly flew open and I rotated it 90 degrees to my right to close off the other section. As I was about to clasp it, the herd pounded up to me and while most continued down the now open shoot, several charged past me