passion [open]

[FIRE THUNDERBOLT]

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[atrb=background,http://i40.tinypic.com/5npstl.png] Session #1 #391 words; w/ OPEN; swimming

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Thunder couldn't help but bounce all over the place as he was led across the yard to the great swimming pool, ricocheting off the end of the lead and his handler's elbow, held just above the colt's shoulder. "Steady down there boy," the man laughed, pushing the colt away from him again so as to avoid being trampled. "You'll get your swim in a minute."

Obediently, Thunder calmed at the man's voice, lipping at the hand that held his lead playfully. The bay liked this man very much - liked his soft voice and loose grip, and the way he didn't just jerk on the lead or smack the colt on the nose and tell him to 'knock it off' like the others did whenever he was excited. It wasn't like he wanted to be naughty, just that sometimes he simply could not hold it in. It was the same when he went to the track after a week or so of other workouts, or started learning something new; no fear, just excitement.

The splashing and snorting of other yearlings swimming could be heard as Thunder literally bounced his way into the pool area, hooves ringing loudly on the concrete floor. "Thunder, hang on a minute!" the man said, turning the colt back to shut the gate before he could be dragged off towards the water. Despite being a yearling, Thunder had found he was capable of it, if he caught them by surprise. Time seemed to pass agonisingly slowly as his handler did up the bolt that held the gate, and then finally, they could move to the water!

Thunder knew the routine well by now; since making it clear that he loved the water, he had been brought to the swimming pool more than any other horse on the property. He managed to hold himself still long enough for someone to spray him down with a hose, removing all the dirt and grass he'd been rolling around in earlier in his turnout yard, and then they brought him to the pool itself, one man on either side. He surged forward eagerly, water flying up in great arcs all around him, drenching both his handlers as he began to swim, head held high out of the water nostrils flared as he snorted the water out of his nose, utterly happy.

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[IMAGINARY GRAVITY]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style,width: 450px; border: solid 5px black; border-radius: 30px; text-align: justify; background-image: url(http://i545.photobucket.com/albums/hh373/storageimages/trifecta/topper8_zps4ea62116.png); background-repeat: no-repeat; padding-top: 200px;,true] count 791 tags open status complete Sleep, it was a glorious pass time. Image could not get enough of it. Any time he was left in his paddock for self-exercise and fun-in-the-sun he found a nice, quiet place to roll and promptly fell asleep. That was where the leggy yearling colt had been when his trainer sent the burliest man on the staff looking for him. Everyone had forgotten it was his turn for the paddocks and hadn't bothered checking if he was in one when they noticed his empty stall, door slid back and hooked, pristine, sparkling... Image almost felt sorry for the stable-hand who'd put him out and cleaned his stall. Almost, but he was sorrier about his disturbed nabbed. With a ferocious groan, though everyone knew Image would never act upon his annoyance simply because he was so lazy, he lurched to his feet as the burly man muscled him up. He sighed, much as he wanted to drag his hooves and not move at the mans insistance he did not trust the irate human he barely knew to not lose his temper and knee him or smack him with the lead rope as he had done the high-strung, larger, and older colts and studs he'd been told to fetch. Of course those boys acted up around him! He hit them! Image snorted at the man, projecting snot and spit onto his arm and side. The man groaned but kept himself in check. He'd had one last warning, after all these were expensive race horses he was handling. This gave Image a perverse satisfaction as he walked out of his pasture, docile as the dam that tossed him. It didn't take long to figure out why he'd been pulled out of his rest. The man handed him over to his usual handler who didn't wait for him to leave to check for tender spots. Image curled his lip at the burly man, pinning his ears and nickering a low chuckle like neigh. If he thought Image was mocking him then - Good! He was! Once the check was over he was led away to yet another building, a goodly distance away. The smell of water touched Image before the gleeful sounds of splashing. His pricked his ears then pinned them. Work, he could have groaned if he'd been capable of it without sounding funny. Instead he settled on a discontented sigh and hung his head, dragging his toes. "C'mon, Image. If you'd apply yourself you'd be one hell of a colt. You're behind all your year mates despite the extra training we're giving you. The least you can do is live up to your potential until after your break." the man chuckled and gave him a pat. Image cast a surly glance at him, chewing an imaginary bit. "Atta boy." the man led him into the swimming area. Image didn't even have the good-grace to lift his ears and head at the current occupants and handlers in the pool. Leads held the individuals in their own spaces and they were monitored like the million dollar trophies they were. Instead he waited just inside the gate, almost too close for it to be closed, for his handler to lead him over to the water. If it wasn't for his overly gangly appearance and the obvious foal-like qualities in his shape and small, mare-like face he could have been one of the old, old, mares that no longer carried their own foals but served as companions for weanlings for all the noise he didn't make. "If you don't get in that pool yourself I'll wrestle you into it and we both know you don't like wrestling." it was said in light humor in a low whisper. His ears twitched to listen. Holding his breath Image Sat back as the man started walking. The slight tug on his lead earned him a quick, stern look. He sighed and stepped forward, walking lazily down the ramp into the water. He'd get in but they couldn't force him to wor- where'd the floor go? He squealed, startled as the floor vanished under him, forcing him to swim and work. Dammit! He tried shaking his mane, succeeding in half-dunking himself. He looked like a drowned rat and he gave his handler a look that said he knew how he looked and was not pleased. He snorted water from his nose and turned to watch the bay who was gleeful at his swim time across the way. What had him so excited to work? He neighed out to the bay.

[ALLURING LIGHT]

Come in Close...

The black filly practically purred like a cat as her handler groomed her coat of the basic dirt and grime that came from being in a stall full of dust and hay. Well, you definitely look the part of a princess Allure. The stable hand finished currying the thickly framed and yet, slightly formed filly. She turned a dished head and nudged the human. Her morning had been largely uneventful, but when she had seen this human, brushes in hand, she had pranced in place with such eagerness. Finally! She relished the pampering and grooming and huffed a bit dejectedly when he stopped and stepped outside of her stall.

She followed the man as he'd walked out, but he'd shut the door behind him, giving her a pat and disappearing down the aisle into a room. Now where is he going? Is this it? Her indignation began to rise, but quickly turned to joy again as she saw the man returning with a lead rope in hand. She tossed her finely carved crown into the air and backed up from the door respectively as the man entered and clipped her lead on. She was all too eager to follow her handler. The older man was kind and gentle and went out of his way to help her acclimate to her new surroundings. The man had definitely become a winner in her book. She nuzzled his shoulder playfully and lifted her legs in high action as she followed her sole friend down the aisle.

She eased up off the man, knowing that the humans hated it when they were crowded. The man was whistling a merry tune and Allure followed willingly, her eyes trying to take everything in, trying to familiarize herself with the training facility here. Her flight over the Atlantic had been draining to say the least and she had enjoyed the rest that she'd been given to acclimate, but she was so over it. She was eager to see, eager to explore and eager to get to work. She suddenly heard splashing and shrill calls, her auds pricked and she answered the cry with a nicker of her own, more to announce her coming presence than to converse. Her eyes took in a pool with two horses swimming away. She snorted her disbelief. You've got to be kidding me! Swimming? She shook her head, to make sure that she was awake. She definitely wasn't in Great Britain anymore. Her nares flared, trying to take it all in and before she knew it, she was being hosed down.

She danced slightly surprised, but her old faithful handler was there with soothing words and a firm hand. Fully rinsed, her black coat was as black as ebony. She shook herself, sending water droplets flying. The man laughed, but tried to shield his face from the unwanted shower. Okay Allure. Welcome to training. The man laughed and she was a bit confused, but followed him to the edge of a pool. She hesitated, but her handler coaxed her forward and so she summoned her courage and walked into the water and then...she was swimming. Her legs kicked powerfully, to keep her head above the water as she bared her teeth at the sudden effort. She hadn't expected this.

Her eyes rolled over to see the two other horses working away in their own pools. One bay colt who seemed to be more like a fish than a horse and the other a grey colt who just about as enthusiastic as she was to be in this pool. She huffed as she kept her legs kicking to keep her afloat. Any of you boys know how often this workout happens? She asked, still miffed at how in the world she had ended up from her stall to a swimming lesson.

[FIRE THUNDERBOLT]

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[atrb=background,http://i40.tinypic.com/5npstl.png] Session #1 #356 words; w/ OPEN; swimming

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Thunder was having so much fun in the swimming pool that, at first, he didn't even register the arrival of someone new. It wasn't until the humans yelled something to one another in jest (probably about the state of his handler's clothes - completely drenched) that he realised someone else was about to join him in his great fun. Pushing himself faster, he made it around the turn in what he suspected was record time and glanced across the room just in time to see a squealing grey struggle his way into the pool. He wasn't a very good swimmer, it seemed; in passing, Thunder wondered if he ran like that too.

Finally spotting Thunder, the grey called out to him; before the bay could answer though, yet another youngster entered the room. More company - what fun! This time, it was a pitch-black filly, who didn't seem any more pleased at the change in her routine than the grey. Why didn't they like swimming? Thunder just couldn't understand why anyone would hate the cool water and gentle drag as their legs moved through it. Obviously, they hadn't spent nearly enough time in here, hadn't learnt to enjoy and appreciate it as he had.

Any of you boys know how often this workout happens?

He looked over to the black, once again snorting the water out of his nose enthusiastically. "I come here almost every day!" he told her happily, tossing his nose as high in the air as he could. "Isn't it wonderful?"

He kicked out extra hard then, forelegs touching the surface and sending great splashes of water up into the air, further soaking his handler. "Thunder!" the man scolded him half-heartedly, shaking his feet as if that would help to get the water out of them. "I'm going to have a lake in here by the time you're done." The colt snorted loudly at the silly man. He loved his handler; no matter what the bay did to him, he took it all in his stride, even though he probably would have been a lot less trampled, and certainly drier, with another horse.

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[IMAGINARY GRAVITY]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style,width: 450px; border: solid 5px black; border-radius: 30px; text-align: justify; background-image: url(http://i545.photobucket.com/albums/hh373/storageimages/trifecta/topper8_zps4ea62116.png); background-repeat: no-repeat; padding-top: 200px;,true] count 791 tags open status complete Image groaned; he was one of those types. He would have stopped swimming all together to fix the colt with a look that said he was thoroughly appalled at the bays enthusiasm to not only swim but work! But that would have had him sinking to the bottom so instead he kept swimming, snorting at the bay and turning at a nudge on his. The filly joined them before he could get away again and his ears pricked then pinned. "Too often if you ask me" but any exercises happened too often with the lazy colt. He snorted at them, jerking back away from the splashing with an undignified squeal "Watch it!" he snorted at the bay, lurching half out of the water and jerking away. A resulting splash echoed his movements subsequently soaking his handler who simply sighed and shook his head at him. She, on the other hand, seemed as put out about this workout as he was. He turned his attention on the black filly, ears going up again. An ear twitching to the bays handler. Tunder? Nice to know his name. "Image" be introduced himself. It wasn't like he needed to spend time with them but the longer he stayed put the better his handler couldn't force him to do laps, only get in the water. The man seemed to understand this and was content with knowing he was swimming. He'd just swim in that one spot until he'd been in long enough as far as the man was concerned.

[ALLURING LIGHT]

Come in Close...

She watched the bay colt with a look of dismay out of the corner of her eye as she kept her head above the water with her treading. She wasn't naturally the type to be a Debby Downer, but she simply hadn't expected to find herself in this kind of workout. The cold water had been a shock to her initially, but she was slowly warming up to it, her body temperature adjusting ever so slightly. She soon found a rhythm and marveled at the passion the bay colt had while swimming. He leaped out of the water splashing his handler and bothering the grey colt beside her.

She smiled, amused at the grumpy colt beside her. He introduced himself as "Image". She flicked her right ear at him in interest. Her handler was watching her carefully, as if waiting for her to suddenly pitch a fit at not having a say in her workout routine. Was she partially annoyed? Yes...but she also knew when to pick and choose her battles and with only her head above water, this wasn't one she was willing to chance. "I'm Allure, pleasure to meet you Image." She paused an chuckled as she looked at Thunder's griping handler. "And you to Thunder." She looked back to the grey colt with an amused look on her face. "Swimming not your thing Image?" She had a sneaky suspicion that many things weren't "his thing".

She observed the two colts closely, this was her first real encounter with what she was assuming to be American equines. She wondered how different they were from the ones she had grown up with back home...and she knew she was about to find out.