PacNorWest
Veteran Member
#355
Tess and Wyatt were busy with apples, the same as the rest of the family. The three young boys whose appetite had only been stimulated by the brief and very unsatisfactory horse ride; went in search of a likely victim.
Turned out to pasture, old Whitey had been left behind by Ivy and Eldon. Smart and undeterred by the gelding's size, two boosted one atop the patient horse. One hauled and one pushed as the second boy made it up, and the third was left standing on the ground, looking up.
"We gotta get him over to the fence, how are we gonna get him to do that?" Paul asked. Peter rested his hand on Whitey's shoulder and the gelding obediently side stepped until the pressure stopped.
"Hey, we can do it this way," Daniel exclaimed, and it took a while, but Whitey seemed to understand what the boys wanted, and moved very cautiously toward the fence.
Soon, all three boys were 'riding' as Whitey took soft steps as he grazed in the dry grass. It had been about twenty minutes, before Tess realized the boys weren't in the apartment.
Wyatt and Tess burst out of the barn door, and were greeted by three excited boys yelling and waving to attract Mom's attention. "We're cowboys!" they were shouting, "giddyup Whitey,"
Tess grabbed Wyatt's arm in a iron grip, her astonished terror giving the woman super strong muscles. She tried to scream, and found herself being not so gently shaken by Wyatt.
"Don't say anything that will startle the horse," Wyatt growled in her ear, holding Tess's arm as she tried to fight him.
"Stop," he commanded, "don't spook the horse, the boys are alright if you don't make the horse shy. That old horse is a good babysitter, it was only a matter of time before they got interested and figured out a way to get on a horse. Old Whitey was the best choice they could have made. Now," he grinned, "let's see if they have a notion of how to get down."
Tess's heart was beating so fast, she was having to breathe through her mouth, the only reason she didn't spit fire at Wyatt.
"Come over to the fence," Wyatt steered the wobbly kneed Tess to the plank fence, and left her hanging on with fright.
"Good work men," he told the triplets, "do you have a plan on how to get down?"
"Well not yet," Daniel answered, "cause we're not done riding, we just got up here and this is really neat."
"I agree," Wyatt mentioned with another smile. "If you three do a good job of riding ole Whitey here, I'll let you ride Joe. But," he cautioned strongly, "you have to ask me first; Joe isn't used to small people and he might step on you, so we have to be safe.
You also have to ask your Ma," Wyatt stressed; "she needs to know where you are."
Three small boys piped up and answered together, "yes Sir. Ma," they bellowed, "can we go riding on Whitey?"
Tess was still so frighted, she could only nod, and Wyatt came to put his strong arm around the trembling woman. "Be strong," he advised Tess, "they are growing up, this is mild compared to what will happen as they grow. Let's just watch as see how they solve the getting down problem."
Tess and Wyatt were busy with apples, the same as the rest of the family. The three young boys whose appetite had only been stimulated by the brief and very unsatisfactory horse ride; went in search of a likely victim.
Turned out to pasture, old Whitey had been left behind by Ivy and Eldon. Smart and undeterred by the gelding's size, two boosted one atop the patient horse. One hauled and one pushed as the second boy made it up, and the third was left standing on the ground, looking up.
"We gotta get him over to the fence, how are we gonna get him to do that?" Paul asked. Peter rested his hand on Whitey's shoulder and the gelding obediently side stepped until the pressure stopped.
"Hey, we can do it this way," Daniel exclaimed, and it took a while, but Whitey seemed to understand what the boys wanted, and moved very cautiously toward the fence.
Soon, all three boys were 'riding' as Whitey took soft steps as he grazed in the dry grass. It had been about twenty minutes, before Tess realized the boys weren't in the apartment.
Wyatt and Tess burst out of the barn door, and were greeted by three excited boys yelling and waving to attract Mom's attention. "We're cowboys!" they were shouting, "giddyup Whitey,"
Tess grabbed Wyatt's arm in a iron grip, her astonished terror giving the woman super strong muscles. She tried to scream, and found herself being not so gently shaken by Wyatt.
"Don't say anything that will startle the horse," Wyatt growled in her ear, holding Tess's arm as she tried to fight him.
"Stop," he commanded, "don't spook the horse, the boys are alright if you don't make the horse shy. That old horse is a good babysitter, it was only a matter of time before they got interested and figured out a way to get on a horse. Old Whitey was the best choice they could have made. Now," he grinned, "let's see if they have a notion of how to get down."
Tess's heart was beating so fast, she was having to breathe through her mouth, the only reason she didn't spit fire at Wyatt.
"Come over to the fence," Wyatt steered the wobbly kneed Tess to the plank fence, and left her hanging on with fright.
"Good work men," he told the triplets, "do you have a plan on how to get down?"
"Well not yet," Daniel answered, "cause we're not done riding, we just got up here and this is really neat."
"I agree," Wyatt mentioned with another smile. "If you three do a good job of riding ole Whitey here, I'll let you ride Joe. But," he cautioned strongly, "you have to ask me first; Joe isn't used to small people and he might step on you, so we have to be safe.
You also have to ask your Ma," Wyatt stressed; "she needs to know where you are."
Three small boys piped up and answered together, "yes Sir. Ma," they bellowed, "can we go riding on Whitey?"
Tess was still so frighted, she could only nod, and Wyatt came to put his strong arm around the trembling woman. "Be strong," he advised Tess, "they are growing up, this is mild compared to what will happen as they grow. Let's just watch as see how they solve the getting down problem."
, deer and elk season are over here. We had bow, black powder, and then rifle. I didn't hear as many black powder going off this year as others. I have my grandmothers skillet, her whittled tater masher and whittled rolling pin.
Can't wait to see what comes next!!