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*Introductory Image - Echo's Arrival

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At long last, here begins Echo’s story! Updates will be sparse as my computer is on its last legs and accessing the internet with it is difficult, so bear with me!

(Crappy writing ahead, apologies, my muse is offski again)

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For those not in the know, this is for the :iconkaimanawa-challenge:

(1) Mandatory: Reference:  KC 2015 - Echo Reference
(2) Mandatory: Introductory Image:
(3)
Mandatory: Groundwork
(4)
Mandatory: Mishap
(5)
Mandatory: Backing/Discipline Training

 
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After Nikolai and Toa’s success at the 2014 Kaimanawa Challenge, all eyes were on them when the 2015 event was announced.

‘You should totally do it again, Niko’ Lisa had said, after watching the pair coming home from a hack, the roan stallion meandering quietly at the end of his reins, like he’d been doing it his entire life.  ‘Toa turned out so well, and it’d be nice to get him a friend with a similar accent!’

‘That’s the daftest excuse I’ve ever heard for getting a new horse!’ replied David, scoffing. ‘But yeah, do it!’

Surprisingly, Abigail didn’t need much convincing, having been so impressed with Toa’s training the previous year.

‘I think it would be a very good example for the kids to see how to train a horse from scratch, and we can always do with more schoolies!’ She’d said, adding ‘Just not another stallion if you can help it, we’ve got enough of those already!’

Another horse would be a big investment for Nikolai, already having Toa and Jaconelli to contend with, but as a Kaimanawa, they’d be happy to live out all year round, and as Toa’s feet had only needed the farrier to look at them once or twice in the last year, their general upkeep costs were considerably lower than most of the others on the yard. Plus, as ridiculous as Lisa’s suggestion had seemed at first, getting Toa a companion had crossed his mind before. Kaimanawas weren’t common, even in their native New Zealand, and as Toa was such a fine example, he’d often wondered about what his imaginary foals might look like.

With everyone in agreement, Nikolai contacted the muster organisers to register and pick a horse. As he couldn’t afford to fly out to NZ this time, he agreed to adopt ‘unseen’, so long as it wasn’t a stallion, and was in good health and most importantly, sound. He also made sure that if it was a mare, she wasn’t from the same herd as Toa, just in case breeding ever did become an option. Eventually, he received word that he had a horse reserved for him, and started the ball rolling for transporting it over to the UK.

It was a mare, about 15hh, and had already been halter-broken by the muster folk, although according to her notes, was somewhat stubborn and would need confident handling once she came home. Weeks passed, until finally, word reached them that she’d arrived in the UK and was waiting for them in the quarantine yard at Newmarket. When she was finally ready to come home, Nikolai drove down with the horsebox and picked her up. Unlike Toa, she didn’t seem to have any issues when it came to travelling, so she didn’t need a companion.

They heard her before anyone at the yard even set eyes on her. At first, only the steady rumble of tyres on tarmac heralded the horsebox's arrival, but gradually, a faint neigh became the dominant sound as the vehicle approached. According to Nikolai, she had barely stopped, the 500+ miles to Hollowcroft, and he’d given a pair of Toa’s travelling earplugs serious consideration - not for the horse, but himself!

‘Good journey up?’ asked David. ‘I thought you’d be back earlier?’

Nikolai sighed loudly. ‘There were delays on the motorway and she...well,’ he motioned to the back of the horsebox. ‘She’s not what you might call a quiet horse.’

Muffled stamping and whickers could be heard from inside the box, which shook violently every time she shuffled around inside.

David chuckled.  ‘Time to get her out I reckon – outdoor school you think?’

Nikolai nodded. ‘I agree. She was charging around the fields at Newmarket so I think it’d be best to keep her somewhere she is easier to catch until she has acclimatised to the place.’

He let down the ramp and David caught a glimpse of their latest project horse. A deep chocolaty palomino with a thick flaxen mane and tail peered over the partition, eyes wide and nostrils flared. She didn’t seem scared, just excited, and this became even more apparent when she broke into a trot on the way out, head up and tail flagged like a thoroughbred on race day.

‘Well she certainly seems keen!’ Abigail remarked, leaning against the side of the box. ‘I really hope this is just first day excitement and she’s not going to stay like this forever!’

Almost in answer, the mare let out a shrill shriek at the sight of another horse - Pirate, who was being brought in from the nearby field by Heather. He nickered softly back, but continued walking away and so she called out again, louder this time. Another horse distantly answered from across the yard, then another. This back and forth exchange continued for a minute, until Nikolai pointed her in the direction of the outdoor school and, distracted, she quietened down, but was still clearly full of energy as she jogged rather than walked over to the gate.

‘She’s going to do a runner as soon as she’s in there, isn’t she?’

‘I think so, stand back!’

As soon as the leadrope was unclipped, the mare took off at a gallop, and bucked and bucked and bucked. She tossed her head, kicked up her heels and sent damp sand flying outside the fence towards the now slightly terrified onlookers. She skidded to a stop when she noticed the other horses out grazing in the fields beyond, and whinnied loudly at them, before continuing to run.

David blanched. ‘What on earth have we let ourselves in for? I thought Toa would be difficult!’

Nikolai nodded grimly at David’s words. They watched as the chocolate mare shot round the outdoor arena, tail flagged, head held as high as was possible at that speed and screaming and bellowing at the top of her lungs. She seemed to epitomise the ‘wild horse’ aesthetic that practically everyone had expected Toa to be the previous year – totally untameable.

‘Well, let it never be said that you two aren’t up for a challenge!’ said Abigail, brightly.

‘...or have a death wish!’ added David, 'don't forget about that'

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Horse drawn and coloured on paper (Copics), then scanned and colour corrected in photoshop. Background is entirely digital. No refs.

Image size
979x662px 928.95 KB
© 2015 - 2024 ElreniaGreenleaf
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AnimalArtKingdom's avatar
This is such a pretty horse! I really love how you coloured and shaded the body!