Phase 2: “…Boom?

"And now  we die,"

Katy immediately threw her brother under the bus, denouncing any and all involvement while recounting, in painful detail, exactly what had transpired the night they'd been drinking and made the bet. Thatcher grimaced as his mother's tanned face turned to him, eyes sharp as ever.

"I, ummm...that may have happened... something like that..." He picked at the calloused skin on his palm, avoiding eye contact and wincing when he heard her take a deep breath.

"You two are going to be the death of me, if not this rogue horse you bought."

His sister sneered in the corner.

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Two weeks had passed and both siblings had been working hard to make it up to their mom. Every single barn chore had now become theirs, and they were exhausted but hopeful.

And when the trailer finally did arrive, Thatcher was the one who got to lead the brown stallion down the ramp.

He felt his mother's eyes following him, sharp like a hawk's talons.

"He'll need a lot of work--" 

He heard the driver speaking to his mother as he led the stallion into the freshly cleaned barn.

"This is going to be your last home, I swear it," Thatcher whispered fervently to him, resting his hand on the horse's sweaty neck. Kaboom just stared straight ahead, his body tense and eyes wide, but made no attempt to bolt, lunge, or bite. Thatcher frowned as he hooked up the crossties, waiting for his mom to come check him over.

It wasn't long before he heard the trailer rumbling down their driveway and the footsteps of his mom and sister in the dry dirt.

"Here we go," he whispered nervously to himself.

Sheila, for those who don't know her as mother, was a strong 54 year old woman. Everything she had, she worked hard to get. She knew of suffering and loss and triumph and success. She was a renowned equine handler, and, at one point in her life, had even been an equine behavioralist. 

Sheila stopped a few feet away and gazed upon the troublemaker who had become well known in the show circuit for his bad attitude and dangerous lack of training. Putting that aside and really looking at him, she realized he was a broken animal.

"Son, I know you meant well, but this horse is not in a good place. Look at the way he's not even engaging with the environment around him or you. There is a lot of damage here,"

Her son turned pleading eyes to her and she shook her head doubtfully. His sister was uncharacteristically silent.

"Listen, the both of you. If this horse were to have a real chance...the best thing we can do for him is start at the very beginning. Train him up like he was brought in from the wild. Act like he knows nothing and build him. Let's let him rest for now, get some healthy weight and muscle on him, and heal, in mind and body."

Though Thatcher was disappointed they weren't getting started right away, he knew his mom was right. This horse's suffering wasn't on the outside, but deep within, at the very core of his soul, and Thatcher was determined to investigate more into his past to find out how this had happened.

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It had been 1 week since Kaboom was brought to Enchanted Manor. Though it had been a very boring start, Thatcher could see the benefit of  all the rest Kaboom was getting. It was clear the horse expected to be put to work right away, if his puzzled looks from the paddocks were anything to go by.

Thatcher had not only been sleuthing on the internet for info on his new horse, he had also been observing him. The stallion would display no anxious behaviors in his stall unless a person was nearby. While alone or in the company of other horses, he would take frequent naps and eat and drink comfortably. When a human was introduced, he would stop eating mid-bite or mid-drink; his body would tense and freeze, his skin going taught and shivery.

This was a horse who had not been allowed to rest. He had been tossed through eight different homes in the past 2 years. Each home stacking on more and more lies to get him sold, until his entire story was a fantasy. One barn told him Kaboom had been purchased overseas by a wealthy Olympian while another story said he'd been born just down the road, at their aunt's farm.

The truth, Thatcher was able to deduct from the first owner's wife. He was able to track down her information with help from Sagebrush Sanctuary. Helen Ridgeton and her husband Grant Ridgeton had been gifted Kaboom by the prestigious family he worked for on the Ranch. Grant trained Kaboom himself and also used him for work about the farm.

Unfortunately, when Kaboom was just four years old, there was an accident. The ranchers  had set  out early in the morning to move their cattle. Kaboom and Grant were performing this normal, everyday routine, when a  bull from the herd stepped in a hole and suddenly lurched forward, his horn slicing the back of Kaboom's leg. The young horse had stumbled in surprise and pain, but he tried to stay upright for his rider by launching his body weight backwards... he lost his balance as his injured leg gave out and fell directly onto Grant, killing him instantly.

Helen admitted she blamed the horse and sold him out of resentment and anger.

"I believe those feelings have followed him ever since, and it's all my fault," she admitted to Thatcher at the end of her story. "I always wondered what happened to him. Grant loved that horse more than anything and I just... got rid of him like garbage," She had showed Thatcher pictures then, of Grant and Kaboom all decked out in their western tack, another with Grant showing off Kaboom in a brand new red halter and blue ribbons draped across his neck, it was clear how happy Kaboom had been in this home especially after comparing to the stories told by newer owners.

"Mrs. Ridgeton, do you mind if I take a look through Grant's old things?" He had an idea that just might make his traumatized horse feel a little safer in his new home.

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"I think we can start working with Kaboom today," Sheila set down her newspaper and glanced between the excited faces of her kids.

"Yes! I've been waiting for this moment!" Thatcher ran to the barn ahead of his mom and sister and hurriedly grabbed the item he had stored away a few days ago after piecing together Kaboom's history. He came out of the tack room just as Sheila and Katy walked in, He met them at Kaboom's stall excitedly.

"I have an idea but I don't know if it's going to work," he held up an old red halter, indentical in every way to the one he'd seen in the photo. "This is the same halter Kaboom's first owner used. I bet he'll recognize the feel and smell of it. I'm hoping he'll realize this means we're a safe place for him."

He opened the stall door and approached Kaboom with the halter hanging from his hand. He held it up towards the despondent stallion who continued staring into the distance for a few seconds before his nostrils flared to life. In an instant, there was a shine to the horse's eyes that hadn't been there before. He huffed against Thatcher's hand and the halter he was holding.

"Yeah, buddy, you recognize that? That's right, we know you had a good home before, it's not your fault these things happened, here boy," As Thatcher soothed him, he slipped the red rope over his ears. He lead him into the walkway and down towards the round pen. 

"No, I want to take him to the back pen," his mother called, signaling with her hand.

"We haven't maintained that ring in at least a year!" Katy exclaimed.

"That's why it will be perfect. It doesn't look, smell, or feel like a riding ring, so he'll be more comfortable and responsive there. He's already holding himself in a different way, look at how his head bobs as he walks!" Sheila's face didn't change much, but the slight upward turn at the edge of her mouth was enough to show how excited she was as well to get this training started.

She took the lead from Thatcher and shooed the siblings away to observe from the fence. Sheila took a deep breath, gave the stallion a pat on the neck, and clucked. Immediately he moved away from her into a perfect lope. 

"Well, here's one of your problems, kids, this here's a western horse!"

"That does make sense actually," Thatcher dropped his arm atop Katy's head playfully as he brainstormed. "Yes, that must have been part of the problem! Every owner since Grant had been trying to turn him into a jumper!"

"I think we just found what makes this little guy tick."