[Gift] Fit For A Queen

Over the next several days, Baby Doll settled in to her temporary home and became much more agreeable to training. To Dawson's dismay, the little few spot appaloosa mare warmed up to Rick quickly and took direction from him without a single issue. While Rick and Baby progressed, Dawson kept himself busy scouting for more of the Loshenka's at auction yards and private sales. The man was just coming through the ranch gate on his chestnut mare, Solaris, leading his newest mare, a greying palomino tobiano, in when Rick came out of the round pen with the mare that had kicked him during her first trip to the round pen.

His eyebrows rose when he saw the tack on her back.

"You backed her already?" He called, stoping Solaris and the new mare so that Rick could lead Baby Doll to the barn.

"Yesterday I got on for the first time," Rick answered, pausing in the walkway. "Today I found out she's already broke to ride." He shrugged, patting the mostly white mare affectionately. "She belonged to someone at somepoint. They did a damn good job training her, too." Baby Doll snorted, rubbing her forehead against his hand as if to agree. "You find something good at the auction yard?"

Dawson shook his head, gesturing to the palomino mare. "No, this one came from a private sale. I saw the ad in a paper and thought I'd stop by. This one wasn't cheap," he grumbled. "I talked them down from what they originally wanted, but still not cheap. So she'd better be worth it." He reached over and playfully booped the new mare's nose, earning a soft snort in return. "You heading out for a ride? I'll join you after I put her away if you want."

"I wasn't, but I can go for a short one. I think she'd like to get out of the round pen for a while." Baby Doll bobbed her head up and down like she was agreeing with him, causing both men to chuckle at her personality showing through.

"Alright, give me a few minutes. I'll be back." Dawson hitched Solaris to the hitching post by the gate and the mare immediately dipped her head to drink from the trough underneath. It wasn't summer yet, but the New Mexico weather had chosen to give them a sample of what was to come in the approaching weeks. A slight sheen of sweat on Rick's brow gave it away that even he felt the heat, and he'd been raised in it.
It wasn't long before Dawson returned, sans the palomino mare, and mounted Solaris again. Rick followed suit and swung into his own saddle.

"Where to?" Rick asked.

"Let's head up toward the canyon, see if there's anymore signs of that bear that came through last week." Solaris walked back toward the entrance to the ranch with some reluctance. She'd been working since the pre dawn hours, so Dawson couldn't blame her, but it would be an easy ride and he'd give her the next day off to recover.

"We should be able to send Baby Doll to the client if she does alright out here," Rick started to say, Baby Doll falling in stride with Solaris. Both horses were careful not to step too close to the young cacti that grew around the worn path towards the canyon. "She was rusty when I got on her, but who knows how long she was bounced around before ending up in that pen." He shrugged. "With the amount of horses we've got right now, it won't hurt to send one on its way."

Summer was cruel in New Mexico. It wasn't uncommon for temperatures to be over one hundred degrees during the day. Fortunately, Goose Creek Ranch was in a large valley close to the mountains, but even in the shadow of the massive peaks the summers weren't something to be scoffed at.

The sprouting grass along the trail faded gradually into hard packed soil with sparse plants as the path descended toward the canyon's rim. A few birds called out in the distance, some brush rustled to the side as a snake moved into it's cover, but for the most part it was quiet and peaceful. Most importantly, neither Rick nor Dawson had spotted any signs of a bear being along the path recently.

"I don't see any tracks or scat, do you?" Dawson asked.

Rick shook his head. "Nothing on my side except rabbit droppings." As soon as the man spoke, a spooked rabbit burst out from behind the tree, nearly crashing into Baby Doll's front legs in it's escape attempt. Somehow the rabbit sprinted through them without getting trampled, but that didn't stop the panic fueled, acrobatic-like jump and spin that the mare performed. Rick's back hit the ground before he even knew what had happened. "Fuck me," he groaned, laying still for a moment to get his barings.

"Well I'll be damned," Dawson laughed heartily. Solaris snorted as if it join him, even lowering her head to sniff at Rick's face and snort directly on it when he reached up to push her away. "Looks like she still has a few kinks to work out."

Rick flipped him off and got back to his feet.

"You don't say?" The words were grumbled, paired with a look that could have killed. He mounted the mare again, patting her neck to soothe her. "Let's head back," he sighed, turning the horse toward home. "We found out how she does and there aren't any bear tracks, so I think it's moved on."

Dawson wiped tears of mirth from his eyes and reached over to pat the man on his back. "If you say so, partner. Just don't leave that pride in the dust, alright?" Still chuckling, he turned Solaris to follow the man.

"Don't worry, I'm sure my ass will be on the dirt the second I try to get on that new horse. You should've seen what it took to get a halter on her."

"The palomino mare?" Rick asked, embarrassment fading. "She looked awful sweet, though." Baby Doll and Solaris nickered softly as the ranch gate became visible off in the distance.

"Looks can be real deceiving," Dawson said with a shake of his head. "I'm pretty convinced she was out for blood with the auction wranglers."

"That don't surprise me, much. You know they treat the horses like shit most'a the time." Rick adjusted in the saddle to ease the pressure on his stiffening back. "How many have we pulled out that were half dead?"

A sigh fell from Dawson's lips. "Yea, that's true." He waved to one of the farmhands, his other hand loosely guiding Solaris toward the barn as the entered the ranch.

"You won't really know how she does until you work with her, though." Dawson nodded at the words. It was the truth.

Rick slid gingerly out of Baby Doll's saddle when they reached the barn. He was definitely going to feel that fall for the next few days. Dawson jumped down off of Solaris and reached out to take Baby Doll's reins from Rick.

"Go on and go sit down. I'll put her away."

Rick nodded, muttered a pained "Thanks," and headed back for the house. He was getting too old for the shenanigans of young horses.