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Post by laurenz on May 28, 2007 19:54:10 GMT -5
Mike & Katie went to the farrier to get Beau,Blue,Tart, & Soldier's feet trimmed. Mike parked in a shady area and stopped the truck. They took all the horses out one by one and tied them up. Katie went inside and told the receptionist that they were there. The receptionist nodded and Katie ran back out. "He's comin' soon, dad!" She yelled. Her dad just nodded. She went over to the small pony Blue and hopped on his back in boredom and waited for Colt.
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Post by .:x:.A.rtemis.:x:. on May 28, 2007 21:07:54 GMT -5
Colt slammed the hood of his truck after Jessica, his receptionist, ran out and announced the customers. He walked around the edge of the small building, wiping motor oil of his hands with an old red cloth, and then cleaning the greasy wrench that he held. His truck was ready to die and go to truck heaven, he'd been struggling to keep it running for the past three years, and it kept breaking down more and more frequently. He stopped as his eyes ran over the horses quickly with an experienced and professinal eye. He tucked the wrench into his back pocket and walked towards the man, extending his hand with a small smile. Howdy, I'm Colton Rawley, the farrier. Just call me Colt though. What can I do for you today, just trimmin'? Or do you need 'em shod as well? His voice was deep and gruff, enough to make any man jealous and any woman swoon with pleasure. His optics ran over the kids quickly, suddenly thinking of Ashley, his best friends fiance and soon to be wife and mother of his child. He smiled again at the thought and glanced at the sun. It was nearing 4:30, that gave him an hour and a half to work, he knew he could finish a lot quicker than that., but quick wouldn't get the bills paid, efficient would. His smile turned down slightly for a minute as he looked over the horses again. They seemed to be cared for well, and the kids apparently were comfortable around them. He didn't think much of any of the horses except for Soldier, whom his eyes didn't leave for a long, long time.
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Post by laurenz on May 29, 2007 10:59:41 GMT -5
Katie jumped off Blue when she saw the farrier coming, but stayed back and let her dad do the talking.Mike shook Colt's hand and replied, Howdy, I'm Micheal Torrance. You can call me Mike though. These all need trimmin' and shod. Ya got time for that?" He tipped his hat and patted Tart, one of the little ponies.
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Post by .:x:.A.rtemis.:x:. on May 29, 2007 12:55:58 GMT -5
Colt grinned, then glanced at the sun. Well, if we get started now then I should. He smiled and nodded at the girl then turned to the pony. Alright, buster. Let's start with you. He said as he walked slowly over to the pony, his movements smooth, but not predatory. He stopped a foot from him and patted him gently on the shoulder, he was cautious, but not afraid. He untied the pony's lead rope and started to lead him behind the building before he remembered the people. He stopped and looked over his shoulder. You can bring those others around back here and tie 'em to the hitchin' post or you can let 'em loose in that little corral. He said as he motioned to the hitching post and then to the small, but comfortable corral. He took the pony over and led him over to the small barn that only had three walls. It was more of a shed, but it was large, with 6 stalls and equitment and tack room and a feed room. He led the pony into the barn and tied him to a hitching post that was positioned by the left wall. He walked over to the furnace and anvil and quickly started a warm, but yet to be blazing fire. Then he walked into the equitment room and brought out a pair of clenching tongs, pincers, hoof nippers, nail pullers, a hammer, hoof knife, and a rasp. When he walked back the tools were all stored in convienient places on his tool belt. He stopped next to the pony, petting him and stroking him softly as he murmered to him. He easily and slowly reached down the pony's front leg, tuching him behind the fetlock and was suprised when the pony lifted his hoof instantly. Colt smiled and grabbed the pinchers from his right pocket and levered the shoe off with quick precise movements, then he replaced the pincers with the hoof nippers and cut away the old, loose flakes of the horn from the sole. When he finished with that, he pulled out the hoof knife and trimmed the odd spots from the frog and a few edges from the horn. Next he grabbed the rasp and ran it over the sharp edges of the hoof until it was straight and smooth. Then, he set the hoof down gently. Then he moved on to the other hooves and gave them the same treatment until he was satisfied. After all the shoes were removed and the ponies hooves slanted at the perfect angle to the fetlock, he stoked the fire, building it up gradually until he grabbed three different sized pony shoes and walked over to the pony. He lifted his front hoof and sized all three against it. The second one seemed the best, but a bit unshaped for the ponys hoof. He walked around the pony and fitted it to the other front hoof, satisfied that it was perfect. Then he tossed the other two shoes that hadn't fit in there seperate boxes and grabbed another of the kind that did fit. He slipped it in his pocket and then grabbed a pair of tongs, setting the shoe in it before sticking it in the fire. He waited until it was cherry red and then he pulled it out and settled it on the anvil before switching to a thicker pair of tongs and grabbing a fat hammer. He pounded the metal for a bit, shaping the ends to fit the pony hoof. He took it over to the pony, and lifted his leg, testing the shape against his hoof, then he walked back, heated it some more and started tp reshape the front a bit more. He checked it against the pony's hoof several more times before he was satisfied. Finally, he took the shoe and nailed it into place on the pony's hoof. He grabbed a nearby tripod and moved the pony's foot so that it rested on it, and then he pulled out his clinching tongs and twisted off the ends of the nails to form the clinches, so it would stay on better. Finally, he pulled out the rasp again and filed down the sharp edges of the clinches. Colt stepped back, admired the hoof for a minute, and then went to work on the other front shoe, tapering it until it fit perfectly. After he finished that one, he went back to the boxes and got three different kinds of hind foot shoes. He walked over to the pony and tried each shoe on again, gladly finding that the last one fit. Then he shaped those and attached them to the pony's back hooves in the same way that he had attached the others to the front hooves. After it was all finished, he stepped back, straightening his back, and watched the pony with an eye only a professional could maintain. Then he motioned towards Mike. Can you take him and walk him down the aisle and then back this way. His statement wasn't a question, but not quite a demand, it was somewhere between a command and a suggestion, but you'd really have to know Colt before you could tell which it truly was.
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Post by laurenz on May 29, 2007 13:52:27 GMT -5
OOC: wow.. you must have a lot of muse 
Katie waved to Blue as he was taken away to get shod and trimmed. Katie untied Tart but pulling the left over rope and then did the same method with Soldier. She walked slowly with the pony and horse to the red colored round pen. It was small, but they would be fine since they would not be in there for long. Mike took Beau into a green colored round pen seperate from the other two. They did not get along well. Katie took the green rope halter of off Tart and the white, cotton leadrope of Soldier's halter. Mike took the navy leadrope off of Beau's halter. "I'm'a go see how Colt's doin' with Blue. Ya stay here,Kat." He told Katie. Katie nodded and went into Beau's round pen and hopped on him bareback. Katie loved riding bareback, no matter what horse, no matter where she was.
Mike walked into the small 3-walled building where Colt & Blue were. Colt was just finishing nailing on the second shoe on the pony's hoof. He sat down on a hay bale and waited patiently for Colt to finish "shoe'n" Blue. It seemed that it was quicker than ever for Colt to get his hooves done. He listened carefully to Colt's words. He nodded and declared, "Alright." He walked Blue down the isle and back and then looked at Colt.
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Post by .:x:.A.rtemis.:x:. on May 29, 2007 14:08:01 GMT -5
{lol, I know...it took FOREVER!!!}
Colt walked over to the pony and lifted his back foreleg and grabbed the rasp. He rested the leg against his as he quickly scraped a tiny bit of metal away from the bulb of the frog. He sat the hoof down, stepped back, and nodded. Alright, he's good. Check his shoes at least twice a day, if they get a little wobbly, then just call me and I'll tighten 'em up or replace 'em. You should bring him back every two months for replacements. He spoke quickly as he turned and walked out of the barn and he motioned to the girl to bring another one up. Still, out of all the horses, his eyes mainly watched Soldier.
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Post by laurenz on May 29, 2007 16:38:50 GMT -5
OOC: I bet it did! It would with me too!
Mike nodded and hauled Blue into the trailer. Katie watched Colt as he motioned her to get another horse. She went over to Soldier and took a halter. She took the thingy(dunno what its caleld lol!) over his neck and put the noseband over his nose after. She tightened the halter and brought him out of the roundpen careful to not let out Tart. She walked at Soldier's pace to the small building where the farrier was. "Here you go. This is Soldier." She told him. She was proud of her horse and how much he had improved.
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Post by .:x:.A.rtemis.:x:. on May 29, 2007 21:24:26 GMT -5
(I think it's called the crown piece, or crown strap...)
Colt walked around the horse, watching him carefully. He stopped at his head and gently took the lead rope and walked him to the hitching post. He tied him to it quickly and then ran his hand over his sleek shoulder. He reached down and picked up his hoof, taking special care as he watched them with a trained eye. Then, he went and picked out a few horse shoes and went through the same proccess, except he was gentler, and constantly whispered ancient Sioux words in the stallions ear.
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Post by laurenz on May 30, 2007 9:35:34 GMT -5
This time, Katie watched carefully has her horse was being shod. She was surprised how gentle he was with her horse. She smiled at Soldier for being such a good boy.
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Post by .:x:.A.rtemis.:x:. on May 30, 2007 15:59:45 GMT -5
It took Colt almost twice as long to finish Soldiers hooves as it did for the pony, but he was a bigger horse, a much bigger horse. When he finished he handed the lead to the girl. Would you walk him down the aisle. Again, his words should have been a qyestion, but it wasn't. He was always shut off from people when he worked, even though he was normally quite friendly, but he was also thinking, wondering if he should go to the hospital to see Tex's baby again, maybe Ashley would be home by now. He wasn't sure.
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Post by laurenz on Jun 1, 2007 12:06:11 GMT -5
Katie nodded and walked him down the aisle and back. She stared conciously at Colt watching his every move. He seemed rude to her, but he did a good job trimming and that was the most important thing.
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Post by .:x:.A.rtemis.:x:. on Jun 2, 2007 21:45:18 GMT -5
Colt ignored the girls gaze and nodded, allowing her to take him back to the pen. His pale blue eyes trailed over to the other two horses, then he glanced at the sun. He had about an hour left, he could finish that quick, couldn't he? Sure he could, he nodded to himself, thinking for a while. Alright, bring one of the other ones over here once you put that one up, please. He added the last part a bit awkwardly, and it was quiet, but still audible.
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Post by laurenz on Jun 2, 2007 22:09:32 GMT -5
Katie nodded and put Soldier in the trailer and brought Beau over to Colt.
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Post by .:x:.A.rtemis.:x:. on Jun 2, 2007 22:17:32 GMT -5
Colt worked even faster on Beau, but his work was just as efficient and professional. None of his movements were wasted as he cleaned the hoof, trimmed it, then shod the horse. He finished in a little less than thirty minutes and when he straightened up, his back popped. He grimaced slightly, but nodded for the last horse to be brought to him, glancing nervously at the quickly falling sun.
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