The Bronze Horse 13

(story continues from The Bronze Horse 12)

Part 13

The next morning Mato and Minnie were getting me ready for the trip into town. Fred came up and said “I want you to use our two older mares at the back as breakers, next the two new mares in front of them and then Bronze at the very front. This layout will help train the new mares to be in harness”.

“Minnie, When we get to town I want you to bring the cart back with the four ponies while I will take Bronze. I am staying over night for business and will use her to ride back. You may have to change the order if you have problems with the new ponies being at the front. From now on we will use ordinary ponies for this job and I will keep Bronze here at the stables for my use or for race training”.

While Minnie was hitching me and the other ponies to the cart, Fred led Mato off to the side and gave him some instructions. Fred and Minnie climbed aboard the cart and I was given the signal to start. The two new ponies did not understand what to do so I had to drag them along. After a few yards they realised that they needed to follow me.

There were several times that Fred had to use the whip on the new ponies. Minnie had the reins and kept us at a fast trot so they had to stay in line. By the time we had reached half way they were starting to pull as well which was good news. I gave them a ‘well done’ whinny to help encourage them and they seemed to understand as they had pulled harder and did not wander as before.

We were all blowing hard by the time we arrived at the back of the store. I was removed from the traces and saddled up and then Fred rode me down to the far end of town and around the back of a shed. The place was old and falling apart but it was still tidy.

The back was open like a veranda and under it, a small pony was on what is best described as an exercise bike with her legs going up and down. From this a belt ran to a sewing machine where a young man sat at it, edging a belt or strap. Through an open door I could see a woman and several small children. “Greetings friend” said Fred, as I went to my knees so he could dismount. I did not try to stand again because if I stayed were I was I would be able to hear every thing. Miss nosy again.

I think Fred was used to my habit of listening in because when we were alone he would often talk over things with me, not that I could talk back, but I could shake or nod my head or even whinny to make a point. I think it helped him to focus his thoughts.

The man got up and shook Fred’s hand, said his name was Kampers and asked what he could do for him. “Things are not going well?” said Fred, staring him in the face. The man appeared ashamed and looked down at the floor. Fred said “I know how it is, you came to this town seeking a new and better life but it already has two leather and tack maker shops so you get very little trade. Well, I have a suggestion for you”.

“I need a man with your skills, so why not go into a sort of partnership with me? This is how it would work: You come to my town and I will build a home and shop for you. The work you will do for me will be at the normal rate and after we take off the cost of the materials we will share the profit 50/50. I will fund you until you are earning enough for your family to live on, Then you will pay me back what I have advanced you. How does this sound to you?”

The wife had come into the back of the shop and she turned to look at her husband. I could see her eyes willing him to accept. After the man had a quick look at her he said “it’s a deal”. The wife rushed up to Fred and with tears in her eyes thanked Fred for his generosity. “I am not being generous”, said Fred, “this is purely business”. I had a feeling that was not the whole truth.

Fred said “We will leave tomorrow morning so get packed up. I will be back later but I have others to see first”. Fred swung up onto my back and I rose up and off we trotted. Next we went to an area on the outside of town where a very large wagon was parked. Alongside it was a canvas shelter with two young people were under it. The man looked like he had been in a fight as his face was badly bruised and he carried him self in that way you do when your body is beat up.

The woman had a very young baby in her arms that was crying and she also looked to have been crying too. The man stared at Fred in a belligerent manner and I could see he had a pick handle in his hand. I wondered that if he went for Fred that I would have to stomp him, I was sure I could despite the pick handle. Fred said “hold hard friend I am not here to fight. In fact I am here to help. Your father ran a Freight business in which you helped, Right? I hear how your father is said to have gambled away the ponies and then somehow he died under rather odd circumstances. I also understand you think all this was fraudulently done. When you voiced this to the Law you got a visit and a severe beating to shut you up“.

The man seemed to relax but the baby kept screaming. Being a mother, so to speak, I could tell it was hungry so I walked forward on my knees and offered one of my breasts to the mother. She looked at me and could see the drops of milk at my nipple. The man had moved in to block me. I suppose he thought I was going to attack them or some thing. The woman said “its all right dear I will use her milk to feed the boy, I still can’t make enough for him”.

She held the infant to my nipple and immediately he started to suckle. She looked at me with gratitude, then, as I smiled at her, it turned to bewilderment as it dawned on her that I was just a pony and not a woman. My actions and the response of the woman had pacified the man. Fred said “I want you to run a freight business for me. I will buy your wagon, supply you with a house and pay you to be the manager. If you make a success of it I will make you a partner, what do you say?”

The man and woman looked stunned. He then smiled and said “how much for the wagon?” Fred gave him the price and again the man was stunned. Fred said “I will leave Bronze with you as I have other business to do in town, Use her to take the wagon down to the Leather Worker who will be coming with us tomorrow”. The man asked him to explain how to get there but Fred said “Bronze knows the way just trust her”, and left.

I was a bit stunned to be left behind as Fred had insisted that one of the family was always with me. I could only assume that this was some sort of test for the man but I felt proud when he said to trust me because I knew the way. While I was left to feed the baby they quickly packed up the few belongings they had into the back of the wagon.

I was soon harnessed to the front draw bar and off we went. The man had rigged reins but I suppose that was force of habit and he left them slack. The wagon was the heaviest I had ever pulled, given that it was virtually empty. It was twice the size of the cart I normally pulled. I could see that it could carry very heavy loads given enough ponies to pull it and I hoped I would not have to pull it all the way home on my own, But how would Fred get more ponies? I was now not looking forward to tomorrow.

I pulled up at the back of the shed and the man got down and introduced himself and his wife. I learned his name was Yawer, and then the two women went into the back room to talk, etc. I was released from the shaft at the front of wagon and led to the side of the so I was in the shade. A rope was tied around my neck, the other end to the wheel, to stop me from wandering off, not that I would have, but I suppose they did not know that. Then the small pony that was chained to the wall was brought over and put next to me.

He removed all my harness, even my plugs, putting it in a pile by the wheel. He cleaned and hung up the straps then I was cleaned and inspected for chaffing before he left to help to load the wagon. I was very impressed with the professional way I was treated, but I suppose that becomes second nature if you are a teamster.

I decided to call the small pony Thumb, as in Tom Thumb, because she only came up to my waist in height. All the other ponies I had seen were not quite up to my shoulders so I must have been like a giant to her, being so much taller than the other ponies. I needed to pee and hopped about. Thumb understood and went to the full extent of her neck chain and let go. I took it that that was the place to do it, so I followed suit.

As I stood there with my legs wide apart peeing in the dirt we sort of bonded. I suppose it was like when I was at a party back home and the girls went together to the ladies. A womanly thing that men did not do.

I sat down and she looked at my nipple where a drop of milk had started to grow. She stuck out her tongue and licked it off. It was so delicate that I shuddered. She then put her lips to the nipple and sucked. Her eyes were on mine the whole time and I could feel myself getting hot between the legs.

I lay down with my arms in a rut and we spent the rest of the day under the wagon. Most of the time she lay full out on my stomach with her head on a breast. She was so light that it felt comfortable especially when she suckled. Several times I had to get up as the baby needed to be fed, and again when we were fed. Once it got dark Thumb turned around and licked my clit. I had to grind my teeth so as not to make too much noise.

The next morning I was tired but woke to the sound of kids running about. There was no sign of Fred so as the last of the loading had been done every one sat about and waited. About mid morning Minnie turned up with her Dad. I had seen them coming so had got up and whinnied that I was pleased to see them. I had yet to be fed so I hoped Minnie had something to give me. No such luck as it turned out.

Minnie had six ponies hitched to the cart. I doubt so many had ever pulled it. Fred told Yawer to take the six ponies off the small cart to pull the big wagon. I was harnessed to the cart and Thumb was tied to the back. The women and children got in the back of the wagon and we all set off.

At the edge of town a man and woman with four kids and four other men waited. Fred greeted them and said for the women and children to get aboard. Once again we set off with the men walking behind. Fred had got off to talk to them so it was just me and Minnie up front “Who are all these people?” she said aloud. I gave her my ‘don’t know whinny’ and shook my head.

The cart, and to a lesser extent, the wagon, were piled high with goods and furniture. At the first uphill slope both wagons slowed considerable. It was not long before the women and all but the very youngest were walking as well. I think that the cart was the heaviest I have ever pulled it and was thankful when Minnie also got down and walked. She left the reins looped around the brake handle so she could pull it on if required from the ground. Even little Thumb was connected to the front of my harness to help pull me along.

We made the top and things eased off. Minnie was enchanted with little Thumb and kept talking about her. I was not as pleased. Thumb was trying so hard to pull me along that the pull on my belt was pushing my hips forward so I had a bowed back which was most uncomfortable. It was some time before Minnie took her eyes of Thumb and realised my problem. It was resolved by a Y strap connected to my elbows.

As the caravan moved slowly along the road I could not help smiling at Thumbs efforts to help. The sun was out, the sky blue, not too hot and children running about enjoying themselves. I could hear the murmur of voices as people talked to each other.

I suddenly felt very sad and tears rolled down my face. I would never be able to join in with people talking again, Play with children or hold them when hurt. Throw a ball for a dog. All this things were now denied to me. Minnie went off to talk with the group of women who had moved in front of the wagons so I was left to my despair alone.

Some sixth sense must have made Thumb turn around to look at me. When she saw me crying she dropped back and put her head on my hip and smiled at as if to say “Don’t cry, I’m here for you.” For several miles we plodded on and I started to feel better, or at least the tears had stopped. With little Thumb by my side I knew this was the best it would get and I would have to learn to live with that.

One by one the children got tired so they were put on the Wagon or the Cart to sleep. Thankfully the last mile was mostly down hill, but I did need Minnie to sit on the seat and apply the brake to keep the speed down.

I was glad when we pulled up at the Fred’s place. Minnie got a bucket of water for Thumb and me to drink from. We were both on our knees still attached to the Cart and I let Thumb go first. She plunged her head in and drank so long that I thought she had drowned. Just as I was about to do some thing her head popped up she gave me a big smile. I bent down and drank my fill. Just as I lifted my head she bumped me and I fell forward knocking the bucket over and getting covered in mud and water.

Quick as a sprite she jumped up and gave a funny sort of laughter whinny. As I got slowly to my feet I tried to butt her but was constrained by still being hitched to the cart whose brake kept it immobile. Back and forth we moved in a crazy game but she could keep out of my way. I decided to play sneaky and turned my back on her.

After a few minutes she moved close enough so I could trip her up. Once on the ground I laid down on her and trapped her. Using my breasts to smother her I rolled her in the mud. At some point she got a mouth on one of my nipples and sucked hard. I was stopped in my tracks and it was not long before Thumb was back in charge. Minnie came up and said in a loud voice with a hint of laughter “Get up you randy mares, we have work to do.” Minnie had to help me get up as I was tangled in the traces.

Thumb was put in the paddock and I was led to one of the sheds and the cart backed up to the door. I stood there as it was unloaded. Once back at the stables I was unhitched. Both our harnesses were removed before I was turned into the paddock and I chased after Thumb for a bit.

In the end I had her cornered but at the last moment she darted by me and down the paddock. She turned her head to look at me and slipped in the mud. I soon had her trapped and covered in mud and in fact so was I. We both lay there laughing until the joke went sour as we heard Minnie say “You got yourselves dirty so you can stay that way, here’s your feed”.

By the time we got up and to the gate Minnie was gone. She had left a bowl full of peelings and swill for us. Thumb was not one to hang about and went in head first so I joined in. Never in my previous life would I have enjoyed eating vegetable peelings and other leftovers from the food that had been used to make their evening meal. I was hungry not having had any breakfast and the long pull back from town, but that’s life.

We settled down under the shelter that had been rigged for us. The straw was a bit prickly but we spent most of the evening giggling like young girls at a sleep over.

The next day was a bit intense with me being used to haul wood from the saw mill up to the new building site and other tasks, the good news was I was able to find out what was going on. Oters and Fred had a long conversation one morning and by lunch time he had left with his wagon. I had seen Fred slip three bags of stones to him so I guess they were to be traded.

The new people were using the stables as sleeping quarters until things got built. Fred had marked out the position of the three new houses to be built for the new families. This was off to one side of the main house where they would flank the road in. Next, there was to be a long wooden stable for all the ponies on the other side, were the race track was. Of the ends at right angles were to be two other building. At one end an office, tack shop and blacksmith, and on the other side of the quadrangle was to be a bunk house and kitchen.

A larger shelter, made from a tarpaulin, was put up and this was the kitchen for all the new people. Once this was completed Damfer, who was the blacksmith, went off with Fred to look for stone that would be used to make the forge.

Yawer and Mato got started on training the new ponies to harness. They needed to be able to pull the wagon properly and obey the reins so they used my paddock and poor Thumb was tied to the post outside and could only stand and watch. Several times when I came back with a load of wood I could see Kampers setting up his sewing machine and other such equipment. Soon Thumb was riding her bike and driving the machine as he made new tack per the direction of Yawer.

The four men we had picked up at the edge of town were used to do the building and you could see from the way they worked that they were familiar with this type of work.

It was a week before the first house was ready and it appeared that Yawer was to get the first one due to the young baby. The other two were also well under construction and expected to be finished during the next week or so.

The weather stayed good and the work progressed rapidly. Families started to move out of the stables and into the houses as they were finished. Thumb and I were at last able to move back to the big stall at the back of the stable. With just the four men in the first 2 stalls on each side we had a bit of quiet in the back. Most evenings they sat and drank in the kitchen area, only coming in to sleep.

The next building to be started was the bunk house and kitchen. Now that the families had moved into their houses only the workers needed to be fed. One of the wives had volunteered to do the cooking for them, but the other two would often help her and have a good old gossip at the same time. I even saw Mother join them from time to time.

The training of the ponies was going well to the point that Yawer had taken off with the big wagon drawn by eight ponies. It occurred to me that both he and Oters had not taken the route into the nearby town so I was curious to know were they had gone.

Mato had contracted some of the older kids to help clean up after the ponies. They had ponies on the cart, the pump arm, plus those that Yawer had taken so the rest would put into one paddock while the kids cleaned up the other. The pile of dung was soon getting so big that I had a small chuckle that the rhubarb would be big this year.

Four ponies were used to draw the cart and bring up loads of wood from the saw mill after the trip to town. My days were made up of Fred riding me about. He had found a place were stone could be cut and he now had a couple of men from the village working there. Every so often the cart would be sent to pick up the days’ load so Damfer could build his forge.

Another place we went to was a forest on the far side of the valley. Three men worked there cutting down trees. The first thing I thought when I saw this was how were they going to get all those logs to the saw mill. Fred had a long talk with the guys over the lunch he had brought them and everyone agreed that it would be better if the saw mill could be moved to there. This was the place were the wood would come from for a long time. Then you only need the move the sawn wood and not all the scrap that came off the outside.

On the way back we came across a stream. As I was crossing I felt my feet sinking into the mud and once on the other side Fred stopped me and gave me the signal to dismount. Once I was on my knees he inspected my feet. I had got covered to my calves with mud and He scraped some of it off and worked it into a clay ball. I could see him thinking. Then he went and looked at the patch of ground.

Once back at the… Strange I don’t know what to call it. It’s no longer a house nor is it a farm. I suppose it is a stable given the number of ponies Fred now has but that does not do the new buildings justice so I think Ranch is probably appropriate.

Anyway, Fred had left me to the tender mercy of Minnie to do race training. She had been at him for weeks but things were so busy that it was evening before he finished with me most days. I last saw him going down to the village deep in thought.

By the time Minnie had finished with me I was exhausted. She was not too happy having to wash the mud from my hooves and legs. I was just glad to eat and rest in the stall. Thumb wanted to play but it was too much for me so I just lay on my back and drifted off to sleep while she sucked at my nipples.

The next day we were out and about with a couple of men from the village. They walked as Fred rode me. Quite the Lord of the Manor now was our Fred. Anyway, he was explaining what he wanted the men to do when we got the to clay site. It came to me in a flash that they were going to make bricks. I had wondered why I was dragging a sledge full of straw.

They would mix the straw and clay, then form bricks which would be left to dry in the sun. I wondered if he would work out that they could be dried in a kiln to make them harder. When I got a chance I would try and explain it to him but it would make an interesting time as I could not talk or use my hands. Not that I had any.

When Fred was satisfied that they understood what he wanted we left. I waited till we were out of sight and stopped. Fred went off on one, but I knelt down so he got off. I spent the next 20 minutes drawing in the sand and doing other stupid thing to get the message across. Sort of like charades with no hands. Try it sometime, it’s not easy.

He got the message in the end and said he would give me a special treat tonight when we got back. Mounted once more we set off and Fred then Said “Come, let’s find Minnie on her way home from town.” It took us half an hour to find her about half way home. Fred had us stand behind a tree and jump out. He shouted “Hands up!” Poor Minnie nearly shit herself in surprise.

Her face lit up when she realised it was us and we all had a good laugh. She said “Dad when I was in town I got this” and handed him a flyer. “There is to be a big race in town in two weeks time and I wondered if I could enter with Bronze?”

“Yes” he said “it’s about time we found out if she is any good, so put your name down tomorrow. We may even win.”

“Can I have a share of the prize money if we win?”

“OK” he said, “fifty fifty?” Minnie jumped off the cart and hugged Fred.

Now I had two to carry.

29.06.12