Reining in a Kelpie

Capture image for the Kelpie mare here It was a bit tricky to get the colors right since the horses and rider were done traditionally and colored with colored pencils then I did the background and other stuff in PS Elements.

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Taylor reined Diva through the open land where the Kelpies were supposed to be. She had two kelpies to look for but was going to try for only one at a time. She guessed that she would just catch the first one she saw of the two which had been picked out for her. She eased Diva to a stop as she turned around to look around. She knew that the water areas were the best places to look for Kelpies but she hadn't seen any yet. She fiddled with the slip halter made from rope that she had made at the end of a good rope. She had thought it the best way to get it over the Kelpie's head instead of worrying about something that she would have to latch or tie. she would just have to slip the make-shift halter over the head and pull the rope to tighten the halter on the kelpie's head. Sounded easy and fool proof in theory but it would have to be tested in the actual event. She hoped that Diva would be able to keep up with the Kelpie since she was fast but if the kelpie took off into water, they might be in trouble. She sighed before squeezing her legs about Diva's barrel and the mare moved forward.
She continued to ride Diva around looking for any movement. They would be hard to spot since the Kelpie's coats were browns and greens. She was worrying at the rope halter in her hand, swinging it some when she caught movement. She instantly pulled Diva to a halt and rubbed her neck to keep her quiet as she looked toward where she had seen the movement. She checked the wind and reined Diva in a direction to get downwind of the kelpies. There were three clustered together. Two were green and one was brown. She looked at the two green ones and saw that one was a paler green. She carefully steered Diva towards the Kelpies, hoping that they could get close enough that if they spooked, that Diva could catch up with them if they bolted.
She saw one look her way and slowly the other two saw her just as there was fifty feet seperating them. They all wheeled and took off and she wasted no time in urging Diva into a full gallop and setting out after the kelpies. She had gotten a good look at the pale green kelpie when the head came up and knew that it was the Kelpie mare she was after. The kelpies all galloped in no general direction, just away from her. She set her eyes on the Pale kelpie mare and leaned low over Diva's whithers as the mare's hooves flew over the ground beneath them with a sound like thunder. She squeezed her legs tighter around Diva, silently urging the mare to go faster and slowly, they gained on the pale kelpie.
Finally they were only a length behind the kelpie and Taylor extended her rope halter to loosen it and give it some slack as she braced herself for the moment of truth. Finally both mare's were galloping neck and neck and Taylor leaned up and forward on Diva's neck. She kept a tight hold of Diva's mane and the reins in her left hand as she extended the halter towards the mare's head. She saw the mare's pale blue eye look directly at her before starting to turn away.
Taylor lunged and hung partially on the Kelpie's neck and her legs trying to hold onto Diva as she thrust her hand forward and slipped the rope halter over the kelpie's nose before gripping the end of the rope and pushing off of the mare and regaining her seat on Diva's bare back. She tugged on the Kelpie's rope to pull her back towards Diva before she was drawing up on Diva's reins. Taylor looked forward and saw they were heading straight for a pond and she tugged harder on the kelpie and began turning them. The kelpie looked at her with pinned ears as they fought a battle of wills as the Kelpie continued to gallop for the pond.
Finally, Taylor completely pulled Diva up at the same time that she put her whole weight into the Kelpie's rope as she leaned back on Diva. Her muscles in her arms strained as she stubbornly pulled at the Kelpie and she met pale blue eyes once more before she heard hooves splashing into the pond.
Diva ground to a halt at the edge of the pond and the kelpie splashed into the pond before the rope suddenly slackened as the mare half reared as she gave one last half-hearted tug at the rope before bringing her hooves back down into the water to finally stand quietly.
Taylor sat there on Diva stunned as it began to register that she had caught the kelpie mare. Both mares and Taylor were breathing hard as they stood there. She finally relaxed as she sat astride Diva and looked down at the slack rope in her hands in disbelief. Then she looked back up into the pale eyes of her kelpie mare and saw the uncertainty but also the respect that shone in the mare's eyes. Taylor gently tugged on the rope and was surprised when the mare took a step forward with her nose within touching distance of Taylor's knee. She slowly leaned down and gently reached out a hand toward the mare's head.
A ring of uneasy white shone around her eyes before Taylor gently touched her cheek. She bobbed her head up in surprise but didn't move besides. Taylor stroked the kelpie's cheek.
"It's alright. I would never hurt you. You will have a new and comfortable home with me." She gently smiled at the Kelpie and watched as the mare reguarded her with interest. She finally leaned back on Diva and reined her to turn around. "OK girls, lets go home."

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Hey everybody, hope you enjoyed my story to go along with my kelpie catch. ^^ I am also working on my capture picture for my Kelpie stallion. It should be up soon as well and most likely with a story.

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Stable: DarKest Dreams Ranch 
Name: DarK's Lily Pad
Status: Wild Horse

Gender: Mare
Breed: European Kelpie
Age: 5 Years Old
Height: 15 Hands

Color: Dopple Cream Swamp with Dun?
Genotype: ?????

Discipline: 
Passable Traits:

Sire/Dam: Foudation Horse
Bloodlines: Foundation Lines - Wild Caught
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History: 
More Coming soon.....



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For Breed Lease: Not curently 

Breedings:

1. Mine
2. Mine
3. Mine


Offspring:
1.
2.
3.

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Competitions: 



Miscellaneous: