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The lasso slipped over its head and Des pulled them up to a stop. Albie went to the front, and with Robert and Percy at the rear, they boxed the horses in.
The stallion pulled on the rope, rearing up on his hind legs, braying and snorting. The other horses tried to scatter, but they kept them penned in.
But Des pulled harder, and Ox reared up too. He was bigger than the wild stallion, and with Des’s expert touch in the saddle, the stallion eventually quietened.
They gave the horses a few moments to breathe, to calm down.
“Holy shit,” Percy cried out. “Did we do it?”
Just then, one horse made a break for it and Robert edged it back to the herd. “We haven’t done it yet.”
Des, who was still holding the roped stallion tight, said, “Albie, rope him from your side. We’re gonna ride him in like this.”
Albie wasn’t sure if that would work, but he trusted Des. He’d always known he was a great horseman, but he’d never seen him ride like he did today.
Albie took his rope and swung the lasso above his head, aiming for the stallion while trying to hold his line, lest the mob try and escape. He missed, startling the horse, causing him to rear up again, braying and snorting.
Des held his rope tight, and Ox pulled back, keeping the lasso taut. Albie could see Robert and Percy moving, no doubt keeping the restless herd penned in.
He needed to get this.
No second chances.
He circled his lasso above his head, keeping Minnie steady with his left hand, and when the stallion threw his head down, Albie knew he was about to launch upward, rearing up to fight.
He swung his rope high and let it go, and it caught the stallion around the neck.
A perfect shot.
Except then the stallion fought twice as hard, rearing up and snorting, kicking and stomping. The other horses moved, and it took every ounce of strength Albie had to pull and hold him.
“Keep him steady,” Des yelled as they restrained him. “That’s it.”
Albie didn’t dare take his eyes off the stallion, not for a second, but he trusted Robert and Percy to hold the back of the herd.
“Now we’re gonna walk him forward,” Des yelled. “You ready to move ’em up from the rear?”
“Yes, sir,” Robert yelled back.
Albie would revisit and probably laugh at the sir comment later, but for now, all his concentration was on the stallion.
He was a big bay-coloured stallion, at least fifteen hands. He was unkempt and feral, and there was wildness in his eyes. On high alert, ears up, watching every single thing, defiant and proud, even with two ropes around his neck.
Albie had to admire him.
He towered over Minnie. She was just a mountain pony by comparison. But he didn’t have to steer or direct her at all. She knew what to do better than Albie did.
Once they got the stallion to walk without pulling or fighting them, they began to trot.
And, just as Percy said, the rest of the herd followed. Well, with Robert and Percy at the rear.
You only have to control the stallion, Percy had said.
And he’d been right.
It wasn’t an easy ride. The valley had its obstacles: gullies and huge boulders to navigate and far too many trees.
But they barely slowed, keeping a steady pace the whole way. It made the mob more compliant, but their horses were getting tired.
