Imagine falling into a Jusenkyo spring, and never finding out how to release the curse…
River Wind
By Dan Stickney
Based on concepts and characters created by Rumiko Takahashi
*****
Chapter 2: Japan
*****
Well, it was a long, lonely, trip.
I never would have guessed that being taken from that rundown, ratty farm would be such a traumatic experience. I never realized how much I'd become accustomed to being surrounded by other horses until they took me away from them. It's really scary being alone, without the rest of the herd to watch my back.
The truck took me to a train, which took me to a boat, which took me across the sea. So, after my trip, and about a month in quarantine, I wound up here.
"Here" is in Japan, I think - a boarding and lesson stable. The owner must have buyers cruising China looking for bargains. I guess I was a bargain
From what little I can understand (I don't know Japanese, either) I'm a school horse, though I bet I'm still up for sale, if the right person comes along at the right price.
Well, I don't care. If I have to be a horse, this seems like a good place to be one. The mares have been nice enough (once I put them in their place) and the geldings all know I'm the center of the universe, like they're supposed to. A stallion might give me trouble but there aren't many around and the humans are careful to keep them segregated from the rest of my herd.
I wonder when I started thinking of humans as "them"?
*****
I guess I spoke too soon.
Oh, In general it isn't a bad life here. There's lots of hay, and plenty of turnout, and the other horses seem nice enough. Not like that backwoods riff-raff I had to deal with in China.
But these students! How the hell am I supposed to make good riders out of any of them?
It's bad enough when they use my reins for a handle, or sit on my back like a sack of cabbages. That sort of stuff is to be expected from beginners, after all.
No, they have to try to control my every step. Damn it, I am not a machine that needs to be steered. I'm a horse. Just show me where you want to go and I'll take you there. I know how my body works a hell of a lot better than you do, thank you. Get out of my mouth and let me do my job.
Damn, I wish I could talk to them sometimes. Still, I have ways of getting my message across. If they're too ham fisted I toss my head, and while my regular trot is pretty bouncy as it is, I can make it bone jarring when I want to. It seems to work pretty well. Horses aren't the only animals that can be trained using negative reinforcement, it seems.
The absolute worst ones hold their breath and tense up like a lion was about to spring out at us from somewhere. Can't they tell how jumpy that makes me? The world is scary enough when I'm not carting around people who make me feel like bolting. Shoot, it's not like they could recognize real danger before I could anyway. Humans are just so damned obtuse, you know? No perception at all. They never seem to notice anything that isn't right in front of their faces.
Ah, well, they're not all bad. There is one little girl, I guess she's about twelve, named Keiko. Now she seems to know instinctively what to do. She has gentle hands, and a lovely following seat, and she never messes with my mouth unless I deserve it. Which I rarely do, because I always go out of my way to round up and look good for her. And even when I do deserve it, she's always gentle, and seems to know instinctively when to give me my head back.
Anyway, pretty soon I started noticing that Keiko was showing up early for her lessons, and doing little chores around the barn, to maximize her chances of riding me. And I also noticed that the various people who are always puttering around the barn tend to stop and watch whenever we're working together.
I guess I'm just like any other teacher: Your best students seem to make up for the rest, somehow.
*****
This is so cool! Keiko bought me!
Well, actually, her dad must have bought me for her. Of course, no one actually told me what was happening, because no one expected me to understand. I'm just an animal, after all. And in truth, I probably wouldn't have understood, because I still haven't learned much Japanese. It's really hard to learn a new language when there's nothing to put it in context.
Still, it wasn't hard to figure out. They moved me to a new stall and stopped using me in lessons. As soon as I saw Keiko I knew. It was written in her whole body language. You can't hide that sort of thing from a horse.
Keiko's dad was smiling as she hugged him. I think he's pretty cool too. If I weren't a horse and a mother I'd want to be a dad like hers, if that makes any sense.
At least I won't have to put up with beginners any more.
Best of all, I finally have a name. Keiko gave it to me.
Oh, I must have had a name before, but nobody ever bothered to tell it to me. Keiko calls me "Kawakaze". It sounds pretty.
I wish I knew what it meant.
Best of all, she fusses over me: She's always brushing me, or combing out my tail, or braiding ribbons into my mane. It's kind of cute.
As a man, I would have sneered at such schoolgirl antics. After all this time as a horse, I'm just grateful for the attention.
I can't believe how much I've changed.
*****
I hate getting my feet trimmed.
When I was a man, I never would have dreamed of having my nails done. Of course, back then I didn't stand on them, either.
One thing that surprised me when I first became a horse was the feeling that I was always standing on tiptoe, like a ballerina. Of course, it didn't take me long to realize that's exactly what I was doing--standing on the tips of my toes. I always thought horses didn't have toes, but we do: four big ones, each ending in a hoof. Each of my feet is just one big toe, and I'm literally standing on my toenails. That's where a lot of my agility comes from. As a former engineer, I have to admire the design. You're not likely to find anything with more elegant simplicity than my feet.
As always, though, that elegant simplicity comes at a cost: Redundancy. One toe per foot means I have no backups. If anything happened to even one of my feet, I'm dead. I'm much too big to support myself on only three legs. Sure, I can hold any one of my feet up, but not for long, and I can't walk on anything less than all four.
That's why I used to get very nervous when anyone tried to mess with my feet, especially after I was first captured. It's a life or death thing for me. Now, however, I've gotten used to it.
I still don't like it much, though.
The worst part is standing here on three legs when the flies are biting me, but I don't dare move when I'm cross-tied. In China that would have earned me a beating or worse. Yeah, I know that no one here would ever abuse me, but tell that to my ingrained reflexes. I've literally been programmed - like a computer, or an animal.
I used to mind, but I've gotten used to it. At least Keiko has been helping me get over my flinching.
*****
Keiko is so clever. It's so easy to teach her new tricks.
The first trick I taught her was bowing. I just love the way Japanese people bow to each other all the time. Of course, horses can't really bow, so I just tuck my chin and nod my head so it looks like I'm bowing. It didn't take long for Keiko to realize that if she bowed to me I'd return it. Of course, now that I've taught her that, I have to keep reinforcing it so she won't forget.
Anyway, from there it was a simple matter of teaching her that I'd bow to other people if she touched me on the shoulder in a certain way. It's amazing how fast she picks up this stuff.
Next I taught her a counting game. When she cocks her head just right, I start pawing for her; when she straightens up, I stop. It didn't take her long to figure out that we could pretend to do math problems this way. I'm glad she does the counting for me though, My horse brain doesn't seem to be as good with numbers as my human one was.
Finally, I taught her the yes-no game. It's my favorite. All I had to do was nod or shake my head every time she tipped her head just right. It took her more than a week to figure it out, but once she did it didn't take her long to see the possibilities. I told you she was clever, didn't I? Now we keep everyone amused with out little routines. I still can't understand much Japanese, but I don't have to. She asks me a question, and I can tell from the way she's standing whether to answer "yes" or "no". It never fails to get a laugh.
Of course, I won't do these tricks for anyone else, just my lady Keiko. I won't come to anyone else's call, either. I want her to know how special she is. Of course, she probably thinks she taught me these things. The truth can be out little secret.
Here she is now. She's asking me a question using the "Yes" signal. As always, it's all gibberish, except for one word I know very well. So I nod my head enthusiastically, and she gives me the carrot, lingering to caress my velvet nose.
*****
Yuck, this latest batch of hay is terrible. It's all stalky and stemmy.
Recently, I noticed something that kind of disturbs me. I never seem to get bored any more.
When I first changed, I was too frightened to be bored. And when I was wandering in the wild, I was too busy struggling to find enough to eat.
However, when I first came to the horse farm in China, I was bored stiff. There wasn't anything to do except stand around.
Now however, I'm almost never bored. Oh, Keiko lights up my world whenever she's here. But even when she isn't there's always something, like racing in the pasture, or meditating on my dressage lessons, or even the simple Zen-like pleasures of grazing.
I wish I could figure out why this bothers me. Have I lost something?
*****
I just had to clobber that big gelding again. You know; the one who still thinks he's a stud?
You think he'd learn not to approach a mare from behind, especially with his... thing hanging out like that. Yeah, I know he's neutered, but try telling him that. He must have been gelded late, after his habits were developed. Either that or he has an undescended testicle. I guess I'll never know.
Damn it, gelded or not, he's still a male: A real pain in the ass 28 days a month, and just what the doctor ordered on the other two. At least he's shooting blanks.
I can't believe he's willing to get clobbered every day just to be here on the one day I'd be willing to accommodate him. That's a male for you.
*****
Damn it, that blue ribbon should have been mine!
And it would have been too, if that goddamn judge hadn't been blind. He couldn't tell a hunter under saddle from a ham and swiss on rye. I hope they send him back to cattle shows, where he belongs.
Briefly, I contemplate doing something to show my displeasure, like stepping on his foot, or pissing on him, but I'd never dare do it. Judges have a way of getting their own back, and it wouldn't do to get a bad reputation.
I'd never even consider biting him. Any thought of doing that was literally beaten out of me in China. Take it from me, aversion therapy really works
Don't mind me; I'm just feeling marish today. Thank god it's only two days a month, though it's always a bittersweet reminder of my daughter. I wonder what happened to her?
Oh well, second place is better than no place. I rub my head on Keiko's chest by way of apology, covering her with horse hair in the process. She smiles and scratches behind my ears.
Oh well, another couple days and it will be over and I'll be able to think clearly again. Guess I'll be visiting that big gelding's paddock tonight.
*****
I wonder what's going on in the indoor arena? I think I'll go check.
Gotta love these sensitive lips and whiskers. Even though I can't actually see the post I'm tied to, I have little trouble locating the end of my lead shank. A grab with my teeth and quick pull to pop the quick-release knot and I'm free. Lucky for me, I'd been given enough slack to do this. Lately, they've taken to tying me short, because I've developed a reputation as an escape artist. That's one of the advantages of human intelligence, even in a horse's body. I love getting out of my stall and doing a little mischief every now and then. I never do any real damage, mind you. I just like to keep them on their toes.
So with this in mind I wander over behind the bleachers where Keiko and the other Barn Rats are concentrating on a dressage clinic. I don't have any trouble sneaking up on them - humans are so obtuse. I watch the clinic for a while, hoping to pick up a few pointers. Then I wait until Keiko's fully involved in the demonstration before gently blowing down the back of her neck.
I'm rewarded with a yelp and a jump that makes me twitch (Even here, my flight reflex isn't far below the surface.) She spins around, and I whicker into her face, blowing green flecks all over her shirt. That will teach her to tie me up and then go off and leave me. The whole bleachers erupt in laughter, Keiko's the loudest of all.
The clinic instructor is forced to stop as Keiko leads me back to my stall. She scolds me the whole way, but I know she doesn't mean it. She takes my halter off, and strokes my neck, and calls me "idiot horse", though she's smiling as she does so. Then she gives me an apple.
Life is good.
*****
I wonder how long I've been here. Not that a date would mean anything to me if you told me. My world is the cycles of the seasons, the cycles of the moon, and the cycles of my own body.
Its been years, though. My lady Keiko's grown taller, and she smells like an adult now. And lately I've been noticing a new softness when I nuzzle her chest.
Poor girl, udders are so much more convenient. Though I can't imagine where she'd keep one if she had one.
*****
Something's wrong, my lady hasn't been coming around as much as she used to.
It used to be she came to see me straight after school every day. Now I might not see her for two or three days at a time.
Well today, I finally found out what was wrong. She brought a boy with her. It was hate at first sight. How dare he come between my lady Keiko and me!
Of course, I couldn't give him any indication of how I really felt. Instead, I let Keiko show him all of her tricks. He seems to make her happy, so I guess I'll have to put up with him.
Just before they left he put his arm around her waist. I braced myself for the squeal and the stomp, because I could smell that Keiko wasn't in season, and probably wouldn't be for another few days.
So you can imagine my surprise when she smiled and put her arm around him in return! I guess I forgot that humans were like that. It kind of makes me jealous, somehow.
*****
Keiko's crying, and there's nothing I can do about it. Her boyfriend just dumped her. It seems he didn't like all of the time she spent messing with her horse. So she came here to cry, and feed me treats. I guess I allow her to talk to herself, without actually talking to herself. At least I nod at appropriate moments.
Poor girl. I'm so lucky compared to her. Horses don't complicate such things with romance. Lust arrives in convenient monthly installments, leaving our brains free for more important things most other days.
Anyway, now she's stroking my neck and telling me that sometimes she thinks I really do understand. Oh, my poor lady, if only you knew.
******
Stay tuned for…Chapter 3: The big time…
River Wind
By Dan Stickney
Based on concepts and characters created by Rumiko Takahashi
*****
Chapter 2: Japan
*****
Well, it was a long, lonely, trip.
I never would have guessed that being taken from that rundown, ratty farm would be such a traumatic experience. I never realized how much I'd become accustomed to being surrounded by other horses until they took me away from them. It's really scary being alone, without the rest of the herd to watch my back.
The truck took me to a train, which took me to a boat, which took me across the sea. So, after my trip, and about a month in quarantine, I wound up here.
"Here" is in Japan, I think - a boarding and lesson stable. The owner must have buyers cruising China looking for bargains. I guess I was a bargain
From what little I can understand (I don't know Japanese, either) I'm a school horse, though I bet I'm still up for sale, if the right person comes along at the right price.
Well, I don't care. If I have to be a horse, this seems like a good place to be one. The mares have been nice enough (once I put them in their place) and the geldings all know I'm the center of the universe, like they're supposed to. A stallion might give me trouble but there aren't many around and the humans are careful to keep them segregated from the rest of my herd.
I wonder when I started thinking of humans as "them"?
*****
I guess I spoke too soon.
Oh, In general it isn't a bad life here. There's lots of hay, and plenty of turnout, and the other horses seem nice enough. Not like that backwoods riff-raff I had to deal with in China.
But these students! How the hell am I supposed to make good riders out of any of them?
It's bad enough when they use my reins for a handle, or sit on my back like a sack of cabbages. That sort of stuff is to be expected from beginners, after all.
No, they have to try to control my every step. Damn it, I am not a machine that needs to be steered. I'm a horse. Just show me where you want to go and I'll take you there. I know how my body works a hell of a lot better than you do, thank you. Get out of my mouth and let me do my job.
Damn, I wish I could talk to them sometimes. Still, I have ways of getting my message across. If they're too ham fisted I toss my head, and while my regular trot is pretty bouncy as it is, I can make it bone jarring when I want to. It seems to work pretty well. Horses aren't the only animals that can be trained using negative reinforcement, it seems.
The absolute worst ones hold their breath and tense up like a lion was about to spring out at us from somewhere. Can't they tell how jumpy that makes me? The world is scary enough when I'm not carting around people who make me feel like bolting. Shoot, it's not like they could recognize real danger before I could anyway. Humans are just so damned obtuse, you know? No perception at all. They never seem to notice anything that isn't right in front of their faces.
Ah, well, they're not all bad. There is one little girl, I guess she's about twelve, named Keiko. Now she seems to know instinctively what to do. She has gentle hands, and a lovely following seat, and she never messes with my mouth unless I deserve it. Which I rarely do, because I always go out of my way to round up and look good for her. And even when I do deserve it, she's always gentle, and seems to know instinctively when to give me my head back.
Anyway, pretty soon I started noticing that Keiko was showing up early for her lessons, and doing little chores around the barn, to maximize her chances of riding me. And I also noticed that the various people who are always puttering around the barn tend to stop and watch whenever we're working together.
I guess I'm just like any other teacher: Your best students seem to make up for the rest, somehow.
*****
This is so cool! Keiko bought me!
Well, actually, her dad must have bought me for her. Of course, no one actually told me what was happening, because no one expected me to understand. I'm just an animal, after all. And in truth, I probably wouldn't have understood, because I still haven't learned much Japanese. It's really hard to learn a new language when there's nothing to put it in context.
Still, it wasn't hard to figure out. They moved me to a new stall and stopped using me in lessons. As soon as I saw Keiko I knew. It was written in her whole body language. You can't hide that sort of thing from a horse.
Keiko's dad was smiling as she hugged him. I think he's pretty cool too. If I weren't a horse and a mother I'd want to be a dad like hers, if that makes any sense.
At least I won't have to put up with beginners any more.
Best of all, I finally have a name. Keiko gave it to me.
Oh, I must have had a name before, but nobody ever bothered to tell it to me. Keiko calls me "Kawakaze". It sounds pretty.
I wish I knew what it meant.
Best of all, she fusses over me: She's always brushing me, or combing out my tail, or braiding ribbons into my mane. It's kind of cute.
As a man, I would have sneered at such schoolgirl antics. After all this time as a horse, I'm just grateful for the attention.
I can't believe how much I've changed.
*****
I hate getting my feet trimmed.
When I was a man, I never would have dreamed of having my nails done. Of course, back then I didn't stand on them, either.
One thing that surprised me when I first became a horse was the feeling that I was always standing on tiptoe, like a ballerina. Of course, it didn't take me long to realize that's exactly what I was doing--standing on the tips of my toes. I always thought horses didn't have toes, but we do: four big ones, each ending in a hoof. Each of my feet is just one big toe, and I'm literally standing on my toenails. That's where a lot of my agility comes from. As a former engineer, I have to admire the design. You're not likely to find anything with more elegant simplicity than my feet.
As always, though, that elegant simplicity comes at a cost: Redundancy. One toe per foot means I have no backups. If anything happened to even one of my feet, I'm dead. I'm much too big to support myself on only three legs. Sure, I can hold any one of my feet up, but not for long, and I can't walk on anything less than all four.
That's why I used to get very nervous when anyone tried to mess with my feet, especially after I was first captured. It's a life or death thing for me. Now, however, I've gotten used to it.
I still don't like it much, though.
The worst part is standing here on three legs when the flies are biting me, but I don't dare move when I'm cross-tied. In China that would have earned me a beating or worse. Yeah, I know that no one here would ever abuse me, but tell that to my ingrained reflexes. I've literally been programmed - like a computer, or an animal.
I used to mind, but I've gotten used to it. At least Keiko has been helping me get over my flinching.
*****
Keiko is so clever. It's so easy to teach her new tricks.
The first trick I taught her was bowing. I just love the way Japanese people bow to each other all the time. Of course, horses can't really bow, so I just tuck my chin and nod my head so it looks like I'm bowing. It didn't take long for Keiko to realize that if she bowed to me I'd return it. Of course, now that I've taught her that, I have to keep reinforcing it so she won't forget.
Anyway, from there it was a simple matter of teaching her that I'd bow to other people if she touched me on the shoulder in a certain way. It's amazing how fast she picks up this stuff.
Next I taught her a counting game. When she cocks her head just right, I start pawing for her; when she straightens up, I stop. It didn't take her long to figure out that we could pretend to do math problems this way. I'm glad she does the counting for me though, My horse brain doesn't seem to be as good with numbers as my human one was.
Finally, I taught her the yes-no game. It's my favorite. All I had to do was nod or shake my head every time she tipped her head just right. It took her more than a week to figure it out, but once she did it didn't take her long to see the possibilities. I told you she was clever, didn't I? Now we keep everyone amused with out little routines. I still can't understand much Japanese, but I don't have to. She asks me a question, and I can tell from the way she's standing whether to answer "yes" or "no". It never fails to get a laugh.
Of course, I won't do these tricks for anyone else, just my lady Keiko. I won't come to anyone else's call, either. I want her to know how special she is. Of course, she probably thinks she taught me these things. The truth can be out little secret.
Here she is now. She's asking me a question using the "Yes" signal. As always, it's all gibberish, except for one word I know very well. So I nod my head enthusiastically, and she gives me the carrot, lingering to caress my velvet nose.
*****
Yuck, this latest batch of hay is terrible. It's all stalky and stemmy.
Recently, I noticed something that kind of disturbs me. I never seem to get bored any more.
When I first changed, I was too frightened to be bored. And when I was wandering in the wild, I was too busy struggling to find enough to eat.
However, when I first came to the horse farm in China, I was bored stiff. There wasn't anything to do except stand around.
Now however, I'm almost never bored. Oh, Keiko lights up my world whenever she's here. But even when she isn't there's always something, like racing in the pasture, or meditating on my dressage lessons, or even the simple Zen-like pleasures of grazing.
I wish I could figure out why this bothers me. Have I lost something?
*****
I just had to clobber that big gelding again. You know; the one who still thinks he's a stud?
You think he'd learn not to approach a mare from behind, especially with his... thing hanging out like that. Yeah, I know he's neutered, but try telling him that. He must have been gelded late, after his habits were developed. Either that or he has an undescended testicle. I guess I'll never know.
Damn it, gelded or not, he's still a male: A real pain in the ass 28 days a month, and just what the doctor ordered on the other two. At least he's shooting blanks.
I can't believe he's willing to get clobbered every day just to be here on the one day I'd be willing to accommodate him. That's a male for you.
*****
Damn it, that blue ribbon should have been mine!
And it would have been too, if that goddamn judge hadn't been blind. He couldn't tell a hunter under saddle from a ham and swiss on rye. I hope they send him back to cattle shows, where he belongs.
Briefly, I contemplate doing something to show my displeasure, like stepping on his foot, or pissing on him, but I'd never dare do it. Judges have a way of getting their own back, and it wouldn't do to get a bad reputation.
I'd never even consider biting him. Any thought of doing that was literally beaten out of me in China. Take it from me, aversion therapy really works
Don't mind me; I'm just feeling marish today. Thank god it's only two days a month, though it's always a bittersweet reminder of my daughter. I wonder what happened to her?
Oh well, second place is better than no place. I rub my head on Keiko's chest by way of apology, covering her with horse hair in the process. She smiles and scratches behind my ears.
Oh well, another couple days and it will be over and I'll be able to think clearly again. Guess I'll be visiting that big gelding's paddock tonight.
*****
I wonder what's going on in the indoor arena? I think I'll go check.
Gotta love these sensitive lips and whiskers. Even though I can't actually see the post I'm tied to, I have little trouble locating the end of my lead shank. A grab with my teeth and quick pull to pop the quick-release knot and I'm free. Lucky for me, I'd been given enough slack to do this. Lately, they've taken to tying me short, because I've developed a reputation as an escape artist. That's one of the advantages of human intelligence, even in a horse's body. I love getting out of my stall and doing a little mischief every now and then. I never do any real damage, mind you. I just like to keep them on their toes.
So with this in mind I wander over behind the bleachers where Keiko and the other Barn Rats are concentrating on a dressage clinic. I don't have any trouble sneaking up on them - humans are so obtuse. I watch the clinic for a while, hoping to pick up a few pointers. Then I wait until Keiko's fully involved in the demonstration before gently blowing down the back of her neck.
I'm rewarded with a yelp and a jump that makes me twitch (Even here, my flight reflex isn't far below the surface.) She spins around, and I whicker into her face, blowing green flecks all over her shirt. That will teach her to tie me up and then go off and leave me. The whole bleachers erupt in laughter, Keiko's the loudest of all.
The clinic instructor is forced to stop as Keiko leads me back to my stall. She scolds me the whole way, but I know she doesn't mean it. She takes my halter off, and strokes my neck, and calls me "idiot horse", though she's smiling as she does so. Then she gives me an apple.
Life is good.
*****
I wonder how long I've been here. Not that a date would mean anything to me if you told me. My world is the cycles of the seasons, the cycles of the moon, and the cycles of my own body.
Its been years, though. My lady Keiko's grown taller, and she smells like an adult now. And lately I've been noticing a new softness when I nuzzle her chest.
Poor girl, udders are so much more convenient. Though I can't imagine where she'd keep one if she had one.
*****
Something's wrong, my lady hasn't been coming around as much as she used to.
It used to be she came to see me straight after school every day. Now I might not see her for two or three days at a time.
Well today, I finally found out what was wrong. She brought a boy with her. It was hate at first sight. How dare he come between my lady Keiko and me!
Of course, I couldn't give him any indication of how I really felt. Instead, I let Keiko show him all of her tricks. He seems to make her happy, so I guess I'll have to put up with him.
Just before they left he put his arm around her waist. I braced myself for the squeal and the stomp, because I could smell that Keiko wasn't in season, and probably wouldn't be for another few days.
So you can imagine my surprise when she smiled and put her arm around him in return! I guess I forgot that humans were like that. It kind of makes me jealous, somehow.
*****
Keiko's crying, and there's nothing I can do about it. Her boyfriend just dumped her. It seems he didn't like all of the time she spent messing with her horse. So she came here to cry, and feed me treats. I guess I allow her to talk to herself, without actually talking to herself. At least I nod at appropriate moments.
Poor girl. I'm so lucky compared to her. Horses don't complicate such things with romance. Lust arrives in convenient monthly installments, leaving our brains free for more important things most other days.
Anyway, now she's stroking my neck and telling me that sometimes she thinks I really do understand. Oh, my poor lady, if only you knew.
******
Stay tuned for…Chapter 3: The big time…