BILL AND THE BRUMBY

[Maureen K Clifford]

BILL AND THE BRUMBY ... Maureen Clifford © The ScribblyBark Poet

He planned to be a cowboy - it had been his long held dream,
he knew he would be happy with the life
and lifestyle - all he wanted was to make a move out west
away from city streets and big town strife.

He'd grown up reading westerns, and watched cowboy movies too,
he hankered for the lifestyle of the west.
He owned a few Akubras and a well worn Driza-bone
he thought that he could cut it with the best.
He'd been down to the Gold Coast and he'd shelled a few bucks out
to see the Aussie Outback ANZAC show,
and had admired the horsemanship, the true stories reborn,
where death defying stunts were all the go.

So he chased Bush Recruitment up to see what was out there...
they had a Jackaroos job yet to fill -
it was at Borroloola in the Territory they said -
was he interested? " Bloody Oath!" said Bill.
"You'll have to ride a horse and be keen to learn some new jobs,
accommodation is part of the deal
for the male stockmen only - it's an isolated life,
but a good one." "Good-oh! Count me in " cried Bill.

The first day on the job the boss took Bill to meet the blokes
he'd be working with - they were a motley crew.
Laconic, laid back, lanky larrikins without a doubt
all set to teach the new chum what to do.
They bought his stock horse over - he was saddled, right to go,
'bout fifteen hands, a lean and rangy bay
who 'd done the job for so long he could do it in his sleep
direction wasn't needed now - no way.

That pony that they gave him was a plugger – placid, tame
and the fire had long departed from his soul,
Bill needed one with spirit, something curbed by snaffle rein ...
a stallion, an entire, hale and whole.
So they found for him a brumby one whose mettle was not curbed
and they told him ‘do not use the whip or spur’
but the cocky would-be jackaroo claimed this he had not heard
and never yet was mountain horse a cur.

So he touched his spurs to flea bit hide and slapped the beamy rump,
the brumby gave an ear twitch and a nod,
Bill spurred a little harder and the brumby walked on out
'twas hardly brisk - it was more of a plod.
Dissatisfied, Bill dug in deep - he' d show them he could ride
the brumby flicked its tail and humped its back
erupting like a starburst on a bloody cracker night,
a sun fisher, now in full blown attack.

The stockmen whooped and hollered, the boss just stood and grinned
at Billy pulling leather as he plunged.
The brumby was an arm jerker, a tough and hardy beast
whose sole aim was to see young Bill expunged.
One more twist ... he began to fall ... waving his arms about,
then out the back door Billy was ejected.
The brumby stopped and looked at him, and slowly sauntered over
the look upon his face was quite dejected.

Bill planned to be a cowboy - 'twas his dream to work the land,
he'd just learnt his first lesson here today...
you treat your horses with respect - you're all on the same team.
Treat them with kindness - they'll meet you halfway.

[thestoryteller]

It's great when they are working with you Maureen but when they're not it's a lot of muscle and bone your up against.

Always enjoyed working new horses.


Merv

[Shelley Hansen]

Not a subject I know much about Maureen - but a good yarn!

Cheers
Shelley

[Maureen K Clifford]

I love horses - always have - and being tied up with the Hoofs2010Inc brumby rescue group, of course they are going to feature in my work as well. All animals I have found, respond to kindness - you just have to take it slow and steady with them, work at their pace, and be calm and gentle. Not a lot of difference in my book between kids, dogs and horses - they can all be holy terrors or very loveable

[Maureen K Clifford]

I agree Merv - and being bigger in the field of strength they will always win - but it is all about getting an animal to want to please you rather than making it obey you, once you have achieved that rapport it is the most magical of unions.

I even managed to win over a big % of our 1000 + totally feral sheep when out on the property, mustering 776 of them one day simply by calling them, and that was before we had any working dogs on side - I am so proud of that When we first bought the place they would turn tail and head for the hills whenever they saw us, but after a couple of months they had worked it out for themselves that we were the good guys, the suppliers of grain and sweet things, and we had very few issues after that with them. I used to take at least 700 of them out on the road to feed a few times a week, all following my old bush-basher, as I called their name, beeped the horn and rattled the corn tin out of the window.

[thestoryteller]

Just think of all the dog biscuits you must of saved.

[Maureen K Clifford]

Oh we needed the dogs to get the buggers home Merv - they weren't as keen going back into their droughted paddocks as they were getting out of them - the dogs would give them enough hurry up to keep them on track

[thestoryteller]

With the workforce in the bush diminishing a good dog is a great asset.

Merv

[Maureen K Clifford]

Sure are - they are worth 2 men any day.