“Is that why regular horse training doesn’t work with them?” Carla asked.
“Part of it. Horse training often relies on dominance and control. You establish yourself as the herd leader and use that position to direct behavior.” I guided Thrakul into another demonstration, showing how he could navigate tight spaces and respond to minimal hand cues. “Sorhoxes respond better to partnership. You can’t force them. You have to earn their cooperation every single day.”
“That must take patience,” Holly said.
“Everything worthwhile takes patience.” I caught myself. That sounded like something Wexla used to say. I pushed the thought away and focused on the demonstration. “For rodeo applications, this means we can develop more complex routines than you’d see with traditional livestock. Thrakul could learn choreographed sequences, respond to music cues, even work with multiple handlers if needed.”
“How elaborate are we talking about here?” Carla asked, her pen moving rapidly across her tablet.
“Depends on what the tourists want to see and what events they hope to participate in.” I brought Thrakul through a series of maneuvers that showed his agility and responsiveness. “Simple exhibitions? We could have something running within eight months. Full rodeo performances with multiple animals and handlers will be two years, minimum.”
I could see her mental calculations again. Two years was a long time in money terms, but if she was serious about doing this right…
“The tourists will expect something impressive,” she said. “This isn’t just about having a rodeo program. It’s about having something unique that they can’t see anywhere else.”
Exactly. Someone finally understood.
“Can I try?” Max asked.
“Max,” Holly said with a roll of her eyes.
“Just something small. Hail taught me basic commands when he was working with me.”
Max had been around sorhoxes enough to know simple safety, and Thrakul was in a good mood. I also needed to know how sorhoxes dealt with inexperienced handlers.
“Easy commands only,” I said. “And you do exactly what I say.”
“Cool!” He climbed into the arena.
I spent the next few minutes taking Max through basic interaction with Thrakul. The boy was patient, confident but not aggressive, and he read the sorhox’s body language instinctively. Thrakul responded well to him, which spoke well for future tourist interactions.
“Look at that,” Aunt Inla said proudly. “Our Max is doing a great job.”
“He is. He has good instincts,” I said. “Thrakul likes him.”
“Could you teach tourists to handle something like this?” Carla asked, watching Max guide Thrakul through a simple turn.
I watched her process the safety implications, the way her mind immediately went to protecting both tourists and sorhoxes. Most consultants would’ve been focused on liability and insurance costs. She was thinking about doing it right.
“Some of them. The ones who listen and don’t think they know better than the handler.” I kept my voice neutral, but she caught the implication.
“Fair point. We’d need strict safety protocols and probably insurance waivers.”
“We’ve already thought of that.”
When Max and I finished, Carla tucked her tablet into her bag. “That was incredible. The level of communication between you and Thrakul is unlike anything I’ve seen. And the possibilities for unique tourist experiences are going to bring them here in droves.”
“It’ll take time to develop.” I led Thrakul back toward his corral. “Months, maybe a year. There are no shortcuts.”
“Which is why rushing to establish a rodeo program could be problematic,” she said. “The sorhoxes need to trust their handlers completely before they can perform safely in front of crowds.”
I stopped and looked at her. Two days ago, she’d been focused on timelines and protocols. Today, she was thinking about the animals’ welfare first. She was beginning to understand that this wasn’t only about having a rodeo, it was about having the right kind of rodeo.
“Yes,” I said. “Safety comes from the relationship, not just equipment.”
“Then we need to build the program around developing those relationships,” she said. “The timeline might need to be longer than originally planned, but the end result will be something truly special.” She gazed at me with determination in her eyes. “You want to create something here that’ll draw tourists for years, not a season or two.”
She understood. More than that, she seemed willing to fight for what was right, even if it meant more work for her.
