|
|
Post by bluwings on Jul 16, 2007 15:16:27 GMT -5
Mary Anne:
I had arrived at the barn at 6:30 sharp, and toured around the three stables. July isn't exactly foaling season, so there weren't many at the moment in the foaling barn. As for the boarding stable, the people who boarded their horses there might want to muck the stalls themselves, I'd have to ask Katie. So, I had set about cleaning the stalls of the horses belonging to Sterling stables. Not an easy job for someone who has never been near horses before, but all the equestrian books I'd read came in handy. I clipped a lead onto each silver plated bridle (sterling silver, possibly?) and lead each horse out to a hitching post outside the stable door. I attempted to memorize their names... November Extrordinaire, Blazing Topaz, Pandora's Box, and Twisty Whiskey, to name but a few. That insane Twisty Whiskey was the only one who gave me trouble. By humming 'the Merrily Song' from Ichabod and Mr. Toad, I was able to distract him into following me out to the hitching post.
I had been nearing the end of my duties, when I came to the last stall in the block. The shimmering name plate on the stall door read "Little Miss Butterfly." Upon peering inside, my breath was taken away! Within the stall was a gorgeous grey filly, Arabian by her dished face and graceful pracing. I had found my dream horse!
Thoughts of my dream horse floated around my head as I sat on top of the practice arena fence at 8:00, waiting for Katie so my lesson could begin.
|
|
|
|
Post by hotspot on Jul 17, 2007 13:49:10 GMT -5
Katie:
rubbing sleep from my eyes, i hurried out to the practice arena. while feeding the horses in the boarding stabke, i had heard mary anne using the "merrily" song to calm twisty whiskey, the resident psycho horse. "we're merrily, merrily, merrily, MERRILY, merrily on our way to Noooo-whereee, in particular, where the ROADS are perpendicular..." i hummed. i led Here Comes Bob, the most gentle horse in the stables. as a matter of fact, i practically had to drag the pokey old gelding through the gate, where mary anne was looking stricken in the morning light. "you look like you've seen a ghost! he's not THAT old." i laughed, patting bob on the back.
|
|
|
|
Post by bluwings on Jul 17, 2007 15:11:20 GMT -5
Mary Anne:
Katie led a gelding that must have been 40 years old through the gate. Though he looked well-cared for, his whiskery old nose, protruding hipbones, and a swayback reminiscent of the Grand Canyon showed his elderliness. Gulping loudly, I answered Katie, "He's very... cute? What's his name?" I hopped down from the fence and walked over to him, and petted his velvety nose- not exactly what came to mind when I thought of galloping through the green fields. At least he was a horse!
|
|
|
|
Post by hotspot on Jul 17, 2007 17:30:19 GMT -5
Katie:
i laughed. "this is Here Comes Bob, who has succesfully reached the ripe old age of twenty-seven." i said. "everyone calls him Bob. or Geriatric. now, do you want to ride English or Western? we do both."
|
|
|
|
Post by bluwings on Jul 25, 2007 19:39:24 GMT -5
Mary Anne:
"Mind if I call him Gerry instead?" I laughed. If I impressed Katie enough on my first time out, maybe she'd let ME pick my horse next time! "I'll ride Western, but I'd like to try English in the future!" I took the spiral brush from the grroming box and proceeded to brush, comb, and hoof-pick my elderly mount. Katie showed me how to tack up, and before I knew it, I was SITTING ON A HORSE!!!! "What do I do now?" I asked from my greatly elevated position.
|
|
|
|
Post by hotspot on Jul 25, 2007 21:44:38 GMT -5
Katie:
"well, you seem to know a lot about horses already, but i'll start you out with a longe line." i clipped the long lead onto bob's halter, and moved to the middle of the ring. "now, just gently tap his sides, and try and keep him going in an even circle around me. oh, and if you don't mind, my cousin, Shiloh, and another girl, Yuliya, might be joining us."
|
|
|
|
Post by bluwings on Jul 28, 2007 19:23:00 GMT -5
Mary Anne:
"That's fine! I can't wait to meet them!" I said. I guided Bob around in a circle. He obviously didn't care that he was being ridden around and around monoyously- he probably had the figure down pat. I decided that this would be a good time to talk to Katie about Little Miss Butterfly. "Katie, I saw a horse in the stables named Little Miss Butterfly. What's she like?"
|
|
|
|
Post by hotspot on Jul 29, 2007 17:05:29 GMT -5
Katie:
"oh, she's a sweetie!" i excaimed. "not old enough to be ridden, yet, but she's very promising. she's also for sale. if you convince your parents or gaurdians, they might buy her for you! and you could help me train her, so that she gets to know you."
|
|
|
|
Post by bluwings on Jul 30, 2007 14:18:11 GMT -5
Mary Anne:
I was so excited! I might have a horse of my own!!! "You really think I'm THAT good with horses?" I asked Katie. "How much would she be going for, anyway?"
|
|
|
|
Post by hotspot on Jul 31, 2007 16:25:59 GMT -5
Katie:
"since she's not too well trained, but still has excellent breeding, bloodlines, conformation, and temperment, i'd say about $6,000." when i saw Mary Anne's face, i laughed. "but don't worry. we can work out some sort of deal so that you can work to pay off some of it."
|
|
|
|
Post by bluwings on Jul 31, 2007 21:02:56 GMT -5
Mary Anne:
"That would be great! But don't you think that I should ride more first? Like, should I do something other than longe line?" I looked at Katie expectantly.
|
|
|
|
Post by hotspot on Aug 2, 2007 9:41:59 GMT -5
Katie:
"sure. but, if you want to lease or buy Butterfly, you'll have to do it before someone else takes a liking to her. so, better now than never!"
|
|
|
|
Post by bluwings on Aug 9, 2007 16:33:56 GMT -5
Mary Anne: "All right!" I yelled from across the arena. What had I gotten myself into?!?!? I had seen this horse all of ONE time, and I had agreed to lease her?  ? Abruptly, I asked Katie, "Can I canter? I think I'm ready!" |
|
|
|
Post by hotspot on Aug 9, 2007 16:57:45 GMT -5
Katie:
i chuckled. "if you can get Bob to, go ahead and have him run. i don't think this horse has topped a trot in five years."
|
|
|
|
Post by bluwings on Aug 13, 2007 16:16:17 GMT -5
Mary Anne:
I gave Bob a nudge with my heels, and clucked for him to get moving, but he kept up his lethargic trot. Suddenly, I had a stroke of genius! I yelled to Katie, "Can you pull up that clump of weeds really fast?" Katie looked bewildered, but she brandished the fireweed from across the arena. "look, Bob!!!" I hollered, and snapped my fingers in the general direction of the weeds Katie was still holding above the fenceline. Bob broke into a rocking-chair canter, but I moved with the bu-du-dum rhythm of the gait and we sailed two loops around the pasture before I pulled in the reins to signal him to slow down. I hopped off Bob, surprised at how small I felt now! I led him over to the fence, where Katie gave him his long-awaited fireweed snack. "How did I do?" I asked.
|
|
? Abruptly, I asked Katie, "Can I canter? I think I'm ready!"