Chapter 4 - Caution in the Wind
3rd of July.
It took a while for me to be cleared to do more hands-on things around the yard. My surgeon had treated people in the equestrian industry before and knew that we would only go and do things he didn't think were a good idea anyway. He gave me a whole list of things I probably shouldn't do, ending in,
"Just ask for me at the A&E desk if you end up there," which made the physio, nurse, rehab specialist and myself all laugh in the group call.
The one thing I was not allowed to do, with more than a few stern words of caution, was ride.
"You aren't ready for that yet, but I know that you've been working on strengthening those muscles in your physiotherapy sessions. I'll get her to send a report soon and once you've come for your follow up, we'll decide then."
When the call was over, I left the office and headed to the tack room. Andy was away, visiting his daughter, and Vick was working with her horses, leaving me to get on with my day.
The stable block needed sweeping, and as I was bored with not having any horses to work, I grabbed the yard broom, grabbed my headphones, and got on with it.
The block was a rectangular shape. From the courtyard at the front, you could look straight through the south archway to the north.
The north, with its clock tower, led to the back paddocks and access to the hacking we had in the area. On either side of this archway was the feed room, on the left, and the tack room on the right, both a generous size but still cramped with the number of horses we had on site.
The western archway led to the outdoor arena, one of which would be demolished and an indoor put in its place.
The two washbays sat opposite this final archway, where the horses were groomed and tacked up when it rained.
My phone rang, startling me into dropping the broom with a loud clatter, fumbling, I pulled it out.
"Hello?"
"Scarlett! Remember me? It's Jackie from Oldbrook Farm." The woman answered with a thick American accent.
I did remember her.
I had spent a few weeks in America on a ranch learning about horsemanship from some friends I had made while they were competing over here. They were a lively bunch and had the typical southern hospitality I had not been used to.
They had taught me so much and it was nice to hear from them after so long.
"I have got some news for you. Remember that mare you fell in love with? The blue eyes Grulla? Well, she's up for sale, and I knew the first person I had to call was you."
I had very fond memories of their ranch, riding out over their land on the hunt for the feral horses they kept. The Grulla Mare, nicknamed Blue Eyes, was the one that caught my attention very quickly.
We had worked on getting her used to the idea of people, and though the horses were used to having people around, they were very cautious of people coming close to them.
I had had to leave before the process was done, and it had been nearly two years since I had been in America. Though scattered updates allowed me to see her first time under saddle and her little makeover, I had not seen her up close in so long.
"Let me send a text real quick."
I texted my father about the horse. He had arranged the whole thing as a surprise for me and answered quickly when I told him.
"Well you should probably look up the driveway now."
I did.
Coming towards me up the driveway was a rental car pulling a trailer.
The cowboy hat was visible from the driver's seat. Maria leaned right out of the window to wave, long hair flying in the breeze and aviator sunglasses flashing.
"Surprise!"
I dropped my broom again.
When I looked at the number, I realised it hadn't been the American country code. I had been tricked spectacularly and couldn't contain my amazement.
"Well come here then." My father said, beckoning me over with a grin that made his eyes nearly crinkle shut.
Jackie was at the back of the trailer, fumbling with the clasps.
It lowered and the Grulla mare turned her head just a little to look at me.
"How?!"
"We moved! We had to, our ranch got hit by wildfires, and we had nowhere to go until your dad here called and told us about a place a couple of hours from here. We brought all of the horses over that we could. She was one of them."
"She's perfect."
I ducked beneath the bar to back her out, snatching a few seconds of pats and whispers before it was time.
--
Blue Eyes settled in nicely in her new stable next to my horse, Grace, who was an entire hand taller than her. The two mares were sniffing each other through the bars that separated their stalls, with none of the typical mareish squealing or ear-pinning.
"They really seem to like each other." Jackie said, leaning on the stable door as I groomed Blue Eyes.
"I've been thinking, Blue Eyes is a good name and all, but that's a nickname, isn't it? I've been thinking and I want to rename her."
Jackie smiled warmly and nodded.
"I just don't know what yet."
When everyone went home that evening and I was left in the office doing some admin work, I had an idea.
I got out of my chair and went to the tack room, taking Blue Eyes' bridle and saddle that had been kindly given to me. Jackie had a love for English riding that had been influenced on my part when I rode with her in Texas.
The Grulla Mare seemed to be waiting for me, looking out of her stall door as I approached.
I tacked up in silence and led her through the archway to the outdoor arena, sending a text to Vick as I walked.
"Can you come to the arena in like five minutes?"
She sent back a thumbs up in answer.
At the mounting block, I was nearly crying. I could hardly see my foot as I put it in the stirrup and swung onto the saddle.
"What do you-
I looked left, a sliding and blurry Vick just visible to me at the fenceline.
I was on a horse.
For the first time in six months I was back to doing what I had wanted to do.
It wasn't Summer, it wasn't Soul but it was a horse I had the same connection to, part of my life I didn't think I would be able to go back to.
Then it clicked.
Life.
I clicked her on and she walked, sedately and serenely without me having to do much more than steer. It was as if she knew what an important moment it was, as if she knew that I had waited for this moment and she had come to be the one who did it.
She was calm, ears flicking to my occasional sob or to Vick walking to the middle of the arena to film.
I didn't look back after that moment, I knew I was ready.
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The harsh wind sweeping in from the sea brought in colder weather, right as the first living patches of grass were beginning to come up of course. "It's too cold for this." Venor thought, however the indoor arena here had been locked up for ages, so he was stuck with outdoor training for now. No way he was walking his disobedient pony to the nearest other indoor arena, which wasn't closeby at all.
Their first training session had taken a lot of patience for both horse and handler, but today's session was a lot easier now that Flicker seemed to be getting it in his head that obedience = treats.
When the pony wasn't being a stubborn lil butt, he turned out to actually be pretty lax - perhaps however, too much so. It was hard to get him to focus and keep him moving. Venor could see how this could have caused Flicker's poor training in the past, if his previous owners hadn't enough patience for him.
Already they were making progress, Venor felt confident he'd finally be able to ride Flicker soon.
[The hair has successfully been floofed! I'm probably going to stick with this hairstyle for Venor, I really like how it turned out ^w^]
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