My Horsy Life

Chapter 7

                                                                            Our Training Lesson!!!!

Emily Vine made us practice barrel racing. I made the best time and an orange haired girl looked at me with disgust. She had the second best time of all the other girls except me. Emily Vine had her own horse and was mounted up now, it was a Rocky Mountain Horse and his name was Rocky. She took us on an advanced trail with lots of jumps and it was a steep hill. All the girls were doing well except for Julie and Amber. Kristy was by Julie's side and I moved Rein to Amber's side. I took the end of my lasso off the horn, the part that wasn't attached to the horn. Once I was close enough to Amber, I tied the end to Amber's horn. We kept up with the others and we had to gallop and jump to make from falling. We were half way up the hill when I slipped from the saddle with a scream, "Ah!" FreeRein stopped and Amber halted too, dismounting to hold onto the horses. Kelly, Kristy, and Julie stopped their horse. Julie dismounted and held the three horses and Kristy and Kelly ran to my side. I was up but I was clutching at my ankle. My face was stained with tears and my head was low. Kristy called to Emily Vine and Kelly put her arm around my shoulders and murmured kind things to me. The orange haired girl looked at me with dismay on her face and dismounted. Emily Vine came running up and Kristy explained what happened to me. Emily Vine told everyone except Kelly and Amber to go back and tell the stable hands. Amber held Emily Vine's, Kelly's, hers', and my horses. Kelly and Emily Vine helped me mount up lady style. Amber mounted up and so did Emily Vine. Amber tied Kelly's horse to hers and Kelly led FreeRein down the steep hill and back to the barn. Bradley was waiting there for me and looked worried. I scrubbed my face so Bradley couldn't see I was crying. Once we were at the barn the girls had already untacked and groomed their horses and put them in their stalls. Most of the girls were here, but I noticed the orange haired girl was gone. The girls were sitting on the hay bales including Kristy and Julie, but they looked worried. Amber untacked Kelly's, hers', and my horses and groomed them, she put them back in their stalls and Emily Vine has a stable hand take care of hers. Bradley picked me up and carried me to the hay bales where he laid me down and sat next to me. The orange haired girl came back and soon some paramedics came. They put on an ankle brace for my ankle. Thank goodness it was only sprained. They said I could do light riding but no jumping. After that Bradley carried me up to my room and set me down on my bed where Forest was sleeping. He went to get ice and Kelly, Amber, Julie, and Kristy sat in my room. Soon Amber and Julie left for their own rooms and Kelly stayed. Kristy left to go get us milkshakes. I got a chocolate raspberry shake, Kelly got a milky way shake, and she got a strawberry vanilla shake. We talked about horses and boys for a while until Bradley came back with an ice pack. He looked into my eyes and then kissed me. On the lips! No joke!! Kristy and Kelly stifled giggles. I blushed.

"Bradley, not in front of-" I said, pointing at my friends. Bradley stopped and looked into my eyes with his deep green eyes. I had blue and he had green. I loved him but now I knew he loved me too.

"Rube, will you be my girlfriend? I love no one else." He said. Looking in my eyes still. I blushed again, only deeper this time and thought it would be amazing to have him as a boyfriend. I smiled, and took his hand. That was all I needed to do to answer his question. He left to go take care of the horses. I fell back on my bed with a thump. Kristy and Kelly burst out laughing.

"Who was he?" Kelly asked. She and Kristy finally were able to stop laughing and they sat up straight again.

"He's my neighbor," I said, "Do I really have a boyfriend?" I asked. How was mom and Amber gonna take it?

"Yes, you really do!" Kelly said, delighted. Kristy and Kelly got filled in on how I knew him. I had a boyfriend! Kristy went and told Amber while Kelly got me my crutches. When Kristy came back she and Kel helped me get the crutches in the right spot. We went, slowly, down to the barn. Kel checked on her two horses and Kristy checked on her horse. I went over to FreeRein and stroked his face. I opened the stall door and slipped inside. I clipped his lead on and tied the other end to part of his stall door. I patted his neck then ran my hand down his back and neck, I kept stroking his neck until Kel and Kristy came to see me.

"You shouldn't be in there ya know." Kristy said, Kelly agreed with her!

"But I want to be with Rein," I said, "He needs me and I need him. I'm taking him out." I said. I untied him and led him to the station, only I was leaning on him cause I had left my crutches in his stall. I ran a brush over his back and then I put the saddle pad on. I then put on his saddle and bridle and then led him out to the warm up ring. I called for Kelly and Kristy. They came over to me and helped me mount up. Kel put on a lunge line and I nudged Rein into a walk. After two laps, maybe three, of walking I moved him into a trot. After four laps of trotting I moved him into a canter. Kristy didn't want me to take him at a canter but I did. Rein knowing I was hurt went into a smooth canter. I moved him into the training arena. Kel set up ground poles and very, very, very small jumps. I went over the poles at a walk then went over the tiny jumps at a trot. I went at a trot over the ground poles and then moved to a canter over the small jumps. It was hard riding with one foot but I managed. I eased Rein into a trot and tried to post. It was very hard to post with a sprained ankle, I hadn't bothered to post while I went over the poles. I wanted to practice my posting but I couldn't. When I put wait on my ankle I yelped and FreeRein stopped. Kel reeled in FreeRein and Kristy ran over. Bradley ran over and jumped the fence, he came over to me.

"Are you okay?" Bradley asked me, his face filled with concern. I winced and leaned down in the saddle and with my right hand clutched at my ankle. It hurt so badly. I wanted to go back to my dorm. Thank goodness it was getting dark and it had started sprinkling. Bradley picked me off FreeRein and carried me to Emily Vine's office.

"Come in," Emily Vine said. Bradley carried me inside and set me down on a chair and stood by the door, "Ruby? Your mom was told you have a sprained ankle. She wants to know if you want to leave?" Emily Vine said, her face was half serious and half concerned.

"I don't want to leave!" I squealed, "I want to stay! I feel up to the challenge!!" I said. Emily Vine redialed and I heard her telling my mom that I wanted to stay. Afterwards Bradley carried me up to my dorm room. Kel and Kristy were already in my room. They set up everything comfortable and had snacks set out. Bradley set me down on my bed and sat next to me while I snuggled down.

"Ruby. You know you have a lot of things you have to do when you're here? You still have to take care of your horses and your dog," Bradley said. He looked over to Kelly and Kristy. "They can help you also. I know you'll need it." Bradley left the room but blue me a kiss first. I blushed and grabbed a smoothie. I ate Cheetos and drank a smoothie. Kel and Kristy ate chips and drank smoothies too. After I had my fill of Cheetos I grabbed two sandwiches and after half of one. I finished my smoothie and Kel gave me a cup of soda. It was Fanta! My favorite! We watched Dr. Quinn and finally I noticed that Kelly and Kristy had gone to bed already. I turned off my TV and snuggled down in my bed, and fell asleep. I was worn out from everything today.