The Rider

Chapter 1

"5 strides. 5 strides until I reach the jump," I thought to myself as I slowed down my horse, Caspian, in order to get the perfect distance. Caspian immediately slowed his fast canter as soon as I tugged on the reins. Caspian's ears pricked forward as he approached the jump and I could feel him get excited. "Easy boy," I soothed. Right as Caspian took off to jump the 5'6 foot jump, I quickly moved into the correct position on his back, the 3-point. I grinned as we landed perfectly on the other side without knocking any poles down.

"Very nice Mia!" my instructor, Abby shouted. I smiled again as I patted Caspian's sweaty neck.

"Thanks Mrs. Abby!" I shouted back. I clicked my tongue to tell Caspian to walk, in order to join the other girls in my class, who were politely waiting their turn.

"Good job Mia!" a girl in my class, Emma, congratulated. I thanked her and scratched Caspian's neck again, to reward him for doing a wonderful job. I sighed as I inhaled the sweet scent of summer and looked at the sky to see the first streaks of sunset approaching. I frowned as I realized that the lesson was almost over and I would have to leave Caspian. Caspian lived at Pine Hill Equestrian Center, where I take lessons. It was a huge stable that held 50 plus horses, three outside arenas, and one indoor arena.

I had purchased Caspian from a family friend that owned many horses. They said they didn't need a jumping horse and offered him to me at a low price. Looking at Caspian now, I couldn't believe I had gotten so lucky. Caspian was a 17- hand horse with a dark bay coat, four white socks, a white blaze down his face, and a love for jumping. He never seemed to get enough.

I suddenly snapped back into focus as I watched Emma complete the course. She smiled wide as she patted her horse, Samson, and joined us at the center of the arena.

"Good job!" I congratulated her as she passed me. She thanked me and patted Samson again.

"Alright girls, go cool off your horses." Abby said clapping at our good performance during the lesson. I frowned at the confirmation that the lesson was over, and clicked at Caspian, signaling him to walk. I quickly dismounted and led him over to the cross-ties, which allowed us to keep the horses in one place while we untacked them, by having one clip attached to one side of the halter and another clip on the other side. I removed the bridle and laughed as Caspian happily spit the snaffle bit out of his mouth. I slipped the halter around his large face and attached the ties to each side. I quickly undid the girth, removed the saddle and blanket, and set them on the correct racks. I watched Caspian stamp his feet impatiently since he clearly wanted to go out to the pasture and run the rest of his energy out.

"Hold on Cas, I've got to cool you down before you can go run and play with the rest of your friends," I laughed as I turned on the cool water. I walked slowly up to Caspian and began to spray his legs with the cool water, in order not to shock him with the cold water. He bobbed his head up and down and attempted to move away from the cold water. I simply grinned and moved the water slowly unto his belly, and quickly rinsed water all over the sweat marks on his body. I turned off the water after I was satisfied that I had covered all the sweat marks on his body. I swiftly grabbed the scraper out of the tack box and began to scrape the water off of his body. I then pulled out the peppermints I had stuffed in my pocket before leaving my house for my lesson. Caspian's ears immediately perked up at the sound of the peppermint rapper and he looked at me expectantly, waiting for his treat. I giggled at Caspian's silly behavior and held out my hand for Caspian, who quickly scarfed up the peppermints. I waved goodbye to some of my horseback riding friends as they hopped in their cars and started to drive home. I scratched Caspian's nose as I attached the lead rope to his halter. He quickly tried to walk in front of and run over me in order to get to his friends. To this, I responded with, "no," and turned him around in a circle so he could calm down. Once he was calm, I continued to lead him to his pasture.

As soon as we had made the long trek out to his pasture, he immediately whinnied to his friends, who in response whinnied back. I unlatched the gate and undid his halter. As soon as I unhooked Caspian, he took of into a gallop and ran across the pasture. I shook my head and closed the gate, laughing slightly. I jogged back up to the cross ties and grabbed my phone out of my bag that I had set down on the cement floor before the lesson. I quickly sent my mom a text saying that I would be a little late getting home, since I still had to clean out Caspian's stall and feed him. I clean out his stall and feed him so I wouldn't have to pay the extra expense for having some one else take care of him. Besides, I think everyone should take care of their horse. It teaches responsibility and helps build a relationship with your horse.

I tapped on the Pandora app and clicked on shuffle, so I wouldn't have to choose which station to listen too. As the beginning of New Romantics, by Taylor Swift, came on, I grabbed the large blue bucket and huge shovel and dragged them over to Caspian's stall. I nodded my head to the beat and tried to ignore the disgusting smell of horse feces as I shoveled a load of it into the bucket. By the time I had finished, I was about ready to punch someone, since cleaning up horse crap always put me in a bad mood. I looked at the time on my iPhone to see it said 6:45. I quickly dumped the bucket out into the trash pile and put it and the shovel back where I found it. I reached up and undid my long brown ponytail to let my hair rest upon my shoulders. I stretched my back and made my way into the feed room. On instinct, I grabbed a feed bucket and mixed the feed together, since I had done this half a billion times. I groaned as I almost ran into the door trying to get out of the feed room. That stupid door always found someway to get in my way as I tried to leave the feed room. I hung the bucket in Caspian's stall, then grabbed his halter and lead rope. I practically sprinted out to Caspian's pasture and called his name.

His head popped up from the grass he was eating and he quickly trotted up to me, realizing it was feeding time. I attached the halter and lead rope to his huge head and quickly led him out of the pasture and up to his stall. He nickered as he saw his food and quickly shoved his face into the bucket and started to inhale the food. "Slow down Cas! You big pig," I joked as I watched him gobble up his food. I scratched Caspian affectionately and told him goodbye.

I grabbed my bag off the floor and made my way to the parking lot. I sighed to myself as it finally dawned on me that school would be starting in a week. I grumbled at the thought of getting up at 6:30 and going to the prison for kids. I would rather ride Caspian, draw, or watch marathons of Doctor Who, Supernatural, or Burn Notice. My stomach grumbled at the thought of the delicious popcorn, cheeze its, and goldfish waiting at home for me.

I stopped by the office when I heard Melanie, the owner of Pine Hill Equestrian Center, talking on the phone. Being the curious person I am, I listened in the conversation.

"Sure! We would love to have him here! We could sure show him some hard work and respect around here. He'll be here on Thursday? That's fine! Alright. Goodbye."

I frowned. Who could be showing up here on Thursday? It might be a new student, but male students were rare. I quickly tried to shake the thought out of my head and thought of the dinner waiting for me at home.

I jogged over to my blue Ford F-150, unlocked it, threw my bag, helmet, and gloves into the backseat and hopped into the drivers seat. I started the car and turned on the radio, messing with the buttons until I found my favorite radio station. I started to drum my fingers on the steering wheel and hum along to the song Irresistible, by Fall Out Boy. As much as I tried to shake the conversation Melanie had with the person on the phone and focus on the music, I couldn't.