The Storm Before Dawn

Chapter 16

Picture of the barns
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The vet showed up after a half hour of agony for Sky. Sky had a huge gaping claw mark across her neck. It looked like a cougar got into the barn, but why wouldn't it attack the other horses.

Amy brought her gear into the barn and immediately got to work. After a few minutes, she paused when we told her we thought it was a cougar. I was about to ask her what was wrong, when she slightly shook her head and got back to work stitching and cleaning her neck.

Sky had to be sedated and by the time Amy was done, she was still a little sedated.

"How long will it take to heal?" I asked her before she could say anything, "And do you think it was a cougar or some other type of animal?" Then another thought occurred to me, "When can I ride her again?"

"To answer your first question, it will probably take about a month to heal. You can probably ride her in about three weeks..."

"Ok," I glumly said. "Wait you didn't answer my second question!"

"The animal was a..... Human..."

"What I don't understand!" I practically screamed. "Who would do that to my horse?" This I said a little quieter.

"I don't know, but the cut is to clean to be done by a claw."

I looked over at my mom who was looking really white. Then, I realized what she was thinking. There was more of them... More that were free...

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That morning was school, but I didn't want to go.

"I have to stay and take care of Sky!" I stated.

"School is more important! And Sky is fine right now!"

"School is not more important than an animal's life!''

"Fine you can stay... BUT! You have to work all of your horses and all of the rescue horses!"

"Ok!!! Thank you So MUCH!!"

I hugged my mom, and sprinted outside to start working with Dawn. Dawn was spirited, she flew around the out door arena bucking and rearing. I had to calm her down, because her lungs still weren't healed from surgery. A vet was coming out to check on her lungs tomorrow, so I wanted to make sure I didn't strain them today.

Once she was calmed down, I grabbed a handful of her mane and swung myself up. The dark bay flung her head up, but otherwise stayed still. We trotted around and practiced steering with my legs and dropping the reins. She was really good and I slid off of her bony back.

Even thought we had had her for over a month, she was still really skinny. She looked a lot better though!

I looked at my list of horses I still needed to work:

• Dawn
Day
Dash
Cheerio
Jupiter
Blossom
Star
Check on Sky
Flash
Gunner
Onyx
Tulip
Iron

Normally I don't work Tulip or Iron, but their owner got back from vacation then got sick. Then her daughter got sick, so she hasn't been out in a month.

First I am going to train Onyx. The past few days, she has been really good. Onyx has started jumping 2'9 jumps, and schooling 3' jumps.

Today, we are going on a trail. Bridget called a few days ago and asked if I could choose one of them to become three day eventers. I figured that going on a trail would simulate a cross-country course.

An hour later a sweaty Onyx and I trotted back into the barns. During the trail ride we went over a lot of fallen trees and even did a bank. Onyx was good, but she spooked a lot and shied at a few of the jumps. Onyx was good for being her though.

Gunner and I did the same thing as Onyx, and didn't spook at anything! He took every jump in stride, and acted like he did cross-country every day. After our trail ride, I gave him a bath and put him out with some of the geldings. Next up Flash.

Today, all I did with Flash was dressage. He was good, but he was tight for the first ten minutes, after that he was good. We mainly worked on sitting trot and leg yielding. One of my favorite things about Flash is that he is always really willing and focused. I gave him a carrot and put him out in the field as well.

After making sure they were all settled, I checked my phone to see what time it was. 9:47!!

"Wow good thing u got up at six to start working with the horses!"

I started to wall over to where Star was stabled, then remembered to check on Sky. She still looked in a lot of pain, and I gave her some more pain killers because the last dose would have already worn off. We were lucky she was still young, if not she would probably had had to be put down. After a few more minutes I left Sky and headed back to where Star was waiting to be let out.

"Not yet boy, you still have to work!" I crooned to him.

It honestly looked like he glared at me when I said that. Then he tossed his head and nickered at me. I quickly tacked him up, but I only put his jumping boots and bridle on, not a saddle. I was going to have a fun work out with him and jump him bareback. I had never jumped him do I wasn't going to jump high just little 18 in. jumps.

I could tell that Star loved jumping and flying around a course. After jumping the course a few times, he hadn't knocked a single rail. Star was one of the smoothest jumpers he had nice landings and smooth turns. In short, he was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!

At 10:13 I worked Iron on dressage and played around with him. He always was so serious and I think he like just running around the arena and bucking. Finally, I called him good and went into my house for a quick snack.

I pulled out my phone, and snapped a few pics of the geldings in the field and posted them on Instagram. Only a few seconds later I got a comment:

Joi_Pepperforever: So cute!!

I instant messaged Zœ and said:

APerfectDawn7765: Where r u are y at school?

Joi_Pepperforever: Yeah why? where r u?

APerfectDawn7765: I will tell u later.. long story.

Joi_Pepperforever: It better b good!

APerfectDawn7765: It is... kind of

Then I saw that she turned her phone off and I went back out side to work the horses.

Andrea (Asha's mom) POV

I love horses, that is the reason I rescue them, but ever since Night... Riding again would make it so much easier for Asha, but I don't want to hurt another horse like I did Night... Oh how I wish I hadn't taken that dare...

Asha's POV

Finally, all the horses were worked and turned out. Now to go do homework. After eating another snack I look at the clock 1:53. Hey thirteen horses in that amount of time isn't bad! Sure I didn't work Sky, and only round penned the rescues, but I still think that that us a good amount of horses. Now to Algebra.

Two hours later I have completed Algebra, English, Social Studies, and Religion. I only have to make up Spanish, but he doesn't give us home work so there isn't much to do. I hear the bus drive by and hear Zœ running to the house.

There is another set of foot steps behind her, probably Zara. They burst in the door. Now to tell them, without panicking or crying.

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