At Risk

Chapter 6

Kendall's Point Of View

"Let's go!  Get up lazy butt!" I said, shaking Nick awake, my hat shaking as I shook him.

"What?" Nick asked, stirring and eventually sitting up. "What time is it Kendall?" He rubbed his eyes as he got up and stretched.

"Seven AM sharp now let's go!  Meet me in the barn in 15.  We've got a lot of work to do," I said, walking out of the guest room where he was staying.  I grabbed a Greek yogurt and strawberry granola bar on my way out to the barn, eating it as I laced up my ankle brace and slipped on my boots.  I had started wearing an ankle brace about a month ago because riding was straining my ankle too much.  It fit snugly under my boot.

I finished chewing as I made my way to the stalls.  Missy was wide awake and very chipper.  Cody, however, was stubborn and tired.  She chewed some stray hay that still sat in her hay net from the night before as I led Missy to the middle of the hall.  There I groomed her and made sure that she hadn't hurt herself on the trail ride the previous night.  She seemed well rested as I unclipped her and she made her way to the field nearby.  I knew I didn't need to lead her or close the gate as she knew where the pasture was and also how to close and open the gate, something I had taught her and Prince a couple months ago.

"Alright, Cody.  Day 1," I said, as I unclipped her stall and practically dragged her out of it.  She allowed me to clip her with little difficulty.  Grooming, however, was a whole other story.  I pushed her side to pick up her hoof and she just stood there.  When I decided to come back to the hooves and move to the curry comb instead, she pivoted  so she was now facing me.  I swear at that moment she gave me a look that said 'Come and get me' loud and clear.  As I moved left, she moved left.  When I moved right, she moved right.  Before long, she had twisted the chains around her halter.  I thought I had her trapped, but she then yanked her head hard to the left and broke the chains clean off the wall and ripped her halter in two.  She then walked back into her stall and continued sniffing through her bedding for missed food and hay.

"You've got to be kidding me." 

"Kendall, you know I don't want to pry, but I think this horse is too much for you.  She's wild." Nick said from behind me.  He was dressed in jeans and a flannel, his dark tan hat sat on his head and complimented his skin tone nicely.

"She's not too much.  She will be ready by fair, mark my words.  We just have to stick with her.  I won't put up with her crap." I said, deciding to instead just lead Cody out to the round pen.  She snorted and gave me the stink eye on multiple occasions.

"Kendall, you know I love you, but this horse will hurt you.  You could barely get into her stall this morning, let alone make her into a show horse in the limited amount of time you have.  Why don't you just show Missy?  She's a perfectly good horse." Nick tried to reason with me as I began to lunge Cody.

"Nick don't be my dad.  I will not give up on this horse! Okay? I don't care what you or my dad say but I know how much time I have and I will not give up on her!" I was beginning to get flustered. "She deserves this." I whispered the last bit to myself.

"Fine.  I'm done trying to reason with you.  I'll be at my house when you're ready to admit this horse isn't worth it!" Nick yelled, pivoting and going into the barn.  I saw him climb into his truck and throw his hat into the back as he peeled out of my driveway and left me standing.  I realized then that Cody had also stopped loping and now stood facing me.  As soon as I noticed her, she turned back around and resumed our warm-up at a comfortable lope.

Choosing to not follow Nick, I picked up my whip and continued to lunge her.  Cody still tried often to slow down and stop and she refused to switch directions, only ever loping to the left.

"Damn horse." I muttered as I walked to the edge of the pen and grabbed an old western saddle, purple saddle pad, and a lead rope.  I clipped the lead rope to her new halter (a black leather one that was very old but a lot sturdier than the rope halter she had on this morning) and tied it tightly to the fence.  I then picked up the saddle pad and held it in front of her nose to smell.  She sniffed it once and snorted shying slightly away from it.  I began to rub her with the saddle pad, much like I would with a brush, to allow her to get used to it.  Eventually, she seemed okay with it so I moved to put the saddle pad on her back.  No sooner did I get it on her back did Cody start to buck.  Even after it was off, she still pulled as hard as she could.

"Cody!"  I screamed, lunging at her halter.  She threw her head back, but landed next to me.  She snorted twice and eventually calmed enough for me to touch her.  I then noticed that her halter, that although held firm, had cut into her skin and caused blood to run down her cheek in a single trail.  I untied her lead rope and removed her halter.  I tied her lead rope around the base of her neck and led her back into the barn.

"What am I going to do with you?" I asked her as I cleaned the wound.  She responded in a snort and proceeded to walk into her stall.  She watched me with curious eyes as I closed her stall.  "This isn't over." I promised, more to myself than the horse however, leaving the barn in a defeated walk, hanging my head as I returned to the house.