Peppermint Winter

Chapter 1

General nickers to me as I enter the barn. His stall is the second, just beside Mindy's.
"Hey boy," I say as I walk up to his stall. I stroke my Palomino gelding's soft forelock.
General stomps his hoof and pushes against the stall door, a signal that I have learned to mean, he wants to go for a ride.
"I know you hate being cooped up in here boy, but I have school to do. And not the mention the endless chores that I have neglected for the past 2 days. Maybe this evening we can go for a ride." I walk out of the barn and hear General snort in protest.
I trudge through he heavy Colorado snow as the house comes into view. As I enter our 2-story white farm house and begin climbing up stairs, I bump into my 17 year older brother, Tanner.
"Where are you going In such a hurry?" I ask him with curiosity.
"I'm taking Angela to a movie. I'll be back around 3." He starts to continue down the stairs.
"Hey, I'm going for a ride later this evening around 4, wanna come?" I ask,
"Sorry can't, busy then."
I sigh and continue up to my room. No one ever wants to go on rides these days. Oh well, I'll just go alone I guess.
I start working on school, (I'm homeschooled, all my siblings are too) and finish around 2:00 PM. This should leave me just enough time to finish chores and go for a ride, I think to myself.

I finally finish refilling the last horse trough and grab General's halter from the tack room.
I groom and tack up my horse, and mount up. It's October, and the first snowfall just came yesterday.
I dig my heels into General's sides and he excitedly heads out of the barn, trotting through the snow. I know this probably isn't the safest, but I know General well enough that he has a good foothold. In all the years I have had him, he has never once tripped and thrown me. Once to my favorite trail, I urge him into a canter. The chilly air bites my cheeks and numbs my nose, but I love it. I love riding.