Gone

THREE

I slowly walk Docker down the road and dismount at my house. I quietly lead him into the barn trying to hold down the lump in my throat. I lead him into the stall and untack him. I put his tack away and give him a flake of hay. I walking inside my house and go up to my room slamming the door behind me. Tears well up in my eyes and I can't hold the lump down in my throat anymore. I breathe heavily through sobs and try to remember all of the good times I had with Barnaby. This sucks. I can't be without him.

I roll around under my bed sheets and ruffle them around. My bed is a mess and my eyes are blotchy and red. My face is red underneath my eyes and I am tired of being so unhappy. This is not good at all. It is not okay like mom and dad say. I can't live without Barnaby. I go down the stairs and slip on muck boots to go out to the horses. As I walk to the barn Dancer and Ebony trot over to the fence to greet me. When I walk up to them, the immediately start running off to the barn to get their morning hay and grain. As I walk into the barn, I notice a new face in the barn. A Palomino mare is laying down in a heap on the floor of the barn.

"Come her little girl," I coo but she doesn't move. I climb over the gate and stroke her muzzle with the palm of my hand. When I walk outside, I realize the gate of the grassy paddock is open. Uh oh... I look around at the horses in the paddock and realize everyone is inside the paddock. I run up to the gate and clench the steel handle with my hand. I quickly lock the door and race back to the barn. "It's okay baby," I say to the Palomino.

After feeding the horses and giving them water, I bolt into the house to talk to my parents about the mare. "Mom, Dad?" I yell, looking around the house for them. "Coming sweetie," Dad says to me. In a matter of minutes, Dad is coming down the stairs followed by mom. "What is it?" they ask in unison. "There is a new horse in paddock. Someone must have left the gate open," Both of my parents race outside and run into the barn with the mare in it. "Honey, go get the emergency kit. It has the vets phone number in it," Dad says to mom.

The vet arrives and does a routine check up on the beautiful mare. "She doesn't have any major health problems except that she is under fed. You should give her more grain and hay," The vet explains to us. I run over to the mare. "Hey baby" I coo as she walks over to me. I wrap my arms around her velvety smooth neck and give her a kiss on the throat latch. "I will name you Dancer. Your show name can be Dance Till Dawn," I say to Dancer as she nuzzles her head up to me. I lead her outside and tie her up using a quick release knot. After tying her up, I run inside the barn and grab my blue saddle pad, my leather bridle, my synthetic western saddle and my cinch. As I approach her with the saddle, she backs up a little. "It's okay little girl," I say. She walks a few steps up to me and nuzzles her head up to my stomach.

After she is tacked up, I jump on and she starts to trot a little. I slow her down and she starts to walk a little. I pat her neck and walk her over to the paddock gate. When I open the gate, she starts to run out of the paddock. I am guessing that she has been ridden before. She gallops around and runs into the woods. The grass gleams in the sun as tree branches sway in our faces. I let Dancer just run wherever she wants to and she loves it. After throwing a couple happy bucks, I decide to start to head back home. I turn her around and head back home with her. When we get back home, I lead her back into the barn to untack her.

After Dancer is untacked, I lead her into the corral to be lunged. "I love you Dancer," I say to her but I immediately feel sorry for saying that. "I am so sorry Barnaby," I whisper. I start lightly tapping the ground with the whip as tears fall down my cheeks. Dancer runs around me and soon we try join-up. My vision is blurred from tears. Dancer runs around me once and droops her head low to the ground as she walks towards me and taps her nose against my shoulder. She licks my hand and nudges me forward. I clip her lead line back onto her halter and lead her into the barn.

After finding an empty stall, I put her inside it and get her some more hay. After she gets her hay, I go and grab the hose. I turn it on and fill the bucket up to the top. When I come back over to her stall, she checks my hands for treats. Her mane is knotted a little so I grab a sugar cube and mane brush from the tack room. I walk over to her and slip inside the stall with her. After she eats her sugar cube, I walk over to her right side and start brushing her mane. I pull out a bunch of leaves and twigs.

When I have finished her mane, I slip back out of the stall and close the door. As I start to walk away, she starts whinnying for me. I turn around and grab her halter. I slip it on and lead her into the riding arena I let her go and put her halter back. I go over to Docker's stall and put on his halter and lead him into the riding arena and let him run around the arena. Docker runs over to Dancer and sniffs her. They start rubbing noses and run around together. I leave the barn and go inside the house. I jump inside the shower and wash my hair. I feel very bad for Barnaby.