I raced back towards the stable, pushing Sundance even faster. Sweat frothed from the mare's mouth as she kicked into a higher speed. We approached a low gate. Instead of slowing down to open it, I urged Sundance towards it. She flicked her ears nervously but trustingly followed my commands. I did a half-halt, slowing her back down to a smooth canter as we approached the jump. I mentally counted the strides in my head. 3-2-1-Jump! On jump, I lifted into the two point position and we sailed over the gate. We landed lightly and powered ahead through the wrought iron archway. I pulled her up suddenly the second we hit the stable yard and passed Sundance off to Ryan.
"Sorry!" I called back to him. He laughed.
"Just this once, Taylor!" He called back. I zoomed towards the office, combing my messy hair with my fingers. I slowed just as the group was exiting the office. My dad noticed me and waved me over.
"I'd like you all to meet my younger daughter, Taylor. She'll be showing you all the horses we have for sale here," he said, and I could see the relief on his face. I put on a winning smile.
"Alright ladies and gentleman, if you would just follow me to the stable." I started walking to the large stable building, and the group followed my, quietly talking among themselves.
I led the group into the barn and stopped at the first stall. "This is Royal Renegade. He's a 16.3 hand, six year old purebred Danish Warmblood stallion."
The group ooh and ahhed as a beautiful chestnut stallion with a white snip stuck his nose over the stall door. He curiously stretched his neck out to investigate the people. I let them watch him for a moment before waving them over to another stall.
"We have three rescue horses here at Silverbrook. This mare here is one of them. This is Midnight Runner, a 15.7 hand, ten year old Morab mare. She was abused by her former owner. We nursed her back to health, and now she's a dressage expert." I explained to the group.
A midnight black mare stuck her whole head over the door, trying to smell the newcomers. She scrutinized them, looking for treats. I laughed as she snuffled a woman's hand, then turned her head away as if angered by the lack of treats.I waved the group away and went on to show them another horse.
By the time the tour was over, I was about ready to flop down on my bed and fall asleep. I watched the group walking back to their cars, then turned back towards the stable. A tap on the shoulder caused me to whirl around. A dark haired woman stood in front of me.
"Hi, Taylor? My name is Tanya Banks. I'm interested in one of your horses.' She introduced.
My heart leaped with happiness. "Really? Which one?" I asked her, trying to contain my enthusiasm.
She smiled. "You didn't show it her on the tour, but I was wondering if I could purchase the silvery grey mare in one of the middle stalls? The one that looks like a Thoroughbred?"
My heart dropped in my chest like a stone. I knew exactly which horse she was talking about. Sundance. Dread settled in the pit of my stomach.
"Oh, umm, that horse isn't for sale", I replied, trying to sound normal. The woman looked disappointing towards my mare's stall.
"Oh, well if you change your mind, just give me a call", she said, slipping a business card into my hand. I watched her walk away in shock. Sell Sundance? My baby girl? I'd never sell her, not in a million years.
I turned and walked away towards Sundance's stall. The silvery mare snorted happily as I slipped into her stall.
"Let's brush you down, girl", I said before clipping her lead onto her halter. I led her into the aisle and clipped her into a pair of cross ties. She wiggled her lips in pleasure as I began brushing down her coat. Her silvery grey fur was slightly caked with mud, but I managed to declump it all with a curry comb. I swiped a body brush over her coat as a final touch.
I grabbed a cooler from the tack room and fastened it onto her since the day was beginning to cool down drastically. I unclipped her from the cross ties and led her out towards the large pasture. She pricked her ears and let out an excited whinny. The sounds of other horses echoed around the stable yard. I opened the gate and was practically dragged through by Sundance.
I unbuckled her halter and lightly smacked Sundance on the rump. My mare exploded into a series of rears and bucks, racing over to join the other horses. She touched noses with a dark brown Arabian gelding named Jailbreaker. Instantly, the two horses began chasing each other around the pasture. Sundance reared up and kicked out at the air, challenging the gelding.
I laughed and exited the gate, locking it tightly behind me. Another skill my mare possessed - she knew how to unlock gates. As I walked back towards the stable, a voice called over to me. I looked over to see Ryan waving to me from his truck.
"You wanna go into town and grab a pizza with me and Jake?" He called. I noticed the other guy, a tall blonde with blue eyes, in the passenger seat. I shook my head.
"Maybe next time, Ry. I'm pretty tired right now. I think I'm just gonna hit the hay", I called back to him. He nodded and pulled out of the stable yard. I stood there for a moment, then walked towards the stable.
I quickly finished up my chores and made my way back to the two story house in the corner of the property. I flew up the stairs, completely bypassing my family and dinner. I barely had time to shower and get ready for bed before I collapsed into bed and fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.
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Hey guys (: How's everyone liking this story so far? I totally rewrote the first chapter, so if you haven't read the re-written version, please do so to understand the chapter. Once again, all comments are appreciated! Oh, and by the way, the horse at the top of the page is Sundance.
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