Leaping Hearts

chapter 5

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Chapter 5 

I woke with a sudden start; I looked around and completely forgot that I was in Holly view academy. I panicked and then realised where was. The only thing that reminded me was the horrible yellow uniform hanging upon the door. I sat up in bed and looked around, all of the other girls where asleep. It was morning; I could see trickles of light pushing its way through the gap in the curtains. I looked at the clock. 5:03.

I wondered what time we had to get up, if it was 6:00, it would be pointless trying to get back to sleep.

I lay back down, resting my on the side of my bedside table. The corner of the wooden table pointed into the back of my neck.

I couldn’t help thinking about my friends; they would be walking up to the stables now. Ready to clean and feed their ponies, Pierre and Bessie, Mollie loaned Bessie from my cousin Joshua, who was now 16 and competing in professional polo, Pierre was lovely, a little grey, push button pony, who I always wanted when I was little.

I imagined myself back at home, I’d just be arriving at the stables now, Alice, the owner would be greeting me from her front door, waving and smiling, I would then walk into the barn, and gather the sweet smell of oats and bonfire wood.

I’d get my tack box and start grooming and cleaning Heather. Then I’d tack her up in her new black leather saddle and bridle that I got for my birthday last year. Then I’d muck out her stall. I’d then lead her out to the –

I was clicked out of my day dream by the ring of an alarm clock.

All of the girls groaned and rubbed their eyes .They started shuffling out of their beds and heading towards the bathroom. They all got washed and dressed into their old jodhpurs and hoodies. I got dressed into my purple jodhpurs, an old top and the school hoodie. We all headed down to the stables.

 There was a long row of stables and a barn behind it. A small warm-up arena was situated in front of the stables and gate that headed towards a collection of paddocks and field, stood beside it. A gravel path lead down to two show jumping arenas and one dressage ménage, looking over lots of huge grazing fields and, the most exciting thing, a massive and very fun looking cross country course. We all got told which stable our horses where in, and started.

Once I had groomed, hosed, hoof picked, mucked out, fed, watered, rugged up and of course cuddled, I put Heather into a paddock, along with a little grey pony and a bay mare, and went back up to the school, got dressed, washed and had breakfast, ready to start my first lesson of the day: Geography.

The lessons weren’t so bad, because I knew that there would be four hours of riding after the five hours of school work.

The first riding lessons were just trotting and cantering round the arena, with the teachers spectating our every move.

Once that was done we got put into 4 groups, and then, finally we got to do some proper riding, my first lesson was show jumping.

“Ok girls, can you all get yourselves into partners, we are going to do some show jumping today as you may know, go on!”

Miss Stewarts, a short plump lady with black hair scraped back in a bun, marched forwards, and screeched instructions at us. She flicked her, beckoning for us to go.

“Girls, quickly! All of you stand by the fence when you have a partner! ABBIE! Don’t just stand there! MOVE!”

 She pointed towards a long fence and then turned away to get the cup of coffee that was balancing on a pile of crates that were very badly stacked.