Hopes, Dreams, and Horses?

Just A Bruise

Live out of your imagination, not your history. -Stephen Covey

*Vegas*

I whipped around, trotting the fallen girl, wondering why the heck she wasn't on my back but instead she was laying culed up in a ball. How comfortable was that? That was only easy to do if you were a young colt like I was a few years back.

I nickered at her, pawing the ground, sniffing her. Sarah crouched beside her, gently talking to her, and the girl talked back. Within a few minutes she was back on her feet, sighing, looking at me with faint hatred, but she looked like she was ready to get back on and have the same exilerating feel again.

"Wanna try again, or are you done for the day?" Sarah asked, pulling the reins over my head and handing them to Lara.

She looked at Sarah and said, "I think I'm done. What should I do with him?" Lara looked at me, and patted me gently, softly caressing my head and moving her hand down the neck, her soft and gentle touch sending tingles down my spine. I missed the feel of human hands, kind, gentle, loving human hands that had raised my from a colt into a big, loving gelding.

"Untack him, hose hi down in the wash stalls, and put him out in the run connected to his stall. After that, I want you to muck his stall out, clean your tack, and by then it should be lunch time." Sarah winked at Lara before she went to wake the other girls, the barn still being very lonely besides a few people who had lessons with the two other trainers in which I hadn't seen in a while.

Lara groaned before she lead me out of the ring and back into the barn. I nibbled her hair, and she giggled. "Oh, Vegas! Quit that!" I pulled my head away quickly and continued to follow her.

She crosstied me and slipped my bridle off. I dropped the bit into her hand. I watched her as she came back to me and slipped my leather halter onto my head. After buckling it she went to remove the tight girth, and as she undid it, I sighed in relief. It felt good to not wear the girth.

She messed around with the stirrup leathers before taking the saddle off my, then the saddle pad, and put both onto a saddle rack outside my stall.

She returned with a leather lead and took off the cross ties, clipping the lead on, she lead my through my stall and out to a rectangle run that I had all to myself. I trotted to the end before chatting with Emily's gray mare, Cera.

"Your girl is moving with a limp, Vegas. What happened this time?" Cera nosed me with her light grey muzzle.

I flinched at the thought of my last rider, who nowadays was paralyzed and too afraid to even look at horses, wether in real life or just clipart. "I overjumped a crossbar.... She kinda slid off."

Cera sighed. "Vegas, you know better. Remember how Sarah taught us not to overjump? What happened to that lesson?" She looked at me, her eyes silently scolding me.

"Oh, that lesson." I remembered that lesson, it was hard work and required a lot of focus, good judgement, and skill. I never anted to go through that lesson again, so I always tried to maintain my perfection. "You know I haven't been ridden in a few years, though, Cera."

"Oh, Vegas, stop making excuses. I wasn't ridden for a year when I was six and I never overjumped." she rolled her eyes playfully and I gently nipped her.

"I'm going back over to see if the girl is done cleaning my stall, its getting hot out here." I said, reffering to the beads of sweat beginning to drip down my neck and my hindquarters. "When is Emily coming out?"

"She's going to take my on a trail ride at seven tonight!" Cera called as I began to trot the short distance back to the barn. I bobbed my heaad, scaring the persistant flies away. I Curiously I stuck my head into the stall, and pressed my body against the wooden door, when I heard a snicker.

Lara had began to come back with the wheelbarrow when Daisy blocked her way, leading her huge black gelding, Thor. I hated Thor, he was rude, cocky, and flirty.

"So, mucking out the stalls? Why don't you go do mine?" Daisy sneered, smirking. Thor bobbed his head, laughing..

"Shut up, Thor!!" I screamed, pounding against the wooden door.

"Oh, look, girly, your horse wants you. Better hurry up!" Daisy laughed loudly ashs he passed by, Thor whipping Lara's face with his long, brisk tail.

Lara clutched her stinging cheek, and with a groan she put the wheelbarrow back in the equipment room. I nickered at her, letting her know she wasn't the only girl picked on by the snotty Daisy.

Lara walked over to me, feeling terrible. She opened the wooden gate to let my into my stall, the beddig fresh and light, bouncy against my metal shoes. I nudged her gratefully.

"Easy boy," Lara cooed as she closed to door, tying the lead rope back in place so I couldn't just push the door open.

I watched Lara walk away, her face looking troubled.

Did I do something wrong? Or was Daisy really bugging Lara?

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Sorry for making the chapters so short. I've been trying to mke them longer each time but I can only do so much in a chapter so that way I have a good cliffhanger. But anyways, I plan on doing another chapter tomorrow. Since they are sos hort, I'll make it up t you by making the book longer, and I'm about 70% likely to mkae it a series.