Double Trouble

Chapter 15

 Mel's POV

I skipped all the way to the barn after eating a surprise breakfast of chocolate chip pancakes. Nothing could dim my happy mood. There were too many things to look forward to today!

First off, I had chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast. Usually it's cereal or fruit!

Second, I get to ride the new rescue we got the other day, Yukon. He's a chestnut, 8 year old Anglo-Arab gelding. He's super sweet! We're going to determine how he is under saddle. We know he has perfect ground manners and is great when tacked up, so I think things will go well today.

Also, since I have to feed the fillies, Yukon is the only horse I have to work with, so I can ride Cowboy on a nice, long ride. Yay!

And to top it off, Anna, Marie, Cadee, Liv, Heather and her new friend Molly are all coming to get ready for the adoption fair!!!

For some reason I couldn't stop grinning as I hurried through chores. I passed the fillies stalls and saw Julie asleep on the cot. I decided to let her sleep since she still had an hour on her alarm, and made my way out of the second barn after feeding and turning out some of the horses. I smiled brightly as I patted Cornelius's neck as he nudged me playfully. The big bay was happy to be out in his field with his pals.

I jogged back to the barn and grabbed Yukon's grooming kit and tack and set the tack on the saddle rack and the brushes under it. I walked briskly to his stall and let myself in as I clutched his blue and purple halter and lead line.

"Hey Yukon," I said sweetly as I looked at the healthy gelding. He tossed his head happily and let me halter him. 

If you took one look at Yukon, you would see a healthy chestnut gelding. He is healthy alright, but he needed to be rescued because of his living conditions. He was kept in a molding stall that's ceiling was sinking, and the paddock he had was a mud pit with barbed wire everywhere! He's lucky he didn't get stuck in the mud or tangled up in the wire. I shuddered at the thought.

I led Yukon out to the cross ties and clipped them onto his pretty halter. He stood patiently while I groomed him, and as I finished strapping the girth on, Liv walked in.

"Hi Liv," I said as I bridled him.

"Hey!" Liv chirped, and asked, "is that Yukon?"

"Yep!" I said, and gave him a quick pat. "I was just about to take him on a quick evaluation ride. Mom's waiting in the indoor ring."

"Cool, can I watch?" she asked, and I smiled at her and nodded.

"I'd love that!" I said, and together, we walked into the indoor ring, and I tightened Yukon's girth and ran down the stirrups, and I mounted while Liv sat on the large, hunter green mounting block. I settled in the saddle, and then gave Yukon a light pet on the neck.

"Good boy," I murmured quietly as I petted him, and he snorted and stomped his hoof. He was ready to get moving! "That's the spirit," I giggled, then asked him for a walk. He went into a speedy walk. I half halted to slow him down a bit, and he immediately slowed down. "Good," I said, and we made several laps around the arena at a walk in both directions.

"Have him trot!" Mom called from the center, and I nodded. I squeezed, preparing for him to either not listen or go rocketing off, but he went into an even trot. I smiled, and continued to trot in sweeping circles around the ring. We weaved between jumps, and trotted through empty jumping standards.

"Canter!" Mom called after a few more laps, and I did another half halt to get his attention on me. I sat to his trot and moved my outside leg just behind the girth and positioned my inside leg at the girth, and turned him into a 20 meter circle. I squeezed my legs, and we went into a thundering canter. He was going sorta fast, but after another half halt, he was at a good pace. We continued on the circle, and then I moved him to the rail and we continued to canter around the ring. He was so cooperative.