Red Oak Academy Book One: Mount Up

~Chapter Sixteen~

I stumbled into the warm stable a few seconds before three. I had my clothes and stuff in my arms. I carried it to Dandy's stall and laid it on the tack trunk in front of it.

I peeked at Dandy who was sleeping with his nose in the corner, back hoof cocked. "Dandy. Buddy. Wake up, it's time to go," I told him softly.

He opened his eyes and looked at me. I giggled,"I know buddy, it's early but you can sleep on the trailer." I grabbed his halter and slipped it over his nose.

I led him out into the aisle and crosstied him in the nearest set of crossties. The barn was slowly coming to life as riders started preparing to leave.

I whisked a brush over Dandy's side. It was pretty clean because I had  given him a bath and put his blanket on. When I was done with that, I started to strap on his lime green shipping boots. I threw his sheet back on to keep him clean during the ride then I started walking towards the trailers parked outside the barn, laughing as Dandy picked his feet up awkwardly with the boots.

When I got there Mr Jones was there with his clipboard. He glanced at it. You will be in trailer five with Kalie driving. You can go load Dandy then get your tack packed. I nodded and headed in the direction he had pointed.

When I got there, I found a young woman with long straight blonde hair. "Hi, I'm Kalie and I will be driving you today. Let's get this handsome gentleman loaded up shall we?"

"Sure," I laughed. I turned Dandy in a wide circle and we faced the trailer. I clucked and started leading him toward the ramp. He hesitated before stepping up onto the ramp and I sighed in relief.

When I had got him, Dandy was horrible at loading- to the point where it would take over an hour to load him. He would rear up or go on the trailer part way only to back back off as fast as he could. I had worked him out of it mostly. Now he only did that sometimes.

I hooked him onto the trailer tie and latched the divider next to Sadie and Blitz. I walked back down the ramp. "You can go get your tack trunk and stuff and bring it back and we will be ready to go," Kalie told me.

I nodded then headed back into the chaos in the stable. I grabbed my trunk after ducking around a horse rearing and sneaking by Regina's stall. I rolled it back to the trailer and Kalie helped me lift it into the tack room.

I climbed into the truck next to Liz and Raelynn. We smiled at each other then Kalie climbed into the truck,"Okay guys, just relax and enjoy the ride!" She turned on the engine and we started to pull out behind other trailers that looked just like ours. They were all white with Red Oak Academy in swirly silver lettering outlined in navy blue.

I rested my head on the window and closed my eyes.

*

*

*

"Hey, Rilee, wake up," someone shook my shoulder lightly. I sat up and rubbed my eyes. Raelynn laughed,"You were sleeping pretty good."

I laughed and looked out my window. I gasped. There were horses and people everywhere and I could already see at least five Olympic sized arenas not to mention a handful of smaller warm-up rings.

We pulled into the unloading zone and everyone hopped out of the truck. I grabbed Dandy's leadrope from the tackroom and waited as Kalie lowered the ramp. I stepped up into the trailer and opened Dandy's divider. I hooked on his leadrope and unhooked the trailer tie and Dandy backed off the ramp.

When we got to the ground, Dandy arched his neck and started prancing on the end of the leadrope. He snorted when another horse came backing off one of the trailers rearing. I pulled him away from the chaos and we walked behind the trailers at a strip of grass. He soon calmed down enough to start eating the little shoots of grass.