Hoofbeat Ridge Soaring High

Chapter 3

I struggled to help Cade, Bee, and Jay get Dusty onto the flat bed truck. It took us about twenty minutes just getting him onto the ramp, and another twenty up onto the actual bed of the truck, but we did it. I hadn't expected to be doing this, but I took Dusty's tack off and laid my heavy coat over his side. I felt Cade's hand on my shoulder but I shook it off. Deep down, I knew something they didn't. I was done riding. I would have to face it, I was terrified to ride. That was the worst fall, worst everything I had ever had and it was my fault. I should have known Dusty would freak out,  he was only five and just finished training.

"We have a good vet down at the barn ready. Dusty will be fine." Jay said. His eyes narrowed slightly.

I stared at him and then looked back down at Dusty who had leaned his head against my arm. I sat there as the truck made it way back down to the barn, stroking Dusty's head. Cade sat down next to me, frowning at Dusty's behavior.

"Does he always act like this?" He asked.

"Only when something's wrong." I said quietly. "And right now, he's hurting." I said, my voice catching slightly in my throat. I cleared my throat some and took a deep breath. Dusty looked at Cade and snorted. "Dusty stop." I said clearly. Dusty blinked and leaned his head back on my arm.

"Knew it." I heard Jay mumble but chose to ignore it.

"He doesn't like men." I explained. "I saved him as a two year old from a slaughter barn. The men there had beaten him to try to get him into the auction ring."

"So he's a rescue?" Cade asked.

I nodded. "Would never be able to tell huh?"

Cade shook his head. "Nope."

I smiled. The truck had stopped moving and the vet walked out of the barn. She had long red hair, that fell in soft curls on her shoulders and a splash of freckles across her face. Her green eyes were bright and clear. She was probably only in her early twenties. "I'm Dr. Rose. Call me Kathy." She said.

I watched as she knelt next to me and Dusty to look at him ankle. She got up and walked into the barn for a few minutes then came back. "We need to get him in the barn. " She said. "It's too cold out here."

I nodded and stroked Dusty's neck. "Get him down the ramp and he'll stand." I said.

Slowly we slid Dusty down the ramp. I rubbed his shoulder and neck. "Come on Dusty.."I murmured. "You can lean on me." I said. Dusty snorted. I held his ankle up off the ground and grabbed my jacket. Slowly I placed his ankle in my coat and held it up, cradling his ankle off the ground. Dusty winced slightly and I made a clicking sound asking him to walk on. I pushed my shoulder into his and Cade placed his hands on Dusty's injured side behind me to help him stay up. Slowly we made our way into the barn and into the stall. Once inside I patted the ground and Dusty snorted and slowly laid down. "Good boy." I said rubbing his neck.

Kathy knelt beside me and started working on his ankle. About two hours later Dusty's ankle was in a cast. "He's a calm, good horse." Kathy said. "Unlike the newcomer."

I narrowed my eyes. Patting Dusty's neck I stood up. "Where is the horse?" I asked.

Kathy nodded and led the way to a darker part of the barn. We stopped at a stall that looked pretty much empty apart from the large dark shape in the way back of the stall. The horse stood maybe at 15.2 hands. If not taller. His mane was black, wavy and black. His body a goregous dark bay, that turned chestnut red in the rays of sunlight that came in from the stall window. His body, thought dirty and painfully skinny, was powerful and strong.

"Andalusian." I said aloud. "No doubt in my mind." I said.

"But he won't let anyone near him. Andalusians are docile and friendly." Cade said.

"Every horse is docile and friendly, but treat them wrong and with a bad past it can ruin that." I said. The stallion snorted and looked at me. Everything I had said echoed in his dark brown eyes. "You're a perfect example, aren't you boy?" I said and turned my hand palm side up to the horse for him to sniff. The stallion stared at me and snorted, pinned his ears back and turned his rump to me. "Well alright cranky." I said with a slight smile on my face.

"Are you gonna work with him?" Kathy asked.

I watched him. He had been handled but not in the way he needed. He needed me, and a new chance. "I'll see what I can do." I said.

Jay looked at me. "Wanna get him out?"

I looked at the stallion who had turned back around. "Sure." I said.

Jay grabbed a lead shank and quickly attached it to the stallions halter. "Watch out." He said and threw open the stall door. The stallion screamed and shot forward almost taking Jay off his feet. "Enough!" Jay yelled as the horse reared up. "No!" He yanked down on the lead shank.

"Stop!" I jumped forward and grabbed the lead shank from Jay. I stuck my hand up in front of the stallion. The stallion yanked his head away and screamed. Head shy. I made a mental note to myself. "Easy, whoa." I said keeping my voice calm. Snorting the stallion lowered and high stepped out to the round pin. Jay opened the gate and I unlatched the lead shank from the stallion's halter. Taking the opportunity to run he shot forward in a gallop around the round pin.

"What are you doing?" Jay asked.

I silenced him with my hand as I stood in the middle of the arena watching the stallion gallop. "Does he have a name?" I asked.

Jay shook his head.

"Hm." Was all I said. Armed and Dangerous. My mind said. "Armed and Dangerous." I told him.

"Well that's great and all but what about a nickname?" Jay said, leaning on the fence.

God nothing makes you happy does it? I grumbled to myself. "How about Bullet?" I asked.

"Don't try to think of it right away. It'll come." Jay said.

I grumbled something under my breath. "Fine." I said. I went back to focusing on Bullet. He had begun to calm down some and was down to a collected canter. "He's a gorgeous mover." I said, mostly talking to myself. Bullet snorted and arched his neck. "Definatly an Andalusian." I said.

"How can you tell?" Jay asked.

"Look at how he moves! He's got that flare and smoothness that an Andalusian has. And his build is a dead give away." I said.

Bullet stopped and faced me. I smirked. Taking my hand I waved it at him scaring him and sending him at a canter again around the opposite way.

"You're scaring him." Jay said confused.

"Yep." I said smirking. Bullet tried to stop but I waved him on more. He snorted and kicked out at me, I tensed up slightly then let it slide. "Get!" I shouted and grabbed the lead shank. Twirling the rope end at him I urged Bullet into a gallop. I stepped in his path and tossed the rope at him sending him the other way. Standing back in the center I heard Cade and Jay make comments about how bad the horse was sweating and breathing. I was waiting for something. Bullet stopped and reared. It was clear he wasn't going to give me the signal I needed. "Alright, you win." I said and dropped the rope. I walked over with my eyes down and my palm out, grabbed his halter and clipped the rope on. I heard a snort and knew he wasn't going to leave. I unclipped the lead shank and walked out of the pin.

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So I realized that you can't see the picture I put up of Bullet. So here's the link in case you wanna see him.

http://browse.deviantart.com/?qh=&section=&q=+Andalusian#/d3f3car