One Bay Later

Chapter 3

My breath was held for a moment before I sighed, letting it go.  I haltered Anthem and led her out of her pasture.  She yanked on the lead to eat the grass that skirted the pasture.  I yanked the lead and her head popped up and asked her to back up.  She backed up willingly and stood quietly until I dropped the lead over the rail, letting her eat.  I latched the gate and led Anthem to the round pen and set her free.  She trotted to the end away from the gate and stood there, sniffing the ground.  I slung the halter over the bar that latched the gate closed.

Anthem was one of our most even-tempered horses.  But the main reason was that she was a Friesian.  She was a beauty.  Her coat was stark black and wouldn’t fade at all in the summer.  She had a thick, long mane and a beautiful, full tail.  Her feathers were often trimmed in the fall to prevent muddiness in the winter, but they were still full and thick.

She lay down in the round pen, and she rolled to her heart’s content.  She lay on her side for a bit and then continued rolling.  I quickly grabbed the blue lounge whip and asked her to stand up, clicking to her.

Anthem saw the lounge whip and knew that I meant business.  She rolled until she was on her stomach and hesitated for a moment and then propped herself on her front legs.  Her eyes rolled around a bit, and she seemed annoyed, but she knew I was the one in charge and heaved herself onto her feet.

“Good girl!” I said and a flickered the whip a bit, just enough to get her walking.  

I let her walk a few laps. A few circles around and I had to get her to trot.  “Ta-rot,” I chirped.

She lumbered forward a bit forward a bit faster.  Not at the trot yet.  I waved the whip a bit and said, “Trot.”  Her ear on the inside flickered towards me and she began a slow jog.  Normally, I allow her to begin with a slow jog and warm up to a faster and faster trot.

“Good girl!” I praised.

I waved the whip a bit more and she jogged a bit faster.

Her head raised up and I murummered, “Eaaasy girl.”

She slowed a bit.

After a bit, I asked her to change directions at a walk and she did so.  She began at a slow jog.  After a bit I began pushing her to a trot.  “Good girl, Anthem!” I praised highly of her.  As if on karma, Anthem’s ears flickered over to me and she trotted towards me to try to get something behind me.

“Hey!” I scolded throwing my arms out and sending her back to the rail.

She stuck to the rail, but her attention wasn’t on me, it was on something behind me.

“Whooooa, and waaalk.”

Anthem slowed to a walk and I kept her walking.  I turned around to see what sparked her attention.  Near the rail, on a horse was a boy about my age, maybe older.  He was riding a chestnut cob.

“Excuse me,” I said, “This is a private property.  If you want to ride, you are always welcome to use the public trails.”

The boy scoffed and rolled his eyes, “If you didn’t know, my family just bought the farm there.”

I followed his finger to the farm over the fence fifty feet away from the round pen.

“Yeah, sure, but this is private property.  You are riding on private property,” I repeated.

“You said that twice,” he said.

“I know I did,” I growled.

The boy scoffed again and I couldn’t help myself but roll my eyes.  He was absolutely ridiculous.