Passion » Max Regnery

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"Goodmorning," Red said with much enthusiasm as he popped up behind Blake, dressed in his usual worn out jeans and an old band t-shirt. She also noted his hair did not seem to be spiky at it usually was.

"Morning," she said back with less enthusiasm than Red. "Why are you so chipper?"

"Why?" he laughed. "Why you ask? Well, do you know what today it?"

"Sunday?" she replied as she pulled off her boot to fix her sock.

"No," he replied as he sat down on the couch opposite her. "No, today is the day you learn how to ride! Now, I've already fed all the horses and mucked all the stalls-"

"Red, it's six in the morning, how?"

"Don't worry about how," he said as he waved his hand at her, "Worry about how you'll do on your first riding lesson."

"Mm," she tapped her chin, "Valid point."

"I know!" he sat forward on the couch and clapped his hands. "Now come on, we have to tack up Patch!"

"Oh, I get to learn how to tack up a horse?" she pulled her boot back on.

"And how to groom him too!" She narrowed her eyes, was that sarcasm or actual enthusiasm in his response?

Shrugging her shoulders and realizing she didn't really care, she was finally learning how to properly ride a horse, Blake stood up and followed Red directly out of the stables office down the aisle where he led her into the tack room.

"Okay," he said as he pointed off to the wall where saddles and bridles hung with the names of horses above them. "You get Patch's tack and I'll get the grooming kit."

Okay, so Blake was well aware she could lift bales of hay and of course, saddles too, but wasn't it gentlemanly to offer to carry the heavier item while the lady carried the lighter items? She rolled her eyes, realizing this was Red and walked over to where she found Patch's tack hanging just below Starlight's.

"Hey, who does Starlight belong to?" she asked as she struggled with heaving Patch's saddle off the rack. Why was it suddenly so heavy?

"Oh, he belongs to Carole, but she is considering selling him to buy Samson."

"What?" she nearly dropped the saddle, "Why?"

In response, Red shrugged his broad shoulders, uncertain as to why someone would sell their perfectly good horse for another. He then dropped his gaze to the saddle slowly sliding down Blake's front as she struggled to keep a steady grip and started to chuckle.

"Here," he said to her as he held out the bucket filled with grooming supplies. "Take this and I'll carry the tack."

"Are you sure?"

His facial expression said it all.

• ☆ •

All tacked up and ready to go, Blake led the old pinto gelding down the aisle, Red walking beside her. It was starting to set in as the horse walked calmly beside her that she was really about to start riding for the first time in her life.

Red then led Blake and Patch into Pine Hollow's only indoor riding ring, where there were a few obstacles set up throughout the ring. Once inside, he closed the door to avoid any interruptions and then walked over toward the wall where a black block sat.

"Okay," he said as he lifted up the block and brought it back over to where Patch and Blake stood. "So you've learned how to groom and tack up a horse. Now, for your next lesson, you will learn to mount up. Are you ready?"

"Excited actually," she said as she stepped out of the way so that Red could set down the mounting block.

"First," he stood up straight and placed his hand on Patch's rump. "You will need to run down the stirrups."

"I'm sorry, what?"

Red sighed as he pointed to the stirrups, "You need to let these down, obviously."

"Oh," she turned back to look at him. "Exactly how do I do that?"

Another sigh, this time a little more frustrated than before, Red set to work on teaching her how to run down both stirrups. Then he made sure Patch's girth was still tight before walking to the front of him so that he could hold him in place. "Alright, next you are going to climb up on the mounting block I placed down there, grab the reins in your left hand, place your hand her-" he moved to show her exactly where she was to place her hand while mounting. "-then stick your left foot in the stirrup, lift up, swing your leg over and then lower yourself down gently. Got it?"

"Mm, I think?" Blake saw him roll his eyes and heard him sigh once more as he walked back around to stand in front of Patch so that he could hold him while she mounted up.

As he instructed, and of course with additional instructions as she performed each task, Blake soon found herself up and in the saddle.

"How do the stirrups feel?" he asked as he walked back around to retrieve the block.

"Loose?" she scrunched up her face, unsure how she was supposed to answer that if she had no clue how they were supposed to feel.

This time Red didn't bother to give her instructions or teach her how to tighten the stirrups, he just did it himself, stopping only to make sure her legs were in the correct position.

"Right," he walked around to the front and stared up at her. "Good, good. Now normally I would focus on other important things when it comes to riding, but honestly, it's probably best we worry about that all later. What we need now, is for you to give him a little squeeze.

"Like this?" Blake asked as she gently gave the little pinto a gentle squeeze. In response, he began to walk forward, his sudden movement startling Blake.

"Good," Red said as he moved out the way. "Now let's see if you can get him to turn around and walk back to me and then halt."

"What?" Blake turned in the saddle. "How do I do that."

"With your right leg and the reins."

"You know, Red," Blake struggled to figure out how to use her right leg to turn, but managed to get Patch to turn right anyway with a slight tug of the reins. "You're really horrible at teaching a beginner."

"Nonsense," he said. "Now stop." Blake could only imagine that tugging on the reins gentle would get him to stop so she did. "I taught Max's wife."

"You taught his wife?" she relaxed her hold on the reins so that Patch could move his head freely. She honestly felt as if she was pulling too much. "I didn't know his wife didn't know how to ride?"

"Oh yeah," he was now leaning against Patch, the whole lesson forgotten. "before they met she absolutely hated horses, complete city slicker, ya know?"

"No, I don't," she replied honestly since she knew nothing about Max's... er... wife?

"Oh yeah, wanted nothing to do with them, but came around for Max. Even moved from the city to be with him."

Yet, now she was divorcing him... I wonder why.

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Seven chapters in and I am just now learning that Veronica sold Garnet when her parents bought her a new horse for Christmas in the books. I mean... I didn't exactly have the whole collection as a child, nor can I seem to get my hands on them now... so I did not know this. Plus, I'm not exactly going by the books or the movies really... though I will go by the book with Prancer.

Spoiler alert: She dies due to a complicated pregnancy and so does her twin foals. See that I knew since I read that book. I guess I could've also spoiler alerted Garnet being sold... but that was also news to me as well. And did you know that Starlight, Prancer, and Belle are all bays? Like even though I've read the books, I did not know that.

Also, I could have sworn Max and Deb had a kid together... Oh yeah, they did. Two. Just looked it up. Maxine and Jeanne.