I woke up to the sun shining on my eyelids. I jumped up pulling on my jeans and a purple T-shirt that said "Live to ride, Ride to live" In black lettering and below it was a silhouette of a rearing horse. I ran to the barn to take care of our horses. Cobault, my dads old horse, died of old age a few years back along with my moms horse, Wild Wind. Or Wind for short. Wind died of a sever case of colic.
We got some new ones, school horses, Paradise, River, Shiver, Crimson, Summer, and Autumn. Then there was my horse, Carmel. He was about 17 now so he was pastured. I mainly rode Spartan, a black gelding that my mom and I rescued from a slaughter house.
"Marie! You up yet honey?" my mom shouted.
"Yeah mom! Why?"
"Your sister's bringing the kids by!"
Crap.
I totally forgot about their lessons today. I finished feeding the horses and ran to tack up Autumn, Crimson, Paradise, and River. I was just finishing tacking up Autumn, when I heard a car in the gravel driveway. I heard four pairs of riding boots sprinting in my direction. "Aunt Marie!! Aunt Marie!!" They shouted my name, spooking the horses.
"Stop right there! What did I tell you about running and shouting in the barn!?"
Their little faces burned red and they looked at their boots. "Not to because it will scare the horses and we will be suspended from riding." Jessie, one of my nieces said quietly.
"That's right. So you better listen to me. You know better. Now, Jessie, takes Autumn, Danny takes Crimson, Westley takes Paradise, and Corban takes River." I assigned them to their horses and handed them their reigns. Danny and Jessie look at me, their red braids laying down their backs while their blue eyed, Freckle faces look at me.
"Alright. Come hug me" I smile. "I missed you!"
They hug me and take their horses to the ring. I walked out of the barn and saw my sister and Tyler talking to my mom.
"Hey Sis!" I say, hugging her.
"Hey you! Let's see if you can teach my hurricanes to ride like their aunt." She winks at me.
"Nah. Their related to you. Their gonna ride like their Mama." I smile.
I jog to the riding ring and watch the kids as they mount up. "Alright! Today you guys are gonna play tag. You can only tag the rider for that person to be 'it'. Your gonna be working at a gallop or canter to get away from them. I'm gonna tack up Spartan and we are gonna play in the pasture. You guys warm up the horses in here and I'll be back in a few minutes."
I jogged to the tack room and grabbed Spartans tack. After grooming him, I finally have him all tacked up. I mounted him and rode to the ring, opening up the gate and leading the kids to the pasture. once there. All of them scater. Well, I guess I'm it! I push Spartan into a gallop and take off after Westley.
