Pleasure at its Lowest

Chapter:4

The radio played in the background as I scrubbed a saddle. I finished the seat and cleaned the suds off. Then worked on the sides. Toby set up a trail ride this morning and this afternoon for the students of both camps. That's how the weekends go. Saturday we do a morning practice so they have the afternoon free.

Sunday we do morning and afternoon rides so both groups have a chance to see parts of the ranch. I would go on it but there's so much to do here that I don't need to leave. A loud whinny alerted me that Cooter was waiting on me.

I went out seeing the old stallion standing by the fence being petted by Mason. Cooter spotted me and nickered. Then walked away from Mason and to me. He nudged me as I climbed up onto the fence. Then bobbed his head like 'come on I wanna go!'

I then climbed over and used the third highest to get onto the sixteen hand high horse. He sidestepped away as I settled onto his broad back. I scooted up close to his withers giving him the go ahead to run as fast as he wanted.

He definitely took off with me. I held onto nothing as the old horse ran free like he always does. I enjoyed the rush and the feeling of being free. That's why I never want to give up horses. They can give me that feeling when I need it.

We went back up to the stable when he was tiring. The morning trail group was back. I rode Cooter straight to the fence at a gallop letting him jump the fence and land in the soft dirt leading to the gravel. Today is also the last full day of camp for the western pleasure riders.

We have a week to ourselves before the second month of bull riders get here. The older ones. The thirteen to seventeen year olds. And trust me I'll make myself scarce and stay hidden away in the stable unless Toby needs me.

I dismounted Cooter landing hard on my bad knee. I had to sidestep to gain my balance. Luckily I was still right up against the old stallion and was able to catch myself.

Several of the younger kids were handing their horse over to another kid to be ridden after lunch. I led Cooter to the arena and let him loose inside with my gelding. I sat there watching them as they played. The father and son duo.

"Mind if I join you?" I looked behind from where I was sitting to see Mason walking up. "Not at all." I answered. He got up and sat next to me. "So this is your side of the world." He said. I nodded. "Since I was old enough to know how to ride." I said.

"Looks like you've got some great stock." He said. "Yeah. Wouldn't trade them for anything. My grandparents got my mom into western pleasure riding because they had started breeding quarter horses for rodeo and other types of sport.

"One day a lady was testing out one of the horses for western pleasure and my mom thought it looked cool so she wanted to do it. She was taught by that lady and I was taught by her. The nineteen year old stallion was my mom's stallion. He was the first horse I've ever ridden or to take care of. Then when he was ten he was bred to one of my mom's mares and got my nine year old gelding I compete with." I said.

He nodded. "Sounds like you know what your doing." He said. "Yeah. I guess. I've been doing this since I was four." I said. "Guess I've been riding stock since I was three." He said. I looked over at him. He was watching the horses run around the arena.

"Don't mean to get into your business or anything but, how old exactly are you?" I asked. He turned to face me. "I'll answer as long as you tell me how old you are." He said. Oh so he liked to learn too.

"I'll answer that when you tell me." I said. "Twenty three." He said. "Twenty." I answered. "Not too old yet right in the middle." He said. I chuckled. "Have you ever ridden a horse?" I asked him. "Stock riding or just sitting in the saddle on a trail ride?" He asked.

"Just on the trail." I said. "No. He answered. "Wanna go on a trail we blocked off from the kids?" I asked. "Where to?" He asked. "Well if you have your swimming trunks we could take that trail to a nearby cove away from the stock." I said. "Toby told me I might need them."

"How about we go change real quick and be back to go to the cove. It's not far and we'll be back before they could even see if we were gone." I said. We both jumped from our seats to go change. I had a swimsuit in the office just in case.

I changed into the bikini with boy shorts and thick straps. Then threw my boots back on and grabbed Gizmo and Fallaway. I put the saddle on Fallaway wanting to put Mason on my horse that I trust with even the youngest and greenest of kids.

He came back in his boots, trunks, and a muscle tank. "So which horse am I riding?" He asked. I handed him the saddled horse to ride. We walked out my knee starting to feel worse. "You ok there?" Mason asked. "Yeah. My knee's just acting up." I told him.

Once I couldn't take it anymore I just pulled myself onto Gizmo to just let it rest. "Which knee is it?" He asked. "The right. Two years ago I injured it and they told me I could either get surgery then and be put out of riding for a year or let it heal naturally and get surgery later if I wanted it.

"Of course the limp is the result of me not wanting the option of being able to not ride for a whole year." I said. He mounted the horse looking like he didn't know what to do. "The reins steer the horse which ever way you want him to go." I said.

He nodded and tried it out. Fallaway turned the direction he wanted. At first it surprised him that the horse actually obeyed and didn't try to buck him off.

He kept surprising me by surprising himself. I had to silently chuckle several times when I looked back and saw the looks on his face.