My Second Chance

Chapter Five

Chloe didn't come back for a while, so I spent my time, going around the stables, meeting all of the horses. I wondered for a while why Chloe had banned me from choosing any of the mares on the other side of the stable. My curiosity overcame the need to follow the rules, so I wandered down there to see.

The first thing that I noticed was that they weren't as friendly as the other horses that I had met and they looked considerable bigger. I thought for a moment before remembering that Chloe had said that she was expecting more foals in the summer. These mares were pregnant. There were about seven of them and they were all very beautiful. My favourite was a tall bay called Juliet. She was the friendliest out of all of them but I still like Ava a lot. I had already decided to ask Chloe if I could ride her because I didn't think that she was pregnant. After I had done my wandering I went back to find Ava. She nickered when she saw me and pulled away from her hay. I patted her neck and then my eye fell on her halter. I wondered if dared get her out and groom her by myself. I shook my head. Don't be stupid. She could get loose and I can't handle a horse, even if she is really friendly. But my eyes kept falling on her head collar until I could no longer bear it. I picked the halter up and studied it. I had no idea how to put it on or where her nose was meant to go. But Ava helped me on that one. She almost put it on herself. When she had noticed that I had it up the right way, she slotted her head neatly into the halter correctly and I fastened it behind her ears.

"We make a good team," I laughed.

She nickered as if she understood me and I unlocked her stall. She followed me calmly where she stood quietly while I tried to tie her up. Chloe had left Tommy's halter hanging from a piece of strong rope that was going through a metal hoop. She had tied the lead rope onto the rope in a very complicated way. I gave up with it after about ten minutes and decided that a simple overhand knot. Ava seemed fine with it so I went to try and find something to brush her with.

As I left her and turned right, there was a little door to my right that a horse wouldn't be able to get through. I went into the room and in it, I found all of the saddles and the grooming stuff. Each horse had his own personal saddle, bridle and grooming kit. Ava's was in the far corner. I fingered her saddle, wondering if I would try to saddle her up but I had read somewhere that horses won't cooperate if the saddle or bridle is placed uncomfortably so I decided to play it safe and leave it for now. Chloe would show me when she got back. So wih that thought in my head, I lugged all of Ava's stuff back around the corner where she was snoozing. I picked up a bug brush and ran it gently down Ava's neck. She looks at me disaproovingly but I don't understand what I've done wrong.

"I would brush her a bit harder," came a voice from behind me. I turn around and see Archie standing a few feet away from me.

"Do you know about horses?" I asked.

"Yes, a bit," he said," I learnt to ride on her and I found that she loves to be scratched behind her ears. And brushed rather hard. But you're using the wrong brush."

He came over to me and rummaged through Ava's grroming set. He pulled out another brush with longer hairs and told me that it was a dandy brush. He demonstrated how to use it and let me try.

"You're a natural!" he said, patting my back.

I smiled at him in gratitude and he went through the rest of grooming kit, naming everything and showing me how to use it before he left me alone to groom Ava properly. I did exactly what he did and Ava was much happier. Her bottom lip went limp and she half closed her eyes in content. As I was finishing, Chloe came back into the barn with Tommy and all of her dogs. The dogs looked exhausted but they willingly did as they were told for Chloe.

"You've been making progress, I see," she said as she jumped down off of Tommy. I went red and she said," You've done a good job."

Without waiting for a reply, she untacked Tommy and took his stuff back into the tack room. He was drenched with sweat and he was panting but there was a sense of happiness and content in his eyes which showed me how happy he was doing everything for his mistress. Their bond was unlike any I had ever seen before. They were inseparable. Chloe came back out of the tack room with a brush and brushed Tommy off until he was refreshed. She put him back in his stable and turned to me.

"Are you ready for your lesson?" she asked.