Braveboy: The Untouchable Horse

Goodbye

Chapter four: Goodbye

True to their word the same elegant, silver horse box came rattling up the driveway next Saturday. My owner came out the house with her grandpa, in floods of tears with my lead rope and when she attached it to my headcollar I nudged her arm, she looked into my eyes before leading towards the horsebox. She walked me up the strange surface and tied my headcollar up beside my hay net, and I am usually greedy when it comes to food, but I couldn’t eat anything. She threw her arms around my neck and cried softly. We stayed like this for what seemed like ages before her Grandpa told her it was time to go. She nodded mutely and held out her palm with an apple mint. They closed the ramp and the horse box rattled down the drive. I felt heartbroken to be leaving my good Emily, but excited about my new home and couldn’t help wondering what it would be like.

We moved through the countryside at a fast pace, until they turned down a lane that led to a grand house, pastures Lined the driveway on both sides and a block of stables faced a large outdoor school. I could just make out a small cross-country course behind what looked like an indoor school. Horses in the pastures neighed or cantered to the top of the paddocks. I neighed back and took in the smell of hay and horse sweat.

They led me down the ramp into pinewood stables that were active with life, horses leaned their heads over the stable doors and whinnied hello, I whinnied back. She put me in the lonely field at the back of the house.

“Good boy.” She said, patting my neck before turning and walking back towards the stables.

I looked around the field there was the odd tree and lots of lush green grass. At the end of the field a chestnut pricked his ears up and trotted over. He looked and had the paces of an Arab, but as he got closer I realised he was a cross-breed.

“Hey I’m Toby, you must be new.” The chestnut said.

“Yer, I’m Tom. What is this place, it looks amazing?!” I said amazed.

“This is Rider stone valley park, the best eventing yard in north Yorkshire!” Toby replied.

I knew I was home at last…