Silverstud Equestrian Camp

Chapter 1

The day my parents bought me a horse could have been the greatest day of my life.

Too bad it was a dream.

Living on the eleventh floor, in the middle of the city, with the nearest stable being 2 hours away is hard when it comes to owning a horse.

But the moment I saw the soft flutter of paper, pined to the notice board in my apartment building lobby, I could already smell the hay and hear the clopping hooves. It was 2 months ago I ripped that flyer for a summer horse riding camp from the board and pleaded with my parents to let me go. I have loved horses since I was 5, that's a whole 10 years of obsessing over the majestic creatures, with no actual riding experience. But now it was my chance.

And I was second guessing it.

"What if they don't like me, Mum?" I asked, closing shut the last suitcase.

"Who, the riders or the teachers?" Mum sat on my double bed, folding piles of laundry.

"Either," I groan. "I have absolutely no experience of riding horses,"

"That's not true," Mum assured me, like all Mum's would.

"Besides riding on lazy old horses from the stables that shut down 7 years ago," I rolled my eyes.

Mum pouted at me.

"Why not?" She asked. "You still rode,"

"I was eight!" I paused. "And it was for 2 seconds, I came back with dirt all over me, remember,"

"My point stands,"

I let out a loud sigh before turning away.

"You'll be fine," Mums voice softened.

"What if I'm not?" I ask, my voice cracking slightly.

Mum shook her head and stood from the bed, coming and wrapping me in a hug.

"This is your dream sweetie!" She said softly. "You'll be a natural,"

I smiled as I gave up the fight, stupid Mum's and there inspiration.

"Come on girls," Dad popped his head in the room.

Show time, I thought to myself. Double checking my luggage, I rearranged my wavy brown hair to the side of my face before taking a deep breath and following my parents to the car. We packed the bags before settling comfortably into the car. It was a few hours to the stables I was staying at for the Silverstud Equestrian Camp. Dad switched on the radio to a latest pop station and soon we were travelling down the highway, towards what could be the best, or most embarrassing, moment of my life.

***

The car had been travelling down the dirt road for the past half hour. Horses grazed in the fields on either side of us and silence hung on the air. No beeping of traffic, no yelling, just silence. I pushed the button to my side and the window rolled down, allowing the clean, country, air to fill the car.

"We're still running late," Dad sighed from the front.

I frowned and shrugged.

"That's okay," I looked at Mum, "Right?"

"Yes," Mum nodded. "We aren't that late anyway,"

I nodded before returning my gaze out the window. Turns out navigating in the country is harder then the city. There aren't many street signs, and the GPS wasn't helping us.