Christine landed on her feet with a thud after dismounting from her horse, Monroe.
"Good boy" she said as she patted his neck and lead him down towards his stable. Her muscles burned after her intense flatwork session without stirrups but ignored the pain as she lifted her heavy GP saddle off of her horse and slid into the tackroom to put it away.
It was hard enough Monroe being 15.2hh and Christine being 5ft. The saddle was almost as heavy as her.
She wouldve bought a horse smaller and more her size, but her family were on a budget. Christine worked 3 different part time jobs to keep her beloved gelding . One of the jobs included looking after the other livery horses on the small yard of 5 stables.
The yard owner Jamie, and Christine's instructor's horses occupied the three other stables.
Christine quickly untacked Monroe and put her bridle away before she had to start turning out her instructor's horses.
Saturdays would usually be Monroe's day off but Christine's second job at the local restaurant had asked her to work the day before and she couldnt afford to decline extra work hours and more money.
When she re-entered the tackroom she threw her dusty saddle pad in the washing machine (not that a wash would make any difference to the persistant dust marks that have never washed off) and left her saddle on her saddle stand.
"Ill clean it later" Christine promised herself, simultaneously knowing that she would leave her battered saddle unclean for another day.
Christine did a quick time check.
11.21!
She had told her instructor Emma that she would be finished riding at 11 and her horses would be mucked out by half past. Well, Christine was aware she spent an extra amount of time on practicing sitting to Monroe's bouncy canter transition, but she'd only anticipated to be a few minutes late.
All four horses were mucked and turned out by noon. Sweat dripped from Christine's forehead from rushing the work. A huge sigh passed through her lips and she turned to walk towards the fields that the horses were turned out in and sat on the metal gate.
She pulled out her phone and flicked through her social media for god knows how long. Instagram. Nothing new. Snapchat. The same old "streaks" and "someone talk" . Facebook. 3 more posts from Aunt Jade who reposts animal cruelty videos and "share if youre my true friends" posts on a daily basis.
Christine's browsing was interrupted by the familliar roar of a car grumbling down the road towards the yard. The same Land Rover that her yard owner drove pulled up infront of the wide metal gate.
Christine hopped down to open it so she didnt have to get out of her car.
The creaky gate swung open and Jamie drove through nodding her thanks.
Through the slightly tinted windows, Christine spotted a girl in the passenger seat. A girl her age, long and blonde hair, wearing an Ariat fleece and holding a Charles owen fixed peak helmet. It all became clear when she spotted the trailer connected to the car.
Christine groaned quietly.
'Another stable to muck out' she thought. Still, she put on a fake smile and waved as Jamie and the new girl stepped out of the car.
She met Christine's eye contact with a kind smile. At that moment the light hit her in a way that made her heart skip a beat. Christine broke the eye contact as her face flushed.
"Is my horse mucked out yet" Jamie asked as she glanced into Violet's stable.
"Good to see you too" Christine smirked.
Jamie turned around and grinned back. She waved over to the blonde girl.
"This is Aimee, one of Emma's new riders. She's keeping her horse Freddie here as its closer to her house."
"Its just down the road!" Aimee added. Her voice sounding as sweet as sugar.
"Nice to meet you. Im Christine, Christi for short."
Christine stuttered over her words, barely sure that the new girl could comprehend her greeting. However, Aimee just smiled back, her spotless teeth practically glimmering ,even on this grey day.
"Come help unload Aimee's horse, Christi. If you go and take your tack into our tack room" Jamie added to Aimee.
She nodded and reached through the open window of the yard owner's Land Rover and grabbed her crowded keyring and singled out a bronze key to unlock the tack compartment of her ash grey trailer.
The two unbolted the ramp and lowered it to the floor.
Christine looked up to see a jet black gelding. Gasping out loud in surprise ,she guessed it was 16hh and some sort of warmblood.
'Beautiful' she thought to herself.
Jamie undid the partitions and left Christi to lead her off the ramp.
"He's gorgeous." As soon as the words passed her cracked lips, Freddie bolted down the ramp, almost taking Christine with him.
Luckily , she leapt down onto the tarmac with him and pulled him in a circle.
"Sorry about that. Freddie gets impatient in the trailer." Aimee said apologetically. .
She took her lead rope off Christine, her soft fingers brushing the scruffy yard worker's hand.
She stepped back as Freddie politely followed Aimee into his new stable.
Christine decided to carry on with her work as being around the new girl was clearly too distracting.
'Why was she getting so flustered around the beautiful new girl?' Christine wondered.
*Authors note*
First chapter of my first wattpad story. Give me feedback! Let me know what you think! :)
