Syd, a story about a Clydesdale.

Chapter one, Began again. (Part 1)

My story begins on a rainy day, November 24th 1993
The sky was full of clouds as I stayed out in the pasture with my mother.
Rain fell onto my back as I trotted around, my mother trotted with me.
I noticed her trot was much fancier than mine. She lifted her legs high while she trotted, I tried to copy her but I trembled.
"Syd, be careful." My mother said loudly trying to make sure she heard me over the pouring rain.
I nodded a trotted the way I wanted to.

That was when I was a yearling, day before I started to get trained.
The trainers noticed I was calm, suitable for a lesson horse.
I was desensitized to everything first before I got a saddle put on me.
The day the saddle got up onto my back it tickled.
I tried to buck it off but it stayed on.
I stopped and breathed heavily. A light weight man put his foot into the stirrup and pushed himself onto the saddle slowly.
I didn't know what to think, buck off the man or listen?
I listen to the clicks of the other man holding the lunge rope, I went into a walk.
He wanted me to go faster, he clicked again and I went into my fancy trot.
The man sitting on top of me started to put more of his weight on me, I didn't mind it.
Soon after I heard kissing noises and the rider used his legs to make me go forward into a canter, I listened and did what he said.

I was four then, now I am seven.
I was having lessons with kids that would pull on the reins, kick constantly, and pull on my ears and nose sometimes.
I didn't like this and I don't see how other horses would.
The teachers guiding the kids noticed my ears would pin at the sight of kids, they told the owner of the barn and the owner of the horses here that I didn't like this.
They wanted to try something else with me with an advanced rider.
For a few days I stayed out with a beautiful black Gypsy Vanner stallion and my mother in a big
pasture.
I never talked to that stallion and he never talked to me.
After those few days in the pasture I went to the arena with one of the trainers. He set up a small cross rail jump.
We did a warm up and then I went into a trot. I looked at the jump as the man forced me to go over it.
I went over it normally, "Good boy" the man said joyfully.
Then he made me canter and we jumped the jump again.
"Nice."
We slowed down to a walk, now jumping is something I actually enjoy.

The man let me back into the pasture, surprisingly the black stallion walked up to me.
"You did good, have you ever jumped before"? The stallion said out of curiosity.
"No, that was my first time". I said to him, the stallion had a very long mane. It flew through the wind easily.
"What's your name by the way?" I asked.
"It's Chester". He answered.
"Oh. I'm Syd".
After our little chat ended I went to see my mother.
She was getting old and I was scared for her.
She retired, she lays down a lot more, sometimes she doesn't eat her feed.
I layed down next to my mother and fell asleep while the sun went down, my mother snored.