Horsewoman Book 1: Best Of Equitation

Chapter 12

Chuck-Chaka-Chaka-Vrooom!
Dad's old cattle truck made funny sounds when he tried to start it. He calls it the 'Roger Rally Racer' which is the opposite of what it is. It's a faded rusty-brown truck with rusty hub caps and fenders. Even the steering wheel is spotted with red rust. The trailer it was pulling, to contrast, was shiny white with polished windows. Buck and Nova whinnied from the trailer. We were driving to the woods. Since we had a no-show day (none of our events were on Wednesday), Dad and I were going on a Dad-daughter trail ride. We would trot and canter through the trails to the cow corral, where we'd do a little roping and cutting.
"Ready to go?" I asked excitedly. Cutting was one of my favorite activities.
"Yep!" Said Dad happily.
Rumble-bump-jerk
The truck bounced and jiggled along the ruts in the dirt road. We would have the road paved, only horses don't exactly like pavement, at least not ours.
"PSALMS 119-"
Dad's favorite Bible podcast blared through the speakers.
"Da-ad! Don't play it so loud! It'll spook the horses!" I laughed. Sure enough, I heard stomping and whinnying from the trailer. I switched to the country station and sat back.
Ding!
My phone beeped with a message from Jasmine. It showed a picture of Jas with her Quarter Horse gelding, Sam. It read, Sam got first place in his first cutting show! The keyboard made a nice clicking sound when I tapped Good job! I won't be able to message you for awhile 😢 I'm goin' trail riding with my Dad! I sent it just as we pulled up to the hitching posts in front of the trails where we'd saddle up Buck and Nova. I lowered the trailer door slowly and Nova nickered. I didn't use a halter and lead to get the pretty sorrel mare out; I just wrapped my right hand around her soft muzzle and put my left hand across her forelock. I took a short rope out of my pocket and tied it in a messy knot around her muzzle, then to the hitching post. Dad's eyes sparkled when he said, "I've got a surprise for you." I shut my eyes while he took something out of the truck. "Okey-dokey, open your eyes," he said after about five minutes. I opened my eyes to see a real Martin Saddlery Stingray saddle. It was a beautiful two-toned saddle with flower decorations on the skirt.
"Wow!" I gasped, running my hand across the aquamarine-colored, leather seat. "It's beautiful!"    
Dad grinned proudly. "Ordered it straight out of Western Horseman!"
Western Horseman is my favorite magazine.
I selected the one-eared bridle from the truck bed and stuck my pinkie into Nova's upper lip and-Voila! She opened up and took the curb-chain bit. I buckled the throat latch and adjusted the reins; someone must have used them on Tutu, because she's 17 h.h.—our tallest horse. Tutu's height reminded me of Firefly. Mom had been giving her mysterious training lessons, which were to be revealed tonight.
I tightened the buckle on the reins to the second-to-last hole; Nova's only fifteen hands.
I motioned to Dad to give me a leg up. He held his hands out like a low stirrup, and I stepped into his palm and swung up into my new saddle. I noticed it felt a lot nicer—lighter, softer somehow—than my Wintec saddle.  I picked up the reins in the right position, which is thumb over, pinkie under.
"Ya ready?" I asked Dad, who had just finished saddling and bridling Buck.
"You bet!" He replied, and mounted easily into the saddle. I admired the wide brow band on Buck's halter, with Buckwheat freshly embroidered in leather thread.
That's Buck's full name. Buckwheat.
I clucked my tongue. "Walk on, Nova," and squeezed my thighs into her sides. She responded with a smooth walk. "Do you wanna trot?" Dad said from behind me. "Yeah!" I replied. "Step up, Nova." I posted to the choppy gait. Next we cantered side-by-side, ducking under oak branches and vines of ivy.

After about half an hour, we let the horses rest. Dad and I ate ham sandwiches by the brook cutting through the woods, with Buck and Nova munching on pony nuts and maple leaves. Dad stood up and brushed bread crumbs off of his jeans. I split the rest of my sandwich in two, took out the ham, and gave one piece each to Buck and Nova. I giggled as Nova ate the sandwich whole, then started licking crumbs off my hand. "Hey, stop it!" I said when Nova resorted to eating my new breeches. I pushed her head away gently. I glanced over to Dad, who was already mounted. I got up on Nova's back and cued her to gallop.

"Three, two, one, GO!"

Nova stepped forward in a trot. I selected a calf that had the same coloring as my Blue Heeler puppy, Dottie. I let Nova do the rest, circling around the calf until it separated from the group of twenty calves.

I ended up getting a better time than Dad in cutting.

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A/N: Hey everyone!!! Sorry I haven't had author's notes through the story...But I just wanted to say thanks to everyone reading this!!!! Please comment, fan, vote, and CRITICIZE! I want this story to be the best it can be, whereas I want to publish it someday. Also, just a sneak-peek at what I'm going to do in the future....Horsewoman is going to be a TRIOLOGY!! I'm hoping I can slip the Olympics in there somewhere:) probably the third book.

I was hoping Firefly's mysterious training would be revealed in this chapter, but I decided that was kind of big, and this is just a filler chapter, so I PROMISE I will reveal what Mom did with Firefly in the 13th chapter!!

<3 Miriam

P.S... Which is your favorite horse?? Map, Sweetie, Teensy, Nickers, Pal, Misty, Firefly, or Skye?? Comment and let me know!!