Horsewoman Book 2: Summer Camp

Chapter 3

"Wake up, everyone! Get dressed into your riding clothes!"
Leigh's voice burst into my deep sleep. It was 6:17.
"Ok!" I said sleepily.
I pulled myself out of bed and got out my clothes for the day.
In the bathroom, I put on lavender-colored breeches and a white Ariat sweater. After pulling on riding socks and lacing my paddock boots, I went outside.
Audre was already there, sitting on a teal metal chair.
"Morning!" She said, smiling cheerily.
"Morning!" I shot back and yawned.
"I'm SO excited to ride today, aren't you?" Audre said excitedly.
"Oh, totally!" I replied.

"Campers!" Leigh called out. Seeing that only Audre and I were outside, she smiled sheepishly and said, "well, Cristal and Audre, you can head down to the barn. Carlotta will be there, and she'll give you your logbooks. Have fun!"
With that, we raced down the hill to the barn.
Carlotta met us at the entrance. "Hello, Audre and Cristal! Here are your logbooks. They have the information about what you should feed your horse, when to feed it, and your riding schedule for this week. Now go take care of your horse!"
I immediately jogged to Cheyenne's large stall.
"Hi, Chey! How'd you sleep?" I asked, stroking Cheyenne's soft forelock.
The mare nickered gently.
"Good, I did too! Time to get you groomed."
I went into the huge tack room and got Cheyenne's blue-and-green halter, along with a worn lead.
I clipped the halter onto Chey's face, then snapped the lead rope onto the ring. Clucking softly, I unlatched the stall door and led her out. She followed me in a floating walk. Trusting her to follow me, I swung the rope across Cheyenne's back. She followed me faithfully until we got to the crossties, where Audre was already grooming Rocky.
"Hi, Audre! And Rocky, of course," I added, nodding to the small gelding.
Rocky stood patiently while Audre ran the currycomb in circles on his neck.
"Rocky looks pretty well-behaved," I commented as Audre moved to his back.
"Isn't he the best?" Audre replied, smiling proudly.
Cheyenne stood perfectly still while I clipped twine crossties to her halter. Glancing behind me, I saw Amy and Megan with their horses, Callie and Page.
Realizing that I was keeping them waiting, I quickly withdrew a currycomb from a grooming box and started brushing Chey.
About five minutes later, I finished grooming and put Cheyenne back in her stall, then went to mix her feed. After reading the logbook, I threw one flake of chaff into a green plastic feed dish, then a one scoop of complete pellets. As a treat, I put in a handful of neatly chopped carrots.

While Cheyenne munched on her breakfast, I mucked out her stall and replaced the bedding before Carlotta called all the campers out of their horses' stalls.
"Breakfast time!" She exclaimed.
Great, I thought, realizing how hungry I was.
"Anyone who has fed and groomed their horse may follow Hayley to the cafeteria," Carlotta was saying.
Hayley led everyone except for four or five kids to the cafeteria, where a delicious-looking breakfast was waiting.
I loaded my plate with bacon, eggs, toast, and an apple.
After I ate, I threw away my plastic plate, but I saved the apple core. I had a feeling Cheyenne would appreciate it.

As I expected, Cheyenne munched the apple core from my hand hungrily, even though she'd just eaten breakfast.
"You're so horse, Cheyenne," I laughed as she crunched on the apple.
Then I remembered it was riding time! I found Cheyenne's saddle and bridle right where the logbook said they'd be. As instructed, I took Cheyenne to the huge indoor arena to saddle her along with the other campers.
"Careful," Hayley warned as she walked past me, her arms full with a wool numnah, a bridle and a girth. "Chey is sometimes girthy."
But I couldn't imagine such a sweet horse being girthy. I set a forest green saddle pad on Cheyenne's withers, then a black half-pad on top. I swung the saddle up level with the half-pad. As I thought, the mare wasn't girthy at all.
"Good girl," I murmured as she obediently took the bit. Today, we were doing dressage, so I was using a Pelham bit with double reins. I led Cheyenne to the line going to the mounting block. I was behind a girl named Melanie's pony, Zeus.
Cheyenne stomped excitedly and snorted.
"It's okay, girl. I'll mount you soon enough."
'Soon enough' turned out to be thirty minutes, because Knight kicked Zeus in the shoulder when he got too close, and Zeus had to be treated and Melanie had to ride another horse, Glisten, for the day.
"Finally," I sighed to Cheyenne when we reached the mounting block.
I stuck my foot in the stirrup, and with great difficulty, swung up onto Cheyenne's back.
Once everyone was mounted, we all took out our riding sheets to see our riding schedule for that day. The morning ride section read:
Tuesday morning:
1. Warmup for twenty minutes
2. Games to get used to horses
3. Dressage drills
4. Start on group musical routine!
5. Free time!
"Ok, campers! As you have read, we are going to warm up for twenty minutes," said Carlotta. "I'll stand in the middle and give you instructions."
Once she was in the middle, she started calling out instructions.
"First, walk for one lap, then walk in a half-seat for a lap," she said.
I waited for Glisten to walk about two lengths in front of me, then clucked to Cheyenne. Without even needing to use my crop, she stepped forward in a smooth, floating walk, like I was in a sailboat. After doing a half-seat for a lap, Carlotta called out again.
"Now you're going to trot, but before you begin, I'm going to tell you an exercise that I use with all of my riders," said Carlotta. "Listen closely."
Everyone turned their heads to Carlotta. She pushed a strand of black hair behind her ear before going on, "You post for eight paces, sit for eight paces. Post for eight paces, sit for eight paces. The point of this exercise is to get you used to both-posting trot and sitting trot. When you sit, I don't want to see you bouncing around. You're bottom should stay glued to the saddle."
Everyone nodded in unison.
"Ok, trot!"
I did what Carlotta said, but if I didn't have to post, I wouldn't have, because Cheyenne basically floated down the arena.
"Good girl, Chey!" I whispered to Cheyenne.
"Now, canter!" Carlotta called out.
I clucked to Chey and tapped her flanks with my toes, and she lunged forward in an energetic canter. I relaxed, loosening the reins, and rocked to the rhythm of her smooth canter. As she rounded the corner, I noticed her only fault. She would always take the corners at an angle, so the rider had to straighten her out.
When Cheyenne turned the next corner, I kicked her left side with my heel, and she straightened her turn. A girl named Halsey riding a Palomino named Sherbet behind me said, "You know your stuff, Cristal!"
I beamed. "Thanks!"
"Game time!" Carlotta yelled. "Chelsea here will direct them for you."
Carlotta left and Chelsea, a short, young girl with black hair took over. "OK, everyone, first we're going to play red light, green light! Everybody line up at the far end of the arena."
We all urged our horses into a trot to the end of the arena.
"Whoa, girl," I told Chey as we reached the end.
Chelsea started explaining the rules. "When I call 'green light', you trot. When I call 'yellow light', you walk. When I call 'red light'-"
Just then, Hayley burst into the arena.
"Chelsea!" She called urgently, running to Chelsea. "Chia's leather halter is missing!"
"What?!" Chelsea exclaimed. "That thing costs as much as a Quarter Horse!" She threw a quick glance at us.
Everyone looked at each other in confusion.
"Everyone, keep riding. We need to find Chia's halter," Chelsea said hurriedly as she swiftly walked out of the arena.
As we posted by the aisle leading out of the arena, I saw something black in the shavings.
"Wait, everyone!" I exclaimed. I heard the girls 'whoa' their horses behind me.
I hopped off of Cheyenne's back and examined the stallway.
"A-ha!" I exclaimed triumphantly, and swept shavings off of an expensive-looking black-leather halter.
Chelsea walked past us and saw what I was holding. "Chia's halter! But how could it have ended up here?" She said puzzledly, scratching her head. "Anyways, thanks, Cristal."
"You're welcome," I replied as I handed it to her.
"That's strange," Chelsea mumbled as she examined the halter for damage.
"What?"
"It's fastened one hole tighter than normal. Someone must've used it on a different horse, but that's strictly off-limits. Only Chia can wear it for shows! I wonder what happened," Chelsea explained.
"Good luck with finding the culprit!" I called as she walked away.
I remounted Cheyenne and urged her into a walk, then a trot, then a canter.
"Chey, it's up to us to find out who took the halter."