A Summer to Remember

A Summer to Remember P. 2

As soon as the final bell rang, Natalie and I made a beeline to Elizabeth and Sarah Grace's homeroom.

"Come on! Come on!" I squealed. I was hopping up and down around them. I was maybe a tiny bit excited. Okay, I lie. I was BIG time excited. We always have such a good time packing for, well, anything really. Shows, trips, camp, or just going to the barn. We -always- have a good time.

"Hurry up!" Natalie says. "You're such slow-pokes!" she complained. Natalie talks the least of all of us, but has a lot to say. Just to us. She talks a lot to us, just not other people. I guess you would call her shy.

We told all of our friends bye, joked around for a few minutes, and left for the barn. I, being the note taker and loving to write and make lists, have a list of what most of us would need to bring.

Bridle

Halter

Favorite saddle (we all have a favorite. They just happen to be our own!)

Saddle pads

Extra saddle pads (hey you can never have too many,right?)

Saddle soap

Pepper-mints (we call them pepper-mints because my horse is Dr. Pepper hence pepper-mints. Sometimes referred to as Dr. Pepper-mints)

Sugar cubes

Helmet

Girth

Extra girth (hey, it holds the saddle on, duh you need 2)

Horse soap

Hoof pick

Rubber bands for braids

Curry comb

Bristle brush

Fly blanket,mask, and repeller

Spray bottle

NOTE TO SELF(s): Make absolutely, positively sure that Smokey is not in the tack trunks, clothes trunks, or trailer!!!

We -always- put that. We have had a bad experience with Smokey in the trunks. It was -not- good. She rode half way to a show in Missouri in my trailer with Dr. Pepper. It's a good thing he thinks she's okay. He loves her. By the time we were done making the list, we were at the barn's turn. On to the bumpy road. And I don't mean a bump here, one there. I mean like new gravel, shake your brains out, loosen your fillings bumpy. Really, really bumpy if you've never been on new gravel before. No, probably really really really really really x 2 bumpy. Yeah. That bumpy.

By the time we got there, Curry, the owner of the barn, was already on her first trail ride of the year.

Me, Natalie, and Sara Grace got out at the 1st paddock coming from the barn to get our horses, Dr. Pepper (mine), Midge (natalie's), and Sammy (Sarah Grace), from their horsey palaces. Those are just stalls out in the paddock. I then saw that Dr. Pepper wasn't in the paddock or his stall, or Midge's or Sammy's. Say whaa? Where is my pony?!?! I got back in the car earning a puzzled look from my mother.

"Why'd you get back in, Ally?" she asks.

"He isn't down here," I replied, earning another confused look. We drove up to the barn and I saw why he wasn't down in his paddock. I started to fume.