January Story Contest

Changin’ Style

by CloudyShadow &  Magic Sally
Age 12

 

All I remember from my accident was that I was coming first, and then everything went wrong…

“Mum where are we going?” I pleaded. We had left my beloved town that had fancy stables and were now heading to a place that I had know idea about.

“Hun, we are almost there, about another 10minutes.” She answered.

“You said that an hour ago.” I grumbled slumping into my seat. About three hours ago we had been still in the city, now we were driving up old bitumen that to me needed replacing. I stared out my window; there were so many trees, too many trees. Just as I was about to make a disgusted sound at all the cattle that were covered in mud we turned up a dirt driveway. I read the sign that was all wobbly and unstable, it read ‘The Lone Country Farm’ “What are we doing here?” I asked “This isn’t a dressage place!”

“Darling…” Dad started to say.

“No!” I screamed “Turn around! Take me back! I don’t want to be here!” I started to sob, I wanted to go home, home to my dressage, and this wasn’t what I wanted. The car had stopped now, Dad and Mum were already unloading our stuff, and I sat in the car and sulked.

Tap, Tap, Tap. I peeked up at my door, someone I hadn’t expected to be there was standing at the door. I rolled down my window and mumbled “What?”

“Hi!” the girls voice was happy and cheerful, sounded like an old me. “Are you going to get out so I can show you something?” she then asked.

“What are you going to show me?” I asked.

“It’s a secret I can’t tell you, but you need to come with me. I’m Rose by the way.”

“I’m Rachael.” I murmured, opening my door and stepping out the car.

“Follow me!” Rose said grabbing my hand and pulling me along behind her. “Hey Jeff!” she called to a boy who was riding past us on a big black horse.

“Hey little sis! That’s the new girl to the farm aye?”

“Yep! This is Rachael.”

“Howdy Partner!” he said to me in a mocking tone.

“Hi.” I whispered not wanting to look up.

“Come on!” Rose shrieked. She pulled me into the barn that was there. Inside there was two rows on each side of the barn with a walk way up the middle. I followed Rose down the walk way, each horse I passed poked their head out over the stall door and whinnied at us. Rose came to an abrupt stop, and then pointed at a stall to her right, I looked in the stall and there stood in the stall a beautiful horse. I gasped. “What’s wrong?” Rose asked, a bit of weariness in her voice.

“Is she blind?”

Rose burst out laughing, “No…Silly” she choked out between her laughs.

“Why are her eyes blue?”

“She’s a cremello.”

“A what?”

“A cremello. They are a white horse with pink skin and a pink muzzle with blue eyes. They are a dilute; we use them to create palominos.”

“What so you put a cremello with a black and you will get a palomino?”

“Where do you come from? Obviously a place where they don’t teach you much.”

“I come from a place where they teach people how to become top dressage riders.” I answered sharply.

“That explains it all.” She rolled her eyes then smiled “You put a cremello and a chestnut together to get a palomino, it is guaranteed, no questions asked. Or you can take your chances by putting a cremello and a palomino together and see whether you get a palomino or a cremello.”

“I get the point. Now why are you showing this blind horse to me?”

“One. She is not blind, and two. She is yours.”

“And what style do you ride here?”

“Western of course, barrel racing, herding cattle, cutting, reining…”

“No need for a big explanation.” I said cutting her off.

“Have fun with your new horse anyway.” Rose said “I have a horse of my own to exercise.”

I watched Rose walk off into a room which I suspected was a tack room, and sure enough she came walking back out with some saddlery.

“What don’t you like her?” someone asked making me jump “Sorry”

I turned around slowly to find Jeff standing behind me looking at me confused. “I…She’s…” I stuttered.

“Ha! That great? Better then them damn dressage horses that are tucked under all the time.”

“I like my dressage horses” I snapped.

“Stupid petite ponies.” He shook his head then added “You better ride Dainty before she goes off her head as well. Her tack is in the tack room, it has your name plastered all over it.”

I poked my tongue out at him then headed to the tack room. I found the tack I was after, it had pieces of paper on it labeled ‘Rachael’. Ugh I thought why would anyone want to ride in a western saddle? I headed to ‘Dainty’s’ stall and started to saddle her up. I led Dainty out of her stall and headed outside; I could see a ring just up ahead so I decided I would ride in it.

When I reached the ring I mounted Dainty, my first habit that I did was collect the horse up. When I started to collect Dainty up she started to go backwards, I kicked her so she would stop, I saw her ears flicker, a sign that always told me they’re confused.

“Let your reins loose” I heard someone call to me. Again I looked up to see Jeff starting to come towards the arena. I listened and let my reins fall so that I had no contact at all with Dainty. Dainty stopped then, she was still all tensed, and not relaxing out like my dressage horses did. “Relax” Jeff ordered, he was over beside me now.

“I am relaxed”

“No you aren’t, hold with your thighs, not your knees. You aren’t riding in those fall me out saddles.”

I didn’t bother complaining; I changed from holding with my knees to my thighs and found it more comfortable in the saddle. I felt Dainty relax underneath me, her head lowered and it was in line with her whither.

“See how Dainty Lil’ Girl automatically relaxed out because you changed the way you were sitting?”

“Yes.”

“Now to ask her to walk forward, keep your reins loose, lean forward the slightest bit and move your hand forward up her neck a tiny bit.”

I did what Jeff said to do and Dainty moved forward into a relaxed walk, she broke into a brisk trot then we were cantering and soon galloping around the arena.

“Lean back! Lean back!” Jeff yelled. I leant back into the saddle and Dainty slowed back to a walk. “Now make sure you are sitting up straight and let her walk.” 

We continued on the lesson, I found that western riding was fun, Dainty responded so well to just the slightest bit of movement in the saddle. Jeff told me it was called ‘Saddle weighting’. I even got to have a little go on the barrels, I found it heaps of fun spinning around the barrels at full speed.

I watched Jeff play with the calves on his one palomino mare ‘Delight’. At the end of the day, I was so worn out but I still helped feed up.

“Changing from dressage to western isn’t to bad is it then?” Rose asked me.

“No.” I answered “Western is awesome.”

“Oh and just a hint. My brother likes you.” Rose grinned at me and I went bright red.