June 2009 Story Contest

Tom's Too Small by McCormick

I smiled as my graceful, black and white pony cantered around with my little sister on his back.

“I love Tommy!” She cried.

“I’m glad you do, seeing as I can’t ride him anymore,” I said.

“Why not?” She stopped.

“Well, Ally, I’m too big.”

  ‘At least I don’t have to say goodbye to him as soon as I thought,’ I thought as I ate my Reese’s Puffs. ‘but I need a new horse to ride.’

My name is Ellen, and I’ve had Tom since I was five. Now I was thirteen. A good seven years on one horse. Now, I couldn’t ride him, and we couldn’t afford another horse.

“Ellen, you have to take riding lessons on one of their school horses.” My mom had said over and over.

Our mother drove us in the van that was hooked up to Tom’s small trailer, to the riding stable, AppleCreek. It was Ally’s first lesson, so naturally my instructor thought that she was just coming to watch and I was going to ride Tom.

“Do I once again need to remind you that he’s too small to be ridden by you?”

“I’m not riding him, Ally is.”

“Oh, hello there!”

“I need a school horse to ride.”

“Of course, I think Dancer would suit you.”

“Which one is he?”

“It’s a she and she’s right down in the stall there, with her name plate.”

‘Not her – the dull brown horse that has duller (if possible) eyes. It can’t be the one with the swayed back that tries to bite people and is never ridden because of it. Not the one who stands in her stall in one place or lays in one place. Not the one with the scraggly mane and tail.’ I thought as I went to get all the stuff labeled ‘DANCER’.

I returned and went to her stall, not even daring to look in because I knew what I would see. I unbolted the door, looking down. When all the grooming stuff and tack was inside, I realized that the horse looking at me was not Dancer, but someone else.

“Do you like him?” My mom asked.

“Who? I thought this was a she,”

“It’s a he.”

“This is nameless.”

“What kind of a name is that?”

“It’s not – you get to name him.”

The gelding was a rich chocolate brown with a big white blaze on his forehead and three white stockings on his two back feet and left front foot. His mane and tail were shiny black and thick like Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup.

“Horse, you are the most wonderful animal on Earth, and I thank you for existing in mind and in life. Thank you Hershey, for being here for me.”

I rubbed his forehead.

“What happened to Dancer?”

"She had to be put down – no one ever rode her or looked after her because of her temperament.” My riding instructor, Lucy said. “He’s yours as well. Try him out.”  

He was perfect! His canter was as smooth as liquid slipping down a flat, wet stone. His trot was not bumpy like Tom’s. His walk was long and bouncy, like a show Saddlebred ready for action. He jumped well too. He soared over a three foot, 7in. fence with no trouble at all.

“Thank you everybody!” I yelled as he galloped around his pasture, me clinging on to his mane for dear life – and fun! It was the best day of my life up ‘til then, but I had many more awaiting me....