Anybody know whoes story this is?
Nov 13, 2010 16:00:56 GMT -8
Post by sunstar on Nov 13, 2010 16:00:56 GMT -8
I DID NOT WRITE THIS!!!! I don't know who wrote this but i found it on my flash drive. I think it is from the Arena, and this is all I have of the story. Does anyone recognize this?
Chapter 1
Josie woke up with her long hair spreading across her face. It was morning, and the sun peaked up just over the horizon. Her sun-bathed room showed many pictures of horses. Big, powerful horses running, jumping, and just looking magnificent. In four days, her friend Maddie and her were going to horse camp for two weeks. She herself did not have a horse, but she was great at riding. She also knew very much about horses. They had plenty of space for a horse- and enough money- but they just couldn’t find enough horses for sale. It was weird, as they lived in Lexington, Kentucky. There used to be horses there. In fact, it used to be a great business with Western, English, racing, and so much more. But it had all died down before Josie was born. By that time, only one old sickly mare lived there and before Josie turned two, she died. Even though she was very young, Josie still remembered the mares warm, tickling breath on her face. But all that was done and over with. She looked up at her favorite horse picture. It had a roan mustang on it with a flowing mane and tail. The horse looked down at her like it wanted her to get on his back and run with the wind. It was great to daydream, but she needed to get ready.
She slipped on her jeans with light, faint pink hearts on it. Then she slipped on her favorite shirt with a black horse and a pink faint outlining and glaze around the horse decreasing as it went to the back of the shirt. She was a very skinny, small girl. She was 13, but she could fit in a long 7/8 to 10/12 in children’s, depending on the brand. She was also pretty short for her age, too, but she could not care less. She had a good shape, which she liked.
“Honey, time for breakfast!” her mom called. Josie put on her favorite necklace and ran downstairs.
“I fixed your favorite, honey. Bacon and pancakes.” her mom said with a smile.
“Thanks, just what I wanted.” Josie replied.
After having one pancake and two bacon strips, she helped her dad with the chores.
“What do you want me to do?”
“Umm, you can paint part of the barn, the paint is in the shed. Red, please.”
“Sure, but why?”
“It looks bad, and disgraceful on the property. I may even get a goat or two.”
Josie looked at her father confused. He did not ever have goats. But he always had liked them, and the neighbors had a few for sale. Josie found the paint in the very back. Along with it a little note. Please feed Jerry, Jill. Just a note from my Grandma to feed one of the horses. thought Josie. It was not the first one she had seen, her Grandma had left plenty of notes around the farm before. She stuffed it in her pocket and started working.
After she covered all she could reach, she went to feed the three dogs.
“Hold your horses, Comet.” She told the very greedy Border Collie. He whined and pawed at the dog food. Thankfully the cats and the other two dogs were not as impatient. Josie strolled outside to the fence.
“Maddie said that I needed to call her, she said it was pretty important. May I?” Josie smiled and put her sweet smile on.
“Why not, I got this tractor under control.” Ron said. “Just don’t use it long, Sarah is supposed to call so she can meet your mom for lunch.”
Josie called Maddie.
“So what did you want, you said it was important.” Josie was not mad, but usually Maddies news was usually not much more than getting a new flower or something.
“Well, I talked to mom and she said that we are going to a sleep-away camp. It has a game room, swimming pool, arts room, and a cafeteria. I heard they have about 100 horses at the camp. Including a beautiful Arabian show horse.” said Maddie, excited. Josie was excited too! How great would it be to be in a sleep-away camp for two weeks straight! She had known they were going to camp, but not a sleep-away camp! This would be beyond fun!
“That is so great! How many hours of riding are we doing?” Josie let the question pour out.
“I think about as much as we want. They have a lot of woods and trails and stuff. I heard it is one of the best. Anna sounded very excited now, just to be saying it.”
After talking a bit more the girls hung up. Josie felt extra, extra excited now! A sleep-away horse camp for two weeks would be so fun. With Maddie along, anything was possible. She just couldn’t wait!
Chapter 2
It was camp day! Josie felt positive and in a good mood, wanting to get going right away. She rushed downstairs to the smell of biscuits and gravy, delicious! After she ate, she went to pack her clothes. Her mom had told her that there was a laundry mat there, so she only packed about 10 shirts and 8 pairs of pants. After that she packed her horse figures in a small backpack. It would make the cabin feel like home. Last, she got out a little purse-like bag and put toothpaste and hair brushes in it. When her mom told her it was time to go, she couldn’t have been more ready.
Josie hopped into the red SUV. It was a very nice vehicle, complete with two table-like structures, many compartments, and perfect little stands for her horse figures. It even had a DVD player with it to watch, of course, horse movies. They soon pulled up to Maddies house and loaded her stuff in. After a few goodbyes, they were off.
The ride was a long wait. As they were driving, Josie imagined trotting in a circle in a nice indoor arena. Jumping, showing, it was all good! She tried to imagine what the horse would be named, what color it would be, and how it would act. She did not have to wait long. Sooner than she thought, they pulled up. MAJORITY RANCH said a sign floating in the breeze. The fields were somewhat big and small. The biggest looked about 12 acres. This was a very nice place. Nicer than she would have ever guessed.
“Welcome students! I hope you will come here and let me introduce all of you!” cried a teacher. Oh boy, Josie thought. She wanted to meet the horses more than anything!
First there was a 14-year-old named Natasha. She had dark brown hair and eyes, and a wonderful smile. She said she had been riding for almost two years now. Then came Sierra, a mean snobby looking girl probably not much older than 11 or 12. She had thick, red, and very curly hair. She specifically stated she wanted a cabin of her own. Thankfully, she was going into Nickers-and- Neighs, a special group with their own horses. Then there was Georgia, a small, skinny girl about 13, who also had her own horse. After they met everyone, Josie was in the Saddle group, with the most experienced riders. There were only 4 of them, including Josie, Maddie, Natasha, and another girl named Celia. As Josie was putting up clothes, she decided to talk to her cabin mates.
“How long have you been riding, Celia?” Josie asked.
“Well,” Celia said with a smile. “Almost 3 years now. I have not cantered-yet. I hope I get to here.” She seemed very nice. Josie was looking forward to riding with her.
“I know this is the moment you have been looking forward to. Well, time to pick your horses!” said a counselor. She led them to a big field with the school horses. They were so beautiful!!! Josie hoped she would get one she liked. She had her eyes on a deep, red chestnut. Her flowing mane and tail floated in the breeze. She was absolutely gorgeous! Maddie picked a nice little chestnut named Teddy. He was only about 14.3 hands tall. Celia picked a beautiful grey horse named Thunder. He was tall, probably a thoroughbred. Natasha picked a bay mare named Jessie. Josie finally got to pick. Thankfully, the dark chestnut was still available.
“Her name is Red, she is one of the best trained horses I have ever met.” said the counselor. Red nickered softly. Josie patted her and lead her to the barn.
She started rubbing Red down with hard, circular motions. Then she got a hard brush and used it in long, smooth strokes. After the hard brush was a dandy brush. Reds coat was even more shiny now. When she went to get a saddle, she bumped into one of the school girls, Maya.
“Hi! I’m Josie. Maybe we can ride sometime.” Josie replied with a grin. The girl looked at her and gave her a look.
“I would not ride with you if my life depended on it.” she said with a smirk. Josie looked hurt when the girl explained: “I have my own horse, which I should mention is a champion Swedish Warm blood, and he is better than any horse here. Besides that, I am a lot more sophisticated than you.“ Josie was very shocked. She also gave her a look and got a nice saddle blanket. It was very nice, a beautiful milky white with a blue stripe around the border. Then she got a nice black saddle. It could not be more than a few months old. She went and put the two on Red and went to get her bridle. It actually had a little wear and tear, and a cute little beaded string with the word Red in red, yellow, and blue. She smiled and went to her horse. When she got there, she put the bridle on Red. Red took her nose and searched for some apples in her pockets. Seeing none, she turned and huffed.
“Oh you cant be disappointed for that.” Josie giggled. This was great. She had not noticed that Red had the same color hair as she did, and with her one white sock she even matched Josie’s skin.
“Okay campers, time to bring your horses out. You wont be able to ride by yourselves in the fields for a couple days, not until we know you are perfectly capable. See your helmets? Look on the inside. It should have a sticker that says IRO, which stands for the International Riding Organization. The means the helmet is perfectly safe. If you wear a helmet without IRO or E-G-L, you will have to not ride that day. After three penalties you will be sent home. Any questions?” Ms. Reg said. The campers did not have but a one, so they began the lesson.
“Today we will walk mostly, of course, but we will also trot a little. Tomorrow will be the same way, and then on Wednesday we should be cantering a little. By next week, you will be able to go over jumps almost 2 feet high.”
That was when the lesson began. Josie was very good at keeping her heels down, shoulders back, sitting up straight, and looking forward. Ms. Reg was very impressed.
“You are doing very well, Josie.” she said with a smile. Josie could not have felt better. After about 15 minutes they were ordered to trot. Josie quickly starting posting at the bounce in Reds step. It was very relaxing. She almost did not have to though. Red had the smoothest gait, which felt closer to a nice jog in the park with a horse than sitting 90 degree weather in a riding arena. Her jodhpurs were getting sweaty, and starting to chaff her knees. Her helmet was covered in sweat, along with her feet and face. Her boots made her feet hurt very bad, but all of this was not thought of while riding. She had always been taught to concentrate, which was what she was doing. She felt an uneven jolt while she was trotting, but everything seemed fine...
After the ride they had lunch.
“Yum, cheese sandwich, crackers, an orange and water.” Maddie said in disgust what was for lunch.
“Oh, you are just picky,” Josie paused. “and no way am I trading my tuna salad for it!” she said with a smirk.
“Your mom only packed food for a couple days, Josie, so we’ll be getting the same stuff after this!” Maddie smiled evilly.
Natasha came back with warm chili and a sandwich.
“But... How?” Maddie stuttered.
“Your parents either bought you a warm lunch daily or cold, I guess you got cold. That’s why your name was on the paper. I heard the cold costs a lot less.” said Natasha simply. Maddie frowned deeply and Josie laughed. So much for that!
“Now class, I want you to listen. A wonderful rider is coming to show you her riding. I want you to treat her with respect, after all, she is a pro. She has won 318 blue ribbons, 120 red ribbons, and only 60 yellow ribbons. And, she came here to learn to ride! That’s right, right here. In fact, Cheryl taught her the ropes. Her horse is named Flare, and he is a Dutch Warm blood stallion. Beautiful, grey, and muscular. He was sired by Hycynthia, and…”
“Hycynthia!” everyone cried out. He was a great jumper and the won the Olympics 4 times. His family tree was traced back to the finest racers, jumpers, and dressage horses. Some would say he was worth millions.
“Yes, Hycynthia, and dammed by Hot Spot. She should be here momentarily.” the instructor finished.
At that moment, a tall skinny woman stepped up the stairs. She had a wonderful smile, and long, dark brown hair. She led her horse by a very fine lead line, which looked covered in gold. Her horse tossed his fine, sleek head and looked down at the students as if they were ants. Butlers brought her saddle and bridle. Butlers! Wow, she must be fancy and rich! Josie thought. Then, another butler came to put them on. She must be... Rosita Gunnel! Josie thought. The greatest rider in the world...
Rosita Gunnel really was a great rider. She was only about 30, and already had won so many trophies and medals. Josie admired her for a rider, but not so much a person. She always seemed so cold when she was talking to cameramen or something. Her smile was great, even warm, but it still looked fake sometimes. Today was probably the happiest Josie had ever seen her. At least she was kind to her horses, from the looks of it. Still, she wouldn’t want to spend the whole afternoon with her.
The ride was absolutely beautiful. Horse and rider as one, contrary to a pair. The horse had a nice step, without one mistake. The walk was so subtle, so soft, so fine. The muscle on him gleamed, with his veins showing every part of his beautiful legs and face. The conformation he had was that of a champion, like the finest horse in the world. She pushed him into a trot, which was when he really looked like a horse off a professional picture. You could usually detect the signals the rider gives the horse a little, but not in this case. It was like she only whispered to him to get him to go. He really, really, looked like Hycynthia. Could he jump like him? The riding arena had a few jumps up, ranging from 2 to 6 feet! Josie had always thought that much of a range was too much, but apparently they knew what they were doing...
Flare started to canter at the touch of Rosita’s heels, Flare cantered to the first jump. It was about 2.5 feet high, a little pop would be the only thing that Flare would have to do to get over it. As predicted, Flare popped over the jump like it was not even there. He went over another jump, probably close to 3 feet high. It looked as if wings sprouted out before every jump, making him land perfectly. As she made him approach a bigger jump, about 5 feet, Josie gritted her teeth. Like all the other jumps, he just soared. Then came the 6 footer. Josie watched as Flare pushed up with all his might and landed with a thud. A clear round! Josie just imagined what would have happened if she was on that horse. She thought of a horrible fall and really appreciated how hard this rider had worked to get to this position in her riding.
“Well, you have just seen the best riding that you probably ever will. She will be joining us for dinner so you can ask her any questions you may have... I’m sure you have quite a few.” said their instructor.
“So, is it true you are only 30 years old? Is Flare worth over a million dollars? Where do you live?” was the clatter of a bunch of girls trying to get to know Rosita.
“I cant believe they are falling all over her. She may be a good rider, but nobody could deny that she is as cold as ice. I mean, she has not laughed once!” Josie commented to Maddie. “Well,” Maddie said while playing with her lasagna.
She probably has a lot on her mind. She goes to competitions virtually every day.” Josie thought about this.
“Well, maybe. At least shell be gone tomorrow.”
Chapter 3
Josie woke up refreshed. It was a Tuesday, and a beautiful one at that. Sun shone through the cabin window. As soon as it hit Maddies face, she turned over in frustration. Josie smiled at the angry look Maddie had, despite the fact she was still asleep. Josie went over to her pack and got a shirt and jodhpurs. She hurried in the bathroom and quickly changed. She was wearing a pretty blue top with flowers and horses on it. Her jodhpurs were also blue, with a matching hair band.
She slipped out of the bathroom and outside. She looked into the woods and beyond to the hills. She saw horses grazing in a peaceful manner. There was nowhere she would rather be. Josie decided to go to the cafeteria to help out.
“Josie!” cried out Ginger, one of the cafeteria staff. “Glad you are up. You can frost the cinnamon rolls now that you are here.”
“okay, but they wont have much frosting on them when I’m done!“ Josie giggled.
“How do you like it here?” Ginger asked.
“Oh, its wonderful! Red is wonderful, don’t you think? Her trot is like, I don’t know, an average horses walk?”
“Oh, I wouldn’t know anything about the horses. I really don’t like them much, this was the only job I could find involving food. I don’t hate them, of course, but I would never ride or work with them. But, I love the dogs around here. The cats are okay, too.” Ginger said confidently, like she shouldn’t be ashamed about it at all.
“So, the only reason you work here is because of the food?” Josie felt her heart rip. Ginger had seemed so nice, she was surprised that they actually had very little in common after all.
“Yeah, but I am starting to like the horses a little more…” she tried to make Josie think she was not that bad of a guy. “Lets get these cinnamon rolls frosted, everybody should come in soon.”
“Keep those heels down! Celia., you are not a ballerina!” shouted the instructor for the 50th time.
“You know what’s funny?” Maddie whispered.
“No.” Josie replied.
“She really does take ballerina lessons! She goes to them about twice a week!”
Josie smiled. Poor Celia, it must have been unusual to switch from always heels down to never. Celia probably made a wonderful ballerina with that shape, though. It was perfect for a ballerinas. She was also very thin.
“Madison!” yelled the instructor. “Come here at once. I need you to trot around the arena for a bit. That horse of yours is getting unruly.”
“Only if you think unruly is your horse shifting its weight. What a grouch!” Maddie said, aghast. “Our instructor yesterday was definitely better. Still, Celia finally got the heels down rule! She cant be that bad!”
After another 2 hours of correction, the girls finally had lunch. Josie hopped off Red and started to rub her down. Red started to nicker. Josie patted Red and went to get a dandy brush. Just then, Celia came in with Thunder. Thunder started to get near Red, a bit too near. Red put her ears back and started to nip him. Before anyone knew it, they were kicking. Josie returned and dropped her brush.
Red! Celia, get him away!” but it was a bit too late. Thunder struck once more and hit Red right in the forearm. Red squealed in pain, and raised her leg up off the ground. Thunder gave one more snort and got away.
“Oh no! Josie, I’m sorry! It was my fault. I thought mares got along with geldings okay. Is she hurt badly?” Celia asked, scared to death.
“I do not know. Ill go get Ms. Reg!” Josie replied.
“We will have to call the vet. Celia, you should have known better. You cant get any horse that close, not at all. It has nothing to do with if the certain gender gets along with another. But geldings don’t usually get along with mares anyway. Now please go on.” replied Ms. Reg sharply. Celia lowered her head in shame. She should have known. Josie could not help feel sorry for Celia. She must feel awful.
“Celia... I’m sorry I was so upset. Forgive me?” Josie asked.
“Sure.” Celia replied. She was in no mood.
The vet came in about 20 minutes. She ran her hand along Reds leg, and pressing in certain spots where Red flinched. After about 5 minutes she stood up.
“Well,” the vet said. “This horses leg has been previously injured or something. I would not bet on it, but I think it is possible. Any injuries you know of?”
Ms. Reg thought some. “No, I actually cant recall any injuries. She is very sure-footed.”
Josie also thought about this. “She stumbled a bit when I was riding, if I recall, but I highly doubt it would cause an injury.” Josie replied. The vet stood up.
“Honey, I think it may not have been that little jolt, or stumble that did it but the reason why she stumbled is because of the injury. I really do not know, but there are places in the leg that should not hurt because of a kick. I run some tests on her.
Josie dropped her head and muttered “okay.”
The vet drove away with Red in a horse trailer. Her next lesson was in an hour, so Josie had to hurry.
“Ms. Reg?” Josie went up and asked. “Will I need to pick out another horse?”
“Umm... yes I think you will have to for the rest of the camp, probably. Lets go into the field.” Josie followed her to a different field, this one to the right of the barn. “The horses in the pasture are a bit for experienced riders... I thought you would be able to control a horse from this field easy enough.”
Josie went over to a big bay, who was probably close to 16 hands. He laid his ears back and tried to snatch her. Josie backed away and scolded him.
“That is our young Razzle. He is temperamental.”
Josie agreed 100%, and moved onto the next horse. Jasper was his name, a quirky but sweet enough pony. He was a bit too small for Josie, so off she went for yet another horse.
After a few more horses, Josie picked a grey horse named Troy, a Swedish Warm blood/ Arab mix. She put him on a lead line and led him to the barn. He was acting up a lot more here, but what would expect from a horse in the field Kings?
Chapter 1
Josie woke up with her long hair spreading across her face. It was morning, and the sun peaked up just over the horizon. Her sun-bathed room showed many pictures of horses. Big, powerful horses running, jumping, and just looking magnificent. In four days, her friend Maddie and her were going to horse camp for two weeks. She herself did not have a horse, but she was great at riding. She also knew very much about horses. They had plenty of space for a horse- and enough money- but they just couldn’t find enough horses for sale. It was weird, as they lived in Lexington, Kentucky. There used to be horses there. In fact, it used to be a great business with Western, English, racing, and so much more. But it had all died down before Josie was born. By that time, only one old sickly mare lived there and before Josie turned two, she died. Even though she was very young, Josie still remembered the mares warm, tickling breath on her face. But all that was done and over with. She looked up at her favorite horse picture. It had a roan mustang on it with a flowing mane and tail. The horse looked down at her like it wanted her to get on his back and run with the wind. It was great to daydream, but she needed to get ready.
She slipped on her jeans with light, faint pink hearts on it. Then she slipped on her favorite shirt with a black horse and a pink faint outlining and glaze around the horse decreasing as it went to the back of the shirt. She was a very skinny, small girl. She was 13, but she could fit in a long 7/8 to 10/12 in children’s, depending on the brand. She was also pretty short for her age, too, but she could not care less. She had a good shape, which she liked.
“Honey, time for breakfast!” her mom called. Josie put on her favorite necklace and ran downstairs.
“I fixed your favorite, honey. Bacon and pancakes.” her mom said with a smile.
“Thanks, just what I wanted.” Josie replied.
After having one pancake and two bacon strips, she helped her dad with the chores.
“What do you want me to do?”
“Umm, you can paint part of the barn, the paint is in the shed. Red, please.”
“Sure, but why?”
“It looks bad, and disgraceful on the property. I may even get a goat or two.”
Josie looked at her father confused. He did not ever have goats. But he always had liked them, and the neighbors had a few for sale. Josie found the paint in the very back. Along with it a little note. Please feed Jerry, Jill. Just a note from my Grandma to feed one of the horses. thought Josie. It was not the first one she had seen, her Grandma had left plenty of notes around the farm before. She stuffed it in her pocket and started working.
After she covered all she could reach, she went to feed the three dogs.
“Hold your horses, Comet.” She told the very greedy Border Collie. He whined and pawed at the dog food. Thankfully the cats and the other two dogs were not as impatient. Josie strolled outside to the fence.
“Maddie said that I needed to call her, she said it was pretty important. May I?” Josie smiled and put her sweet smile on.
“Why not, I got this tractor under control.” Ron said. “Just don’t use it long, Sarah is supposed to call so she can meet your mom for lunch.”
Josie called Maddie.
“So what did you want, you said it was important.” Josie was not mad, but usually Maddies news was usually not much more than getting a new flower or something.
“Well, I talked to mom and she said that we are going to a sleep-away camp. It has a game room, swimming pool, arts room, and a cafeteria. I heard they have about 100 horses at the camp. Including a beautiful Arabian show horse.” said Maddie, excited. Josie was excited too! How great would it be to be in a sleep-away camp for two weeks straight! She had known they were going to camp, but not a sleep-away camp! This would be beyond fun!
“That is so great! How many hours of riding are we doing?” Josie let the question pour out.
“I think about as much as we want. They have a lot of woods and trails and stuff. I heard it is one of the best. Anna sounded very excited now, just to be saying it.”
After talking a bit more the girls hung up. Josie felt extra, extra excited now! A sleep-away horse camp for two weeks would be so fun. With Maddie along, anything was possible. She just couldn’t wait!
Chapter 2
It was camp day! Josie felt positive and in a good mood, wanting to get going right away. She rushed downstairs to the smell of biscuits and gravy, delicious! After she ate, she went to pack her clothes. Her mom had told her that there was a laundry mat there, so she only packed about 10 shirts and 8 pairs of pants. After that she packed her horse figures in a small backpack. It would make the cabin feel like home. Last, she got out a little purse-like bag and put toothpaste and hair brushes in it. When her mom told her it was time to go, she couldn’t have been more ready.
Josie hopped into the red SUV. It was a very nice vehicle, complete with two table-like structures, many compartments, and perfect little stands for her horse figures. It even had a DVD player with it to watch, of course, horse movies. They soon pulled up to Maddies house and loaded her stuff in. After a few goodbyes, they were off.
The ride was a long wait. As they were driving, Josie imagined trotting in a circle in a nice indoor arena. Jumping, showing, it was all good! She tried to imagine what the horse would be named, what color it would be, and how it would act. She did not have to wait long. Sooner than she thought, they pulled up. MAJORITY RANCH said a sign floating in the breeze. The fields were somewhat big and small. The biggest looked about 12 acres. This was a very nice place. Nicer than she would have ever guessed.
“Welcome students! I hope you will come here and let me introduce all of you!” cried a teacher. Oh boy, Josie thought. She wanted to meet the horses more than anything!
First there was a 14-year-old named Natasha. She had dark brown hair and eyes, and a wonderful smile. She said she had been riding for almost two years now. Then came Sierra, a mean snobby looking girl probably not much older than 11 or 12. She had thick, red, and very curly hair. She specifically stated she wanted a cabin of her own. Thankfully, she was going into Nickers-and- Neighs, a special group with their own horses. Then there was Georgia, a small, skinny girl about 13, who also had her own horse. After they met everyone, Josie was in the Saddle group, with the most experienced riders. There were only 4 of them, including Josie, Maddie, Natasha, and another girl named Celia. As Josie was putting up clothes, she decided to talk to her cabin mates.
“How long have you been riding, Celia?” Josie asked.
“Well,” Celia said with a smile. “Almost 3 years now. I have not cantered-yet. I hope I get to here.” She seemed very nice. Josie was looking forward to riding with her.
“I know this is the moment you have been looking forward to. Well, time to pick your horses!” said a counselor. She led them to a big field with the school horses. They were so beautiful!!! Josie hoped she would get one she liked. She had her eyes on a deep, red chestnut. Her flowing mane and tail floated in the breeze. She was absolutely gorgeous! Maddie picked a nice little chestnut named Teddy. He was only about 14.3 hands tall. Celia picked a beautiful grey horse named Thunder. He was tall, probably a thoroughbred. Natasha picked a bay mare named Jessie. Josie finally got to pick. Thankfully, the dark chestnut was still available.
“Her name is Red, she is one of the best trained horses I have ever met.” said the counselor. Red nickered softly. Josie patted her and lead her to the barn.
She started rubbing Red down with hard, circular motions. Then she got a hard brush and used it in long, smooth strokes. After the hard brush was a dandy brush. Reds coat was even more shiny now. When she went to get a saddle, she bumped into one of the school girls, Maya.
“Hi! I’m Josie. Maybe we can ride sometime.” Josie replied with a grin. The girl looked at her and gave her a look.
“I would not ride with you if my life depended on it.” she said with a smirk. Josie looked hurt when the girl explained: “I have my own horse, which I should mention is a champion Swedish Warm blood, and he is better than any horse here. Besides that, I am a lot more sophisticated than you.“ Josie was very shocked. She also gave her a look and got a nice saddle blanket. It was very nice, a beautiful milky white with a blue stripe around the border. Then she got a nice black saddle. It could not be more than a few months old. She went and put the two on Red and went to get her bridle. It actually had a little wear and tear, and a cute little beaded string with the word Red in red, yellow, and blue. She smiled and went to her horse. When she got there, she put the bridle on Red. Red took her nose and searched for some apples in her pockets. Seeing none, she turned and huffed.
“Oh you cant be disappointed for that.” Josie giggled. This was great. She had not noticed that Red had the same color hair as she did, and with her one white sock she even matched Josie’s skin.
“Okay campers, time to bring your horses out. You wont be able to ride by yourselves in the fields for a couple days, not until we know you are perfectly capable. See your helmets? Look on the inside. It should have a sticker that says IRO, which stands for the International Riding Organization. The means the helmet is perfectly safe. If you wear a helmet without IRO or E-G-L, you will have to not ride that day. After three penalties you will be sent home. Any questions?” Ms. Reg said. The campers did not have but a one, so they began the lesson.
“Today we will walk mostly, of course, but we will also trot a little. Tomorrow will be the same way, and then on Wednesday we should be cantering a little. By next week, you will be able to go over jumps almost 2 feet high.”
That was when the lesson began. Josie was very good at keeping her heels down, shoulders back, sitting up straight, and looking forward. Ms. Reg was very impressed.
“You are doing very well, Josie.” she said with a smile. Josie could not have felt better. After about 15 minutes they were ordered to trot. Josie quickly starting posting at the bounce in Reds step. It was very relaxing. She almost did not have to though. Red had the smoothest gait, which felt closer to a nice jog in the park with a horse than sitting 90 degree weather in a riding arena. Her jodhpurs were getting sweaty, and starting to chaff her knees. Her helmet was covered in sweat, along with her feet and face. Her boots made her feet hurt very bad, but all of this was not thought of while riding. She had always been taught to concentrate, which was what she was doing. She felt an uneven jolt while she was trotting, but everything seemed fine...
After the ride they had lunch.
“Yum, cheese sandwich, crackers, an orange and water.” Maddie said in disgust what was for lunch.
“Oh, you are just picky,” Josie paused. “and no way am I trading my tuna salad for it!” she said with a smirk.
“Your mom only packed food for a couple days, Josie, so we’ll be getting the same stuff after this!” Maddie smiled evilly.
Natasha came back with warm chili and a sandwich.
“But... How?” Maddie stuttered.
“Your parents either bought you a warm lunch daily or cold, I guess you got cold. That’s why your name was on the paper. I heard the cold costs a lot less.” said Natasha simply. Maddie frowned deeply and Josie laughed. So much for that!
“Now class, I want you to listen. A wonderful rider is coming to show you her riding. I want you to treat her with respect, after all, she is a pro. She has won 318 blue ribbons, 120 red ribbons, and only 60 yellow ribbons. And, she came here to learn to ride! That’s right, right here. In fact, Cheryl taught her the ropes. Her horse is named Flare, and he is a Dutch Warm blood stallion. Beautiful, grey, and muscular. He was sired by Hycynthia, and…”
“Hycynthia!” everyone cried out. He was a great jumper and the won the Olympics 4 times. His family tree was traced back to the finest racers, jumpers, and dressage horses. Some would say he was worth millions.
“Yes, Hycynthia, and dammed by Hot Spot. She should be here momentarily.” the instructor finished.
At that moment, a tall skinny woman stepped up the stairs. She had a wonderful smile, and long, dark brown hair. She led her horse by a very fine lead line, which looked covered in gold. Her horse tossed his fine, sleek head and looked down at the students as if they were ants. Butlers brought her saddle and bridle. Butlers! Wow, she must be fancy and rich! Josie thought. Then, another butler came to put them on. She must be... Rosita Gunnel! Josie thought. The greatest rider in the world...
Rosita Gunnel really was a great rider. She was only about 30, and already had won so many trophies and medals. Josie admired her for a rider, but not so much a person. She always seemed so cold when she was talking to cameramen or something. Her smile was great, even warm, but it still looked fake sometimes. Today was probably the happiest Josie had ever seen her. At least she was kind to her horses, from the looks of it. Still, she wouldn’t want to spend the whole afternoon with her.
The ride was absolutely beautiful. Horse and rider as one, contrary to a pair. The horse had a nice step, without one mistake. The walk was so subtle, so soft, so fine. The muscle on him gleamed, with his veins showing every part of his beautiful legs and face. The conformation he had was that of a champion, like the finest horse in the world. She pushed him into a trot, which was when he really looked like a horse off a professional picture. You could usually detect the signals the rider gives the horse a little, but not in this case. It was like she only whispered to him to get him to go. He really, really, looked like Hycynthia. Could he jump like him? The riding arena had a few jumps up, ranging from 2 to 6 feet! Josie had always thought that much of a range was too much, but apparently they knew what they were doing...
Flare started to canter at the touch of Rosita’s heels, Flare cantered to the first jump. It was about 2.5 feet high, a little pop would be the only thing that Flare would have to do to get over it. As predicted, Flare popped over the jump like it was not even there. He went over another jump, probably close to 3 feet high. It looked as if wings sprouted out before every jump, making him land perfectly. As she made him approach a bigger jump, about 5 feet, Josie gritted her teeth. Like all the other jumps, he just soared. Then came the 6 footer. Josie watched as Flare pushed up with all his might and landed with a thud. A clear round! Josie just imagined what would have happened if she was on that horse. She thought of a horrible fall and really appreciated how hard this rider had worked to get to this position in her riding.
“Well, you have just seen the best riding that you probably ever will. She will be joining us for dinner so you can ask her any questions you may have... I’m sure you have quite a few.” said their instructor.
“So, is it true you are only 30 years old? Is Flare worth over a million dollars? Where do you live?” was the clatter of a bunch of girls trying to get to know Rosita.
“I cant believe they are falling all over her. She may be a good rider, but nobody could deny that she is as cold as ice. I mean, she has not laughed once!” Josie commented to Maddie. “Well,” Maddie said while playing with her lasagna.
She probably has a lot on her mind. She goes to competitions virtually every day.” Josie thought about this.
“Well, maybe. At least shell be gone tomorrow.”
Chapter 3
Josie woke up refreshed. It was a Tuesday, and a beautiful one at that. Sun shone through the cabin window. As soon as it hit Maddies face, she turned over in frustration. Josie smiled at the angry look Maddie had, despite the fact she was still asleep. Josie went over to her pack and got a shirt and jodhpurs. She hurried in the bathroom and quickly changed. She was wearing a pretty blue top with flowers and horses on it. Her jodhpurs were also blue, with a matching hair band.
She slipped out of the bathroom and outside. She looked into the woods and beyond to the hills. She saw horses grazing in a peaceful manner. There was nowhere she would rather be. Josie decided to go to the cafeteria to help out.
“Josie!” cried out Ginger, one of the cafeteria staff. “Glad you are up. You can frost the cinnamon rolls now that you are here.”
“okay, but they wont have much frosting on them when I’m done!“ Josie giggled.
“How do you like it here?” Ginger asked.
“Oh, its wonderful! Red is wonderful, don’t you think? Her trot is like, I don’t know, an average horses walk?”
“Oh, I wouldn’t know anything about the horses. I really don’t like them much, this was the only job I could find involving food. I don’t hate them, of course, but I would never ride or work with them. But, I love the dogs around here. The cats are okay, too.” Ginger said confidently, like she shouldn’t be ashamed about it at all.
“So, the only reason you work here is because of the food?” Josie felt her heart rip. Ginger had seemed so nice, she was surprised that they actually had very little in common after all.
“Yeah, but I am starting to like the horses a little more…” she tried to make Josie think she was not that bad of a guy. “Lets get these cinnamon rolls frosted, everybody should come in soon.”
“Keep those heels down! Celia., you are not a ballerina!” shouted the instructor for the 50th time.
“You know what’s funny?” Maddie whispered.
“No.” Josie replied.
“She really does take ballerina lessons! She goes to them about twice a week!”
Josie smiled. Poor Celia, it must have been unusual to switch from always heels down to never. Celia probably made a wonderful ballerina with that shape, though. It was perfect for a ballerinas. She was also very thin.
“Madison!” yelled the instructor. “Come here at once. I need you to trot around the arena for a bit. That horse of yours is getting unruly.”
“Only if you think unruly is your horse shifting its weight. What a grouch!” Maddie said, aghast. “Our instructor yesterday was definitely better. Still, Celia finally got the heels down rule! She cant be that bad!”
After another 2 hours of correction, the girls finally had lunch. Josie hopped off Red and started to rub her down. Red started to nicker. Josie patted Red and went to get a dandy brush. Just then, Celia came in with Thunder. Thunder started to get near Red, a bit too near. Red put her ears back and started to nip him. Before anyone knew it, they were kicking. Josie returned and dropped her brush.
Red! Celia, get him away!” but it was a bit too late. Thunder struck once more and hit Red right in the forearm. Red squealed in pain, and raised her leg up off the ground. Thunder gave one more snort and got away.
“Oh no! Josie, I’m sorry! It was my fault. I thought mares got along with geldings okay. Is she hurt badly?” Celia asked, scared to death.
“I do not know. Ill go get Ms. Reg!” Josie replied.
“We will have to call the vet. Celia, you should have known better. You cant get any horse that close, not at all. It has nothing to do with if the certain gender gets along with another. But geldings don’t usually get along with mares anyway. Now please go on.” replied Ms. Reg sharply. Celia lowered her head in shame. She should have known. Josie could not help feel sorry for Celia. She must feel awful.
“Celia... I’m sorry I was so upset. Forgive me?” Josie asked.
“Sure.” Celia replied. She was in no mood.
The vet came in about 20 minutes. She ran her hand along Reds leg, and pressing in certain spots where Red flinched. After about 5 minutes she stood up.
“Well,” the vet said. “This horses leg has been previously injured or something. I would not bet on it, but I think it is possible. Any injuries you know of?”
Ms. Reg thought some. “No, I actually cant recall any injuries. She is very sure-footed.”
Josie also thought about this. “She stumbled a bit when I was riding, if I recall, but I highly doubt it would cause an injury.” Josie replied. The vet stood up.
“Honey, I think it may not have been that little jolt, or stumble that did it but the reason why she stumbled is because of the injury. I really do not know, but there are places in the leg that should not hurt because of a kick. I run some tests on her.
Josie dropped her head and muttered “okay.”
The vet drove away with Red in a horse trailer. Her next lesson was in an hour, so Josie had to hurry.
“Ms. Reg?” Josie went up and asked. “Will I need to pick out another horse?”
“Umm... yes I think you will have to for the rest of the camp, probably. Lets go into the field.” Josie followed her to a different field, this one to the right of the barn. “The horses in the pasture are a bit for experienced riders... I thought you would be able to control a horse from this field easy enough.”
Josie went over to a big bay, who was probably close to 16 hands. He laid his ears back and tried to snatch her. Josie backed away and scolded him.
“That is our young Razzle. He is temperamental.”
Josie agreed 100%, and moved onto the next horse. Jasper was his name, a quirky but sweet enough pony. He was a bit too small for Josie, so off she went for yet another horse.
After a few more horses, Josie picked a grey horse named Troy, a Swedish Warm blood/ Arab mix. She put him on a lead line and led him to the barn. He was acting up a lot more here, but what would expect from a horse in the field Kings?