Chapter 1

I woke up feeling overheated. To me, this was such a pain. Here in the Tweed Shire, well anywhere in Germaine, getting overheated was easy but staying cool was hard. I heard Mum in the kitchen. There were racketing sounds everywhere. The sounds of pots and pans, but I didn't want to get out of my bed.

It turns out that in my bed it was too hot but outside would normally be too cold, especially of this time of a morning. I wiped my face in frustration and groaned. I rolled my eyes saying to myself that I didn't want to get up. I was lacking motivation and incentive. But I had to get up anyway. My Dad wanted some help with the Garbage our back door neighbour, Mr Ricochet, had kindly left for us and was sitting on the edge of our furthest paddock. What a nuisance! I pulled of the blankets and doona that was partially covering my body. I groaned in annoyance. I sat on my bed shaking my head to wake me up inside but it wasn't too successful. I gathered up my lost senses and got myself up, because I had too. I got myself changed into black jeans and a red short sleeved shirt. I started to walk but my legs started to give way to other forces. I was almost tripping over. My knee would crack so many times and it was irritating. I assembled myself, and headed downstairs for Breakfast but before I get breakfast I needed to go to the bathroom. I went around the corner and down the hall. For once the bathroom was free. Dad was almost always in there, he must've been ready before me.

Dad had said to go and get the horses tacked up the night before, so that is where I rushed off to. I couldn't be bothered having anything to eat. I slipped outside, with no sound, whatsoever. To the stable, my favourite place to be when I am at home. The sun was appearing on my face and it was quite humid as well, as the perspiration streamed down my face and body. I skipped past the horse post and fled into the stables beside the machinery shed. I saw my horse, Gem who is a Stock horse, Bred in Germaine but has ancestry lines that came from Australia. She was a bay mare, and could produce great foals if she wanted to. Instead I clearly saw she was not the mothering type, so we wouldn't breed her until she grew older and couldn't work anymore. I brought her out of her rugged stable box and out to the horse post. I tied a loose knot, which if she was spooked I could let her go with a quick pull of one end of the rope. I trotted back inside, to retrieve Dad's horse, Dan, Who was a black Quarter horse stallion. I grabbed his halter and put it on him. I attached the lead rope, and hauled him out next to Gem. I tied the same knot, and let them both stand there while I got the tack and equipment. I heaved out two all purpose saddles with Hanoverian bridles and two saddle blankets, and sat them on the horse post.

I went to Gem first. I removed her sweating summer rug and felt her sizzling body beneath my palms. I thought to myself I will wash her down afterwards. I grabbed her clean blanket and dashed it onto her, sitting on her withers. I positioned the saddle on her so the girth would rest in the right place, and the saddle wouldn't be much tension on her delicate back.

The girth fitted nicely but her gut would normally stick out. So I punched her in the gut and yelled out "Suck it in" and wallah I thought. The buckle went up one hole closer.

Now that the saddle was on her back tight and unable to move I grabbed the Hanoverian bridle from the end of the horse post. I unattached the lead rope and held on to her, on the bottom of her halter. I slipped on her bridle, putting the bit in her mouth first, between her teeth and over her tongue, and moved my way towards her ears. When it the Hanoverian was on, I checked to see if it was a good fit. I put a fist between her throat latch underneath her head. Two fingers between the cheek piece and her cheek. It was a good fit for her. I attached the lead rope on the bottom of her bridle and started to slip off her rope halter. She neighed happily. I then tied to lead rope to the horse post.

I then went over to Dan and repeated the same process. Remind you he acted a bit differently but that is expected.

After both horses were finished with the tacking, I fell to the ground and looked up at the sky, waiting for dad to come out. I saw a million pictures among the clouds that swelled up to gather over the shire. It was going to be a miserable day then I saw dad bring out some gear. He brought out a saddle bag for each of us. I saw him upside down as I rotated my head on the ground to look at him. He came over to the horses and sat the saddle bags on the horses and made sure they were restrained properly.

"Your horse is ready dad!" he simply replied sarcastically "oh yer? I can see that!"

I giggled with satisfaction. I sat up and examined the sky. I was quite a philosophical person and I philosophised my reasons for existence like most did at least at some stage of their life.