Yay! I'm back with the next chapter already! I'm feeling good about this one. I hope you like it, and please review at the end! It makes me so happy!
Barriss followed Katy to the stables.
"So, I heard you turned fourteen yesterday." Katy said in a friendly voice.
"Uh… Y-Yeah…" She stuttered. No matter how hard she tried to muster up the strength to talk clearly and loudly, she just couldn't do it. The thought of even trying was terrifying.
"So, these are the horses. I'll introduce you as we go. This is Yankee," she gestured to a light bay stallion. All the names were engraved in plaques on their stall doors. "This is Daydream, and her foal, Hope."
Barriss looked in the stall to see a silver horse with a white dappled coat, and her foal was a blue roan. She was very fond of the gray-ish colors that these two horses happened to have. The next three horses introduced were all browns of slightly different shades and one of them had stockings, the other a single sock on the hind-left leg, and the third had socks on all her legs except the hind-right.
"This is Zipper, he's very sweet. This pretty mare is Lilly, and this is Mitsy. Mitsy can be a little fussy though, so be careful around her." Katy warned.
Barriss began to feel more comfortable as she spent time around the horses. They were so big and calm. It always had an effect on her. It was part of why she loved them.
"This is Mr. Murry." She said, reaching out her hand to touch the black stallion. He was so big, wide and muscular. He almost looked like a draft horse. But she knew her horses well, and he wasn't a draft horse.
"The rest of the horses here have owners, but I'll still show them to you."
She gave her a tour of the ranch, showing Barriss all the meadows, riding courses, horses, and supply rooms. By the time they were through, Barriss felt almost completely free to say anything she wanted.
"So where will I work?" She asked, still a little quiet, but nowhere near where she was before.
"Well, since you've worked with horses before, I'm sure you know what you're doing?"
"Y-Yes. I'm v-very ex…experienced."
"Hmm, very experienced, huh?" She spoke almost as though she were speaking to a six-year-old. "Well it looks like we've got a genuine horse lover here. How about for now, I put you in charge of feeding and exercising the horses. And you can ride them too of course."
"…Could I…m-maybe ride…one…now…"
"Of course. Who do you want to ride?"
Barriss shrugged. She didn't know the personality of any of these horses. She had no idea which one she should ride.
"How I put you on Hip Hop? He's one of our schooling horses, so he's had a lot of kids on his back." Katy suggested.
Barriss shrugged again and followed Katy to Hip Hop's stable.
"Would you like to take it from here?" Katy offered. Barriss knew what she was doing, but she was afraid of what people might say about her. She didn't want to mess up somehow and be made fun of. So, she took a step backwards, a gesture saying she didn't want to do it.
"Oh, come on."
Barriss shook her head and planted her feet on the ground.
"You can do it. I won't judge you."
Barriss looked at her for a minute before she opened the stall and put Hip Hop's halter on. As she led him to the tack room, she completely forgot that Katy was even there. Everything came naturally as she put the tack on Hip Hop. With nimble, confident fingers, she put his saddle on and tightened the girth just where it needed to be. She put his bridle on him and took the reins to lead him out.
As the girl turned around, she remembered Katy was there and her gaze shot to the ground once again. Katy handed her a helmet. Barriss wasn't in riding cloths, but the helmet was all she really needed. Boots would be easier, but the high-tops she was in would work fine for an easy riding session.
Barriss -following Katy- led Hip Hop to a show-jumping course. Katy set up seven hurdles. They weren't very high, but maybe Hip Hop wasn't a good jumper. Katy would know if that was so.
Barriss automatically, using just muscle memory, put one foot in the stirrup, and swung her leg over as she pulled herself onto his back. It was all just second nature, but Katy seemed impressed in how confident she was.
The teen started him forward in a trot to get used to his gait, still slightly aware of Katy's eyes on her. His trot was a little bumpy. But once she moved him into a canter, it was a little better. His canter was fairly smooth and his responses to her rein and leg aids were quick and fairly accurate.
After a few minutes of simply adjusting to his gait, she turned him towards the first cavalletti. His land was a bit difficult, but the rest was smooth.
"Good boy." She patted him. Jumping must be hard for him, because the higher the jump, the more difficult it was to stay on him when he landed.
She turned him to the final cavalletti and jumped over, praising him right after.
"Good job, Barriss." Katy praised as Barriss slowed to a stop in front of her. "That was a very good ride. You've clearly had a lot of practice. Would you like to try some dressage? He's more skilled in that than he is in jumping."
"Okay."
"How advanced are you?"
"I'm pretty good. I can do almost every thing except for school jumps."
"I don't think Hip Hop can do school jumps anyway." Katy laughed as she led Barriss -still mounted on Hip Hop- to the dressage arena. He wasn't wearing a snaffle bit or the proper saddle, so they did have to go to the tack room and put them on him. But other than that, there were no delays.
"So, instead of doing a course, I thought I could give you commands, and you do the move."
"Alright." Barriss nodded as she entered the arena. She started with a halt and salute like every rider was meant to do. Then, she brought him into a trot and awaited the commands that Katy would give.
"Canter."
Barriss brought Hip Hop into a canter. His canter was so smooth that it hardly took any effort to stay on him.
"Half-pass."
The teen was shocked. Could this really be the same horse she was jumping with? His-half pass was beautiful!
"Leg-yield." She ordered. Barriss used her aids and guided him into the leg-yield.
"Good. Extended trot."
Hip Hop's extended trot was better than his regular trot. Barriss went back into a canter and looped around as she waited for the next command.
"Change of lead."
Performed.
"Okay, one last one. A harder one. Piaffe."
Barriss aided him. It wasn't very good. Clearly, neither her, nor Hip Hop were very good.
"Okay, go ahead and finish off." Katy instructed .
The teen pulled her horse to a stop so she could do the halt and salute before she trotted out of the arena.
"You were right." Barriss said, looking down at the older woman. "He is definitely trained very strictly in dressage."
"Yes he is. He's a good boy. It's actually a bit of a problem. Sometimes during show jumping or cross country, he thinks you're giving him a command. But maybe you could help him with that since you'll be here quite often."
"Yeah, I could do that. If he's a schooling horse he definitely needs to be accurate… How often will I be here?"
"Well, I was thinking maybe you could do the evening feeding and all forms of exercise whenever you feel like it."
"Okay… can I come early to ride?"
"You can come as early as you want! I'm usually up by six to feed and groom. I prefer riding in the evening, but if you like early morning rides, you go for it!"
"Okay! So I'll be back tomorrow, then?"
"Every day. You can come every day." Katy smiled.
"Really? O-Okay." Barriss nodded, getting excited. "Where can I ride? Who can I ride?"
"You can ride as far out as you want. Go to the tops of the mountains if you feel like it! Just don't go on any other rancher's property. And you can ride any of my horses, and most of the owned ones. I'll put a pink marker on the stalls of the ones you can ride, okay?"
"Alright! This is so great! I've never had so much freedom before!"
"Where do you usually ride?" The brunette asked, cocking her head slightly.
"The Oak River academy. We actually have a competition coming up in about a month. I've been practicing really hard for that."
"Really? I could help you work on your skills if you want."
"That's okay. I already have a coach."
"That's fine. I wouldn't want to confuse you. Oh, Will, come here!" Katy called to a blonde haired boy who was about Barriss's age. She was actually fairly familiar with him. He was a Jedi at the Coruscant temple and a very talented rider. She never really talked to him, but she knew who he was.
"Will, this is Barriss. She's going to start working here now. Barriss, this is Will. He's been riding here for almost two years now." Katy introduced.
"Ah, yes. I know you from the temple, right? You're the spoiled rich girl."
Barriss felt her shyness rush back suddenly and violently. She almost fell off her mount at Will's taunting and the fact that she did not want to talk to someone she hardly knew.
"I- Uh, th- w…"
Katy, seeing Barriss's reaction, quickly jumped in. "Oh, so you two know each other already. That's interesting. Now you'll be seeing a lot more of each other since you'll both be here."
Barriss looked down nervously, her heart pounding a tattoo in her chest and her cheeks growing hotter by the second.
"Okay." Katy said with a loud clap. "Why don't you go groom Melody, Will, and Barriss, you can take off Hip Hop's tack and give him his evening feed."
"Yeah." Will muttered, walking towards the barn.
Katy turned to Barriss, concern plastered all over her face. "You alright?"
"Y-Yeah…"
"Okay… Off you go then."
Silently, Barriss nudged Hip Hop towards the tack room and took off his saddle and bridle before making her way to the stalls. She threw a flake of hay in his trough and gave him some mash. It felt good to be alone. Just her and the horses.
"Good boy, Hip Hop. Good." She praised, petting him, one arm draped over his neck as he chewed on his food. "You were a very good boy today. We've gotta' work on your piaffe though."
He nickered and turned his head a fraction to look at her.
"And your jumping could use some work too, huh?"
The light bay horse stared at her for a moment before dipping his head back down to grab more hay. Barriss giggled and scratched his shoulder blades. He let out a huff and lifted his head a little.
Barriss checked her phone and seeing as it was almost five, kissed Hip Hop on the neck and left his stall.
"Alright you guys. I'll be back tomorrow real early, and one of you is going to go riding. So, be ready. It's gonna be fun."
Some of the horses turned their ears as they listened, most of them looking up.
"Okay, bye. See you all tomorrow." She waved.
As the girl ran out of the barn, she walked up to Katy who was sitting in the tack room polishing a saddle.
"Hi, Barriss." She smiled, looking up. "Your master will be here soon."
"I know… Hey, uh, thanks for giving me the opportunity to work here."
"You're welcome. Honestly, I'm glad you warmed up to it so fast. Your master says you're really shy. But you seem to like me and the horses."
"Yeah. I'm really comfortable here."
"I can tell. Well, I'll see you tomorrow."
"You as well." Barriss dipped her head and turned to leave.
Oh yeah I'll be back tomorrow!
Barriss walked down the trail to meet her master half-way. She wasn't going to say much about her day. Just that she was happy to work there. It was true though. She truly was happy to be here.
Okay, all done! Please leave me a review! And I'll see you again soon!