A/N: Sorry this took so long to update! There is a show next week and I have been riding my pony almost every day to try to get Pierre ready for it but alas, he still is a basket case when it comes to shows.
Disclaimer: If it were mine, you'd be reading this in Barnes and Noble instead of online. Everything else you don't recognize is mine, besides Dexter who I've borrowed from Brookestone Equestrian Center for the moment. Thanks guys :)
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Amy pulled her hair back and retied it. It was still early, perhaps nine or nine thirty. The sun had come out a little while ago, washing the barn and surrounding fields with brilliant warmth. Amy had long since shed the sweatshirt she had borrowed from Ty. Already, Amy could tell it was going to be hot today. Joni had arrived to help distribute feeds, and after personally seeing that the mouse left, Joni managed to convince Ty and Amy to help. Since both Ty and Amy had worked on the stalls while waiting for Joni's arrival, the only thing left to do was to work with the horses. Amy had turned Spindle and Sunny out last night and now was wishing she hadn't. Her two boys were covered from ears to hoof in mud, having enjoyed last night's rainstorm. She figured she would get a move on with the other horses and deal with bathing the geldings later. She rushed over to the board to check who needed to be exercised today, finding a note from Ty explaining that he went to pick up some more Senior Feed. She smiled at his all-caps handwriting and walked out into the barn.
The first task on the long list of things that needed to be done by the end of the day was to work with Dexter, a spunky two year old thoroughbred who had lost trust in his rider after an accident. He was destined for the track and had the stamina, speed, and breeding, but somehow he couldn't get passed the bells and whistles that came with the job. Amy carefully slipped the chain over the noseband of his leather halter as she led him out to the larger of the two round pens. The first step in helping the horse overcome his fear was to get him to put his trust in something solid, such as Amy. She first needed to see if he would join-up with her before asking his jockey to perform such tasks, in the rare event that Dexter refused to join up, the jockey's relationship with the horse would not be further harmed.
Amy hadn't really worked with many young racehorses and Ty insisted that she used all precautions necessary, such as the chain over his nose and wearing her helmet and body vest when Amy worked with him off the lead. If he spooked at tiny things while under the care of professionals, Ty didn't want to guess what he would do with an unfamiliar 5'4" girl.
Amy sighed as she slipped her vest on over her tank top and snapped her helmet on her head. She unclipped Dexter's lead, half expecting him to gallop off in a mad fury. When he stood by her side, Amy was slightly less than confused. She waved her arms, but he stood stock still. Finally, an idea came to mind. Amy let out a clapped her hands loudly, sending him flying in a panic.
"Trot!" She barked out, watching as Dexter scooted out towards the rail, clearly annoyed with Amy's voice. She had long given up on waving her arms. He flicked his ears towards her, the first sign in join-up that the horse was accepting her as a leader. She tossed the lead towards him, sending him in the other direction.
A thick line of sweat had begun to build on his bay neck as she chased him around the enclosure. The heat was intense and Amy was beginning to regret her decision to wear her vest and helmet. Dexter didn't seem dangerous or high-strung. In fact, he seemed a little low-key for a thoroughbred that had been on the track. Amy shrugged her vest off and unsnapped her helmet, careful to set them on the other side of the railing and out of harms way. She quickly turned her focus back to Dexter who was looking less than thrilled. In fact, he looked a little bored. Amy clucked twice and he broke into a canter. She tried to use her voice to soothe him, but he looked like he was having fun without her intervention. It was only a matter of minutes before Dexter began to chew at the ground. Amy clucked him around another lap before turning away and dropping her aggressive stance. She stood still, listening for his footfalls on the soft sand. When she didn't hear anything, she turned around, confused. He was standing on the outskirts of the arena, looking at her as if she was the most interesting thing in the world. She recoiled the lead and tossed it towards his flanks in feeble attempts to get him to chew again. Not a moment later, he showed the signs of wanting to join her. As soon as she turned and dropped her stance, however, he stayed out on the rail. This time, when Amy looked back, he didn't seem to care about the human in the center.
Amy sighed, exasperated. She had never had a horse refuse join-up like Dexter did. It wasn't that he didn't trust her or he was scared of her. He was just uninterested and seemed to care less about being part of a herd. Amy was intrigued, how could he not respond to her like that? She decided to push him on once more, this was her last chance. He chewed the ground, but she pushed him forward, encouraging him to break pace and canter. He gave a buck and added another burst of speed. He stopped chewing and instead threw his head around wildly. She flicked the lead at him and he bucked again, sending dirt and sand everywhere. He tossed his head around for what seemed like the umpteenth time before Amy dropped her shoulders and turned away. Almost as if on cue, he skidded to a halt and walked over to her. Amy smiled as she heard his movement on the sand. She turned around and pushed against him, only to have him nuzzle her back. She took a step and he followed as if joint at her hip.
Every horse that Amy had worked with up to that point had accepted her as a leader much quicker. Amy had never had to push a horse into the next stage. Amy smiled and walked over to the gate. He never took his eyes off of her. He was sweaty and had begun to foam at the mouth, but Amy didn't notice. All she saw was a horse that had bonded with her through the deepest means possible: his soul.
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Sorry if its bad, I haven't really had time to post! So much going on with this show coming up! If its bad, let me know and I can redo it. Even though I probably wont because I'm too lazy and I don't have enough time. Now click that little button and review!