"Iris I'm serious. It seemed so real, the cold, the snow everything" "Di it was just a dream" "it may well have been a dream but it really felt like …. Come on back up, move pogi, move …. It felt like it really needed my help, its deep grey eyes just bore into me I can't help but think it exists" "Idina you're not on about that bloody dream again are you" Idina turned after shutting the stable door on the bolshie skewbald pony trying to escape, the stable hand Dake was pushing a wheelbarrow towards them. "Morning Dake and yes she is, your becoming obsessed with an imaginary horse Di" Iris exited the stable next to her, the bright bay mare occupying it munched on its fresh hay watching the conversation with interest "am not" "are too now shut up and come help me turn the horses out before we go to school" Idina scowled at her twin sister but did as she was told, she knew that the red horse existed even if no one else did.
Idina leaned against her sister's car as Iris made a mental checklist of everything she had for school, rolling her eyes she hugged her body to keep warm and stared out at her home.
When Idina and her family had first moved to Amoris, she had been so excited, she had always dreamt of living in the country, she and iris were originally from Lexington, Kentucky 'the horse capitol of the world' her dad had been one of the USA's best jump jockeys and her mother was one of the top thoroughbred breeders in the world, so it was only natural both her and her sister would become riders. They had lived in one of the biggest stables in the continental US, right above the stables, she fell asleep to the sound of horses snorting and whinnying, the smell of hay and straw filled her dreams and she awoke to the same sounds and smells, she had loved it but for her it was just too busy to many people interfering. Iris since she was very young had always wanted to event, she loved the elegance of the dressage, the thrill of the cross country and the precision of show jumping so iris had spent most of her time with client horses, training and competing them but Idina she loved being in the saddle but loved being on the ground more, she loved spending hours in the fields or the stables just watching the horses, how they interacted with one another, she would often draw them, her walls plastered with horses past and present. She never had horses that she could constantly ride as these were some of the most expensive horses in the country only iris was allowed to ride them as she showed promise in the saddle. She was a nuisance, the girl with no ambition, her own twin was busy training, her mother busy with mares and foals and her father was always on the track, nobody had time for her, she was a nobody.
Then one day her entire life changed, Idina was stood at the arena gate with her sister aboard a client's horse, she was just a few points off qualifying for the junior phase of the Kentucky three day event one of the most highly anticipated horse competitions in the world. The bell rang for Iris to start her round, Idina was never jealous of her sisters riding ability she was always in awe as she watched her sister move as one with the horse over the jumps. Iris cleared the third jump but something wasn't right the horse had landed funny, it was bunny hopping clearly in pain, without thinking Idina ran into the ring and grabbed the reins pulling her sister off the horses back, the horse fell to the ground clearly in agony. In a soothing tone she began to stroke the horse rhythmically to calm it down but she was flung backwards by some force.
The horse had torn a tendon and had to be put down, Idina had warned the owner they were pushing the horse too hard but nobody listened and now the owners were threatening to sue her sister for neglect unless they got off the farm and never returned, so they packed up their stuff and moved to the farm they now call home, her mother now managed the mares and foals here and her dad was a jockey trainer in the next town over, and Idina thought life couldn't be better it was quiet, she could ride as many horses as she wanted without being told off, but she couldn't help thinking iris wasn't happy yes she was still riding but she never jumped, never had the same enthusiasm she once did.
"Oh shoot I left my math book in the hay loft give me a min" Idina wasn't really listening so just grunted as her sister ran off towards the barn. She looked at the paddock on one side of the long pathway to the big barn she stared at the big black thoroughbred rolling in the fresh blanket of snow she chuckled to herself. "sorry di I'm ready now" iris was running towards her moments later it was amazing how much the two sisters looked alike yet they were complete polar opposites, Idina was quirky out going and no regards for rules, she would try things even if they seemed dangerous and stupid whereas iris was a sucker for rules, she was calm and clever and always keeping a tight leash on Idina something she really hated.
