Chapter 8: A Change in Benny
A week past and Benny had gotten very little sleep, though he was relieved that most of the pain had gone away. One morning when Benny heard Lance walking in Benny attempted to stand. After failing twice he finally stood on all fours and waited for his food.
"Good to see your standing Benny. Your probably not going to like this very much but the vet wants me to get a saddle on ya' and work you a little bit."
Benny slowly ate his food savoring the taste, since the food that he had been given for the past days was horrible and was forced into Benny. Lance released all the horses except Benny, and when Benny saw the saddle in Lance's arms anger shot through his body. As soon as Lance opened the stall door Benny burst past him and ran to the pasture. He was sick and tired of working with the english saddle, in fact he would've been angry even with the western. He galloped to the far side of the pasture, and watched every step that Lance took towards him.
As soon as Lance got about five feet from him Benny reared and kicked then bolted away from him. Benny noticed that every horse watched in shock at Benny's new behavior. Benny looked back to Lance and saw him holding something in his hand, he pressed several times on it and then held it to his ear.
"Hey, I need some help over here." Lance said into the object. "Bring a rope."
About five minutes later another man arrived in the pasture with a rope. Lance told him to get the rope around Benny's neck. Benny was so concentrated on Lance's every move that he never realized the flying rope that grabbed Benny at the throat. He whinnied angrily at the man who pulled on the rope. As he stared at the man with the rope Lance snuck behind him and clipped the lead rope to his halter and helped the man to drag him to the barn.
They reached the barn and Lance and the man tied him to a post. Benny allowed them to saddle him since the pain in his leg began to throb but when they tried to put the bit in his mouth they were forced to pry his mouth open. Finally he was completely tack and Lance went to mount him as the man held Benny still. Benny allowed him to mount but when Lance pulled his reins to direct him he went completely insane. He bucked and threw his head back until the pulling of the reins stop and Benny heard a thump next to him. Benny turned to look at Lance struggling to stand.
Shame took over Benny and he immediately regretted his actions. He looked over at the other horses who all stared at him in disbelief.
"You alright Lance?"
"Yeah, just untack him and put him in the pasture. I have to think about what to do about him."
Benny was still in shock as the man removed the tack. He released Benny into the pasture and instead of going to Turner like he usually did he walked straight to an empty corner on the far side of the pasture. He pawed the ground thinking about what he'd done, he had never in his life bucked with anybody upon his back. He was so lost in his thoughts he didn't realize the horse walking towards him.
"Benny?" Benny looked up to see Star.
"Please just go away."
"Now hang on a sec, you were the one who told me to come to you when I needed someone to talk to. Well I am willing to talk."
"Well I unfortunately am not." Benny said in a mocking tone.
"Look Benny I'm only trying to help."
"Well now you know how I felt every time you pushed me away!" He yelled and then trotted away to the other corner.
He laid his head against the fence. He wanted to go home, back to Elizabeth, back to barrel racing, back to where he belonged.
