Two days in a row, Ty was already working in the barn, tending to the horses, when Amy arrived. "Brrr, it's cold out there. Morning Ty."
"Oh hey." He said, not looking up.
"Sleep okay?" She inquired, lazily rubbing Spartan's nose. She purred, "How's my good boy? Ready for the day? I am." Spartan nickered, low and soft. She smiled.
Realizing that he didn't respond, "Ty, something on your mind? You seem preoccupied." She stared at him, trying to read him.
He turned slightly away from her. "Nope. Stayed up late studying. Tired, I guess."
"Oh. Ok. Do you have time for a ride this morning?"
Before he could answer, Matt walked in smiling, a slight spring in his step. smiling. "Hey Amy, Ty. How's things?" His voice light, excited.
"Good morning. You're here, all bright and early."
"I am kinda pumped for my first rodeo. Didn't want to late." he paused, seeing her blank expression , "Remember, Jack's round-up? We're meeting at 8?"
She shook her head, seemingly to get the cobwebs out. "Where is my head this morning? The cattle drive. Right, we got a lot to do before then."
She walked over to the schedule. "You are on this barn and Caleb on the trail horses." She shook her head. "On second thought, let's switch. You take the trail horses, take Dexter and Copper, pony one, ride the other." She changed assignment on the board.
"Okay. Reason?"
"If I know Caleb, he'll be late."
"Right." Nodding.
"You'll need a horse for the round-up. Take Spartan." Amy decided half-heartedly.
Ty's head jerked, he stared at her. "Really? Spartan? Amy, no one rides Spartan but you." Ty was incredulous at her decision, Amy surprised at his tone.
"Yes. Matt is an experienced rider. And, Spartan has been on a round-ups. He knows what to do." Justifying her decision, with more punch than she intended.
"Matt, take Harley instead. He's used to lots of people riding him. He's good on cattle drives." Ty completely ignored Amy, speaking directly to Matt. Amy was speechless.
Trying to hide her embarrassment and anger, She took a breath. Sighed. "Matt, go ahead to the trail horses. We can talk about horses when you get back."
"Okay boss. Whatever YOU decide." Matt making it clear that he would do whatever Amy wanted.
While he tacked up Dexter and haltered Copper, Ty mucked their stalls. The noise of the shovel scrapping the floor, mature dumping into the wheelbarrow filled the barn, punctuated the awkward silence. Amy escaped into the office to do paperwork, but mostly to avoid any conversation. Matt appeared at the door, "Hey Amy, I'm headed to the Dude Ranch. Need anything before I go?" A little concern in his voice.
"Thanks Matt. I am good. See you in an hour or so." She responded as casually as she could muster.
"Whatever you need, boss. I have my phone. It's charged." She smiled, nodded.
She heard Matt say to Ty, "Have a good day bud."
"Yeah." Ty muttered. She closed her eyes, put her head in her hands.
"Amy?" Ty was suddenly standing before her. "Look, I'm sorry. It's none of my business. Spartan is your horse." His jaw was set, his lips pressed, his shoulders stiff. "You are the boss."
Amy squeezed her eyes shut momentarily, trying to block any tears. "Ty." She stood up, walked right up to him, tried to read his eyes. "Come here." She opened her arms to him.
He shook his head. "Nah. I'm all smelly and sweaty. I got to get ready for school." He turned away to walk away. She grabbed his arm.
"Please Ty." Pulled him into her arms. He was stiff, refused to hug her back. He just stood there. She refused to let go. He didn't pull away. Putting her head on his shoulder, lips to his ear, she whispered, "Hey. It's okay." As she slowly rubbed his back with her fingertips, he relaxed slightly.
He jerked away. "Amy. I got to go. I don't want to be late."
She nodded. "Hey. Thanks for offering up Harley. You are right, he's a better choice for Matt. Thank you." He nodded and turned away. He turned back.
"By the way, Amy. I'll be at Dr. Young's class this afternoon."
"You sure."
"Yes. I promised."
"Thank you. That means the world to me." Ty turned, went up the stairs to the loft.
As she turned out Spartan, she saw Ty head to the ranch with his backpack. As she checked on Harley in his stall, she saw ty get in his truck and drive away without a goodbye or even a wave. For the rest of the morning, he infiltrated her every thought, every moment as she did her chores, worked the horses. She told Matt to take Harley on the drive, that Ty was right, he really was the best choice.
Well before noon, Amy headed to the house to get ready for her presentation in Calgary. Dressed in denim dress and cowboys boots, she went into the kitchen where Lou was peeling apples for lunch.
Lou wrinkled her nose. "Oh Amy. That outfit just won't do. You look more like a high school student than a college teacher."
"Given that I barely graduated high school, it might be just be perfect. Plus, I'm not a college teacher." Amy shrugged.
"Oh no. I am not gonna let you get away with that!"
"Who really cares?"
"You need a better attitude missy. And a better outfit." Lou insisted putting down the knife, washing her hands under the faucet. "Come with me."
"Really? Now?" She whined.
"Absolutely. What are big sisters for? Come on. Let's see what's in my closet."
As Amy sat on the bed, Lou pulled out several outfits for her to try on. "Um. How was the parenting class last night? Learn anything new?" She tried to be upbeat, but failed.
"Try that one on...The class was good, considering. Peter and I, as it turns out, have different discipline philosophies that don't work well together. That, and we have to save 100k in the next 18 years so we can send our kid to college."
"Oh boy. What was good about it?"
"At break, we found an empty classroom and made out."
"Really?" Amy burst out and laughed.
Lou nodded. "Yeah. We acted like we were teenagers again. We had fun, we needed it." She laughed, then critiqued the outfit Amy just put on. "Absolutely not! Try this one."
Amy nodded, began to change.
Changing the subject, "Speaking of fun. How are you and Ty?"
"Fine. Maybe, I don't know. We're not back together."
"That's a lot of uncertainty "
"I know. Ty could barely talk to me or even look at me this morning."
"Why is that?"
"I told him that I am not ready."
"Ready for what?"
"I am still scared. I am still hurt. So I am trying to focus on HEaRT. And, today's talk."
"Sometimes it's easier to focus on the stuff that doesn't involve the heart."
"Like the Dude Ranch?"
"Yeah, like the Dude Ranch. Sometimes I think I ran home, just so Peter would chase me. Prove that I was more important than anything in Dubai." Lou sighed, for a moment her forehead tensed, corners of her mouth dropped.
Amy reached out and held Lou's hand. "It's okay Lou. Peter's here now. He loves you."
She nodded. "Amy, do you love Ty?"
"Yes." She said without hesitation.
"Then you got to tell him. You gotta trust him. You can't keep punishing him and pushing him away."
"I know." She turned around so Lou could see her outfit.
"Ooh, I like that one. Looks like academia."
Amy looked in the mirror, "Yeah, but I feel like a librarian. A ninety year old one."
"Hmm, let's change it up a bit." For the next 10 minutes, Lou styled, critiqued, advised. Outfit selected, Amy went to her room to get ready, Lou to the kitchen to make lunch.
Matt, Caleb and Jack, done with their work, joined Peter at the kitchen table to eat the noon meal 45 minutes late. "You know, Matt, for an event jumper, you may some day make an okay cowboy. You weren't all that bad out there." Jack offered.
"Hmm. I don't know what to say. Thanks, doesn't seem right way to respond." Matt laughed, good natured.
"Take it as a compliment. It may be as good as it gets." Lou suggested.
"I feel your pain, Matt." Peter laughed.
At 10 to 1:00, Amy walked into the kitchen. "How's this?" She was classically, but youthfully dressed in a short, swing skirt in a brown and wine tweed topped with a tucked in, creamy ribbed sweater with a mock turtleneck. Tall, soft leather boots with kitten heels molded to her shapely calves, ending just over her knees. Only a hint of her bare leg showed when she moved.
"Wow Amy. My teachers never looked as hot as you!" Caleb whistled. Matt nodded, smiled in agreement.
"Too much, Lou? I can change." Amy frowning, looking uncomfortable.
"You are perfect. Do not change a thing. Ignore Caleb." She shot a look at Caleb which he clearly caught.
"Are you sure?"
Peter added. "Amy, you look great. Very professorial and professional."
Somewhat relieved. "Okay, then. I am off. Wish me well." She walked over to Jack, kissed him on the cheek.
"Knock 'em dead, Amy. You'll do great."
She smiled slightly, "Thanks Grandpa." After a quick hug from Lou and Peter and a duet of "Good Lucks" from Caleb and Matt, she headed to her truck.
The trip to Calgary was long, uneventful but the closer she got, the more anxious she became. The broken-hearted country songs in the radio did nothing to reverse the trend. Driving onto campus, she got turned around and lost. She pulled over, turned off the truck and called Ty. She got his voicemail.
She sighed. "You can do this, Amy" she told herself aloud. She restarted the engine, remembering the drive to campus with Ty just a few days ago. She frowned. She switched radio station to his favorite classic rock channel. The familiar Tommy Petty tune was playing, so she turned the volume up, sang at the top of her lungs, "Learning to Fly, around the clouds..." She smiled, put the truck in gear and found where she needed to go.
Arriving at Dr. Young's classroom, he was late, once again. A familiar sign on the door. "Dr. Young's 3:00 Animal Behaviors Thursday class has moved to Room 328". "You've got to be kidding me." He muttered to himself.
Ty ran to the classroom, hearing only the low murmuring of students talking, he opened the door. The room was packed, as before. Seeing a couple of open seats on the front tow, he went quickly down the steps.
When he got there, he was surprised to see familiar faces. "Well hey Ty. We saved you a seat." Said Jack, his cowboy hat in his lap. He looked a bit out of place, but beamed just the same.
He waved to Lisa, Lou, Peter, and Mallory who were sitting down the row. "Thanks. I didn't know you all were coming."
"Dr. Young called yesterday and invited us to attend. We didn't want to miss."
Ty nodded his head. Suddenly the lights flickered and Dr. Young took the stage and center podium. "Welcome students, faculty and special guests." The audience hushed quickly.
"Hey Ty. Mind if I take that seat." She said in a hushed tone. He looked up and saw Anne. He shrugged, nodded. She slid into the seat. He began to sweat.
Dr. Young continued. "This forum is filled because you all want to hear more from Ms Amy Fleming. By her own accounts, she only considers herself to be a horse lover, advocate and listener. I consider her to be more. A gifted and talented horse trainer and therapist who has spent a lifetime working with horses, healing their ailments, rebuilding their spirits and helping them to fulfill their purpose. She is a winning event jumper and racehorse jockey. She has been called Miracle Girl after calming and healing an Olympic bound horse after a horrific accident. West magazine calls her a "Talented Horse Woman"." She held up the latest copy of West magazine with Amy on the cover.
She continued. "She now owns her own business, Heartland Equestrian Natural Rehabilitation and Therapy or HEaRT. Quite an accomplished young woman. And, get this, she is only 18 years old. Well, with no further delay, please welcome to the podium, Ms. Amy Fleming." The audience clapped loudly.
Amy walked into the stage, hugged Dr. Young and stood behind the podium. Seeing Amy on stage, he sighed, clapped.
"Thank you, Dr. Young. And all of you in the audience. I am so humbled and honored to be here before you." Her voice caught, when she saw her family in the front row with Ty. She smiled, took a deep breath.
"Please indulge me for a moment. I want thank my family, in the front row, for coming. From left to right, Ty Borden, Jack Bartlett, Lisa Stillman, Lou Fleming Morris, Peter Morris and Mallory Wells. Without them, their unwavering love and support, I would not be standing here before you." She smiled shyly, raised her hand slightly, gave them a little wave with her fingers.
She nodded at someone in stage left. The lights dimmed slightly. On the screen behind her, a picture of her mom and Pegasus was displayed. She took a deep, audible breath and started.
"Marion Bartlett Fleming was like no other. Her incredible spirit, her deep intuition, her generous heart, her forgiving nature, her innate gift to listen and to heal, not only horses, but humans too. She believed that every horse, every person deserved a second chance. That every misstep, misdeed could be forgiven. Trust could be reborn, new bonds created. She was my teacher, my guide, my hero, my heart, my mom."
"She died the way that she lived, saving a lost soul, rescuing a horse. Spartan had suffered horribly at the hands of cruelty, indifference. He had been neglected. abused, starved and was near death. Despite a raging storm, despite Spartan's aggressive posture, despite being threatened, my mom rescued him. She gave him a second chance to fulfill his potential."
"I know these things, because I was there. I was there when she rescued him, when she spoke to him, calmed him, when she gave him a mint," she smiled at that thought, "when she confronted the irate owner, when she loaded him in the trailer, when her truck swerved, went off the road, hit a tree, when she was killed instantly." The audience gasped, she paused, sniffled, a little.
"But, this talk isn't meant to be about my mom, or the accident. Instead, it's about listening, it's about observing, it's about Spartan."
Nodding to stage left, an impressive image was Spartan projected on the screen behind her. She turned momentarily to look at him. "Let me tell you about Spartan. Spartan is a beautiful and proud black quarter horse gelding with big brown eyes and long eyelashes. His body is sleek, strong, athletic. He is a passionate jumper, a driver of cattle, a blazer of trails, a faithful buddy to Harley. He is loyal, friendly, craves attention. He loves to be scratched right under his cheek. Right here." Amy scratched below her cheek to demonstrate, then laughed.
She nodded again stage left, an old, grainy picture of Spartan, taken right after he was rescued, was then projected. "This is Spartan, the day he arrived at Heartland several weeks after the accident." She paused, letting the image sink in. She sighed.
"This image tears at my heart. Not only was Spartan near death when rescued, he was involved in the horrific accident as well. Within the confines of horse trailer, he was bombarded with cracks of lightening, claps of thunder. He was tossed side to side, injured, as the trailer too lost control, overturned. At this point, Spartan was so traumatized, so aggressive, so dangerous, he, understandably, was considered unsalvageable. It was recommended that he be euthanized."
"My grandfather, Jack Bartlett" Amy nodded to him, "disagreed. Despite the danger, he knew that Spartan deserved a second chance. So, he brought him to Heartland."
"As you undoubtedly know, horses communicate through sounds that they make, of course, but also through their expressions, gestures and postures. All animals, including humans, do the same. By knowing and listening for these subtle cues and responding appropriately, you can anticipate and adjust a horse's reaction. Let's look at this image of Spartan. Look at his stance, his head, ears, neck positions. Look at his muzzle. He is telling us exactly what we need to know, we just need to listen, to observe, to respond appropriately."
"First, let's look at his body, his stance, his tail. But like many animals, horses communicate much more through postures, gestures and expressions than they do with their vocal cords. Spartan's body was tense, his muscles rigid, he was trembling. Look at his tail, slightly raised, rigid. He is saying he feels threatened, scared, distrust, anger, that he is on alert. Remember, horses are prey animals with a well defined "fight or flight" response. He is poised to do one of the two: fight or flight."
The image zooms to display only his head. "Look at his head, it's held slightly lowered, but back, he is defiant, on guard, alert. Look at his ears, pinned back, showing apprehension. Look at his muzzle, lips, they are tense. Mostly, look at his eyes, rolled back, see the whites of his eyes, they show fear, anger, mistrust."
She looked at the image, she shook her head. "Such a magnificent, sensitive creature racked with such hurt, anger, fear. It's hard to see him, this image, without feeling, without hurting for him."
"For days, he acted out in his stall, stomping, kicking over his feed and water, screaming, snorting, wild whining, wailing, gnashing. He was aggressive, he wouldn't eat, he wanted to fight. All things he was telling us, all things we listened to., we observed."
"Horses are sensitive, intelligent, loyal, and they have long memories. His latest memories were of torture at the hands of his last owner and at the night of the accident. So, our job was first to replace his memories with good ones, to imagine his pain, to put ourselves in his shoes. To listen. To observe. To respond appropriately."
"To begin our work with Spartan, we responded to his cues, reduced his stress. We stabled him in a clean, calm environment, gave him plenty of feed, water and a mixture of herbs, like chamomile, aimed at reducing stress. We approached him calmly, talking in hushed, but light tones for short periods to start then gradually lengthen them. We began to pet him, groom him. We listened for and observed cues that indicated if he was stressed or relaxed, if he enjoyed the interaction or not. When his stress was lessened, we added other interactions, but always slowly, calmly."
"We performed a join up, a method of bonding. Through body language, position and eye contact, the goal is to drive the horse in a small, enclosed pen away until the horse chooses to approach. A mint as a reward is always welcomed by Spartan." She displayed an image of a join up, first of the drive, then of the join up. She talked in detail about the join up method.
"Once trust was brokered, we slowly added more stimulus, such blanket, saddle, tack. We began to ride for short distances. Always listening, observing. As you can imagine, trailering was an issue for Spartan."
"Ty Borden, the love of my life, my best friend, was the third person to save Spartan." She looked at him, smiled only for him. He smiled back.
"While Ty did not grow up around horses, he is naturally understanding and protective of the defenseless, whether it be human or animal. He listened to Spartan, understood his fear of the trailer, of enclosed spaces, and his need to exercise his passion, jumping. So slowly those were introduced as well."
She nodded again to the left. The last image, a picture of Spartan, Ty and her at the Fall Finale was projected. "Listening takes time, observing takes time. But any time spent is well worth the result. This picture was taken right after Spartan won the Fall Finale with our coach Ty Borden. Spartan is an incredible horse, with heart, who has overcome so much."
"Like in any relationship, human to horse, wife to husband, friend to friend, the key is communication, listening, observing. And, of course, responding appropriately."
"Thank everyone." The audience clapped long and loud.
"Thank you Ms. Fleming. Audience, any questions?" Hand shot up all over the forum. For the next 20 minutes, Amy answered them with passion and patience.
After the Q and A concluded, Dr. Young invited the audience to a small reception in the dean's hall at 5:00. Amy thanked her again and shook her hand. "Excuse me please. There is someone I need to speak with."
"A special someone?"
"Yes, Ty." Dr. Young smiled.
She expected him to be standing there, in the first row with her family. But, he wasn't there or in his seat. Her shoulders slumped briefly. "You can do this, Amy." She muttered to herself.
Then she saw him walking toward the stage steps, a pretty woman with auburn hair, following him. "Ty." She said softly.
He glanced up, when he saw her, his green eyes flashed, smile wide. "Amy!" He hurried to her, arms outstretched to her, pulled her to him, held her close. Calm enveloped them both.