Chapter Three

Well here's chapter three. It's not all that exciting, but it'll get there!UPDATE: I added stars and defanitions for everything! TTYL



Chapter Three: Morning Ride

"Good morning!" called Kit, strolling into the barn, where Julia was brushing her Appaloosa mare, Lillian.

"Morning' Kit" replied Julia "How are you today?"

"Great! You?"

"Just fine. A beautiful day, isn't it? Jen is out to the pasture right now, she said to grab the horse of your choice and get ready to ride. We're all going, I think."

"Alright. Sounds good to me." said Kit, reaching for a halter and lead rope, "What's Jen doing out in the pasture?

"She's with old Bill." sighed Julia "He's not feeling so well today, it's that colic*."

Kit bit her lip. The old draft-horse was close to her heart. "Poor thing." she sighed, then turned away out to the fields.

This was Kit's second year at Bunker Hill Stables. She was fourteen, but just as hard-working and upbeat as ever.

Kit soon returned leading a tall, cherry-bay, Arabian, gelding*.

Julia gasped, and quickly unhitched the cross-ties* to let them pass through. "Sampson? That's who you chose?" she asked, shaking her head.

"Kit grinned, and led the big horse into his stall. "Yeah! Why not?"

"Why not? Because Jen doesn't even dare ride him!"

Kit laughed, and began whispering to the big horse.

Julia sighed and shook her head.

"Will Josh be riding today?" asked Kit "And Maggie?"

"Yes, they're both getting horses right now. Becca won't be coming though, she's with Martha at home."

"Ah yes, that's smart." said Kit "Six is a young age for a long, quick-paced, ride. She's not too fond of staying in the saddle for more then half an hour." Kit went to get Sampson's saddle from the tack room, and soon had it put on the horse's back.

Maggie, now thirteen, entered the barn, leading a gentle, dapple-gray, mare, known as Bella. Maggie, even though she had grown up with horses, was not a daring rider. She still had yet to gallop, and only rode the gentle lesson horses. She and Kit were as different as day and night, but were very close friends.

"Oh, Kit, you wild thing!" cried Maggie, opening the stall door, "Sampson?"

Kit giggled. "Come on, now, Maggie! He's a good boy."

"Oh sure he is." said Maggie, sliding off Bella's halter "He only bucked my mom off last week."

"I won't let him do that to me. You know that, Maggie." answered Kit, trying to coax Sampson to take a bit, but he just arched his head and pawed the floor.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. You're like, inhuman, Kit, really, with horses you're like this supernatural being with them..."

"Maggie you're weird." replied Kit "Hey, I don't suppose you have a hackamore* I could use?" she asked, slinging the English bridal over her shoulder, "He just won't take a bit, and I don't want to force it."

"I don't." answered Maggie "You know I'm too afraid to use one, ask Josh, Rapido's might fit."

"Go ahead and use mine." called Josh, now sixteen, from the next stall over, "I'm going English anyway."

Josh owned Rapido, a black Arabian, gelding. The horse was of the finest bloodlines, and had cost several thousand dollars. Josh's Father, Julia's husband, had struck it rich drilling for oil, and the family could easily afford the horses they owned.

Julia herself owned the finest horses in the barn. All of them from the best lines and very well trained. But the Wayson family was not snooty and focused on their wealth. They acted just like any other family, and Josh, like any other kid.

Kit was soon ready to go, and it wasn't long before they all started out.

Jen had taken care of Bill, then had quickly gotten ready and joined them. She was riding Bullet, who was now one of the finest horses in the stable, thanks to Kit's long hard hours spent working with him.

The late June sun was warm and bright, and the sky was a brilliant blue. The day couldn't have been more beautiful or pleasant.

Kit quickly took the lead, of the group, and went trotting up the old dirt road, posting neatly. It was considered an honor to lead, and Kit had it often. She soon led them off the road to a trail in the woods, an old cross-country ski path, that led into one of Jen's large hay fields, a favorite place of the horses.

Kit quickly made her way, jumping logs and taking quick turns, with ease. She made it look effortless.

It wasn't too long before the group reached the clearing that led out into the wide grassy meadows. The fields were huge, and all of perfectly flat, smooth, land, surrounded by an old rock wall, put there years ago by another farmer. This was one of the horses' favorite places for a gallop.

Kit woahed Sampson, and turned around in her saddle to face the group.

"Mind if I go for for a run?" she asked, the sun casting its warm glow upon her dark wavy hair and strong figure.

"Go ahead." said Jen "You know I wouldn't dare on Sampson, and using a hackamore too! But I think you know what you're doing, so go ahead."

Kit grinned, "Yeah, I'll handle him."

"Just the same I'll be ready to gallop off after you to catch him, just in case." said Jen, laughing. Nobody knew if she was joking or not.

Maggie got pale at the very though of it, and gripped her reins with her gloved hands. "I can't watch."

"Well, here I go!" called Kit, tightening up her reins, in her bare hands. "D'yeah! D'yeah, Sampson! Lets go!"

The two raced out into the field at once, in a heart-breaking gallop. Kit loved nothing more then a good run on a good solid horse.

"She's amazing..." breathed Julia "Just look at em' go."

"Beautiful isn't it?" asked Jen, watching Kit ride Sampson through the rolling green. Every movement was flawless, it was like Kit and Sampson had become one single being. Sampson had always been a tough horse, but galloping with Kit, he looked perfect. And Kit was perfect.

"How can she ride like that?" asked Maggie "Isn't she at least a little scared?"

Josh shrugged. "I don't think so. She never is."

"But how can she just, just, do that with horses? How can she just be so good?"

"She's a natural." said Josh "And she learns so fast." he paused "She's gonna go places." he said, watching her.

"Like where?" asked Maggie

"I don't know. But that's talent for much more then just a country stable-girl."

Kit circled Sampson around, and charged back, her dark hair flying in the wind. She was laughing, you could hear her. Kit was always laughing.

*Colic= A severe pain in the intestines.
*Gelding= A male horses who is "fixed", aka: can't have offspring, and is no longer called a stallion.
*Cross-ties= Two pieces of rope attached to the side of barns, with hooks on the end, using them you can tie a horse tight, so you can saddle or groom them without the animal moving away.
*Hackamore= A bitless bridal. Horses like them better, because they have no bit, but since there's no bit, a horse wearing a hackamore is often much harder to control.