Chapter One
Gravel crunched unevenly under 14 year old, Maggie Mclian’s second-hand paddock boots. The familiar sweet smell of alfalfa hay lingered in the humid air. She dropped her belongings in the shade of the L-shaped barn and made her way to the round pen. Maggie sighed and rested her pale arms on the cold metallic rail of the circular corral. Within the pen, a young buckskin colt galloped circles around the reassuring figure in the middle. Maggie took in the natural scene before her, expertly noting the horse’s focus on his trainer. Unwillingly, she departed in search of a shovel, rake and wheelbarrow.
20 minutes later Maggie nodded approvingly at the two clean stalls, and looking at her watch, set off at a trot toward the riding arena. The ring came into view; dust rose in characteristic spirals around the prancing hooves, instructive voices were heard among the random snorts and whinnies, and riders past by - hands and legs busy silently communicating with their mounts. Maggie sneezed violently, startling a dark bay gelding tied to an outside post of the arena.
“Easy…” Maggie said to the skittish animal, in a firm but calm voice. Quietly, she ran her hands over his twitching shoulder and he relaxed slightly.
Maggie heard the familiar voice of her trainer, beckoning her into the ring. Grabbing her helmet, she entered the arena.
“Maggie, would you mind getting Jasper warmed up for me?” her red haired trainer asked.
Without thinking she nodded eagerly and stepped forward to take the reins.
“Remember to sit back on him, he’s really fresh –and watch him at the far corner by the –“
“Lawnmower” Maggie said knowingly, finishing the sentence.
The experienced trainer watched her lead the five-year old, dapple-gray gelding to the blue mounting block.
“Easy, whoa” Maggie commanded. The young horse danced his hindquarters away from the mounting block. When will he outgrow this game? Maggie wondered as she reached for her purple crop. Angling the crop toward is rump she made the kissing sound, asking him to move back toward her. After several taps on the backside, Jasper gave in and moved his hindquarters back to the block.
After she mounted, they set off at a brusque walk around the outside track of the arena. Wiggling her English saddle into place, she gripped the reins slightly tighter, and sat back.
“Lets stay on the ground today, okay boy?” Maggie remembered former experiences on the “monster”, she could almost see herself soaring through the air toward the sandy ground. Not today she thought.
After four walk laps, Maggie squeezed Jasper into a jog or sitting trot. Feeling his freshness she skillfully, turned him in a small circle requesting that he round his back and tuck his head. When he finally settled, she clucked him into a rising trot. Several laps later, she sat for a beat of his trot, and squeezed him into a rocking canter. Making the kissing sound to keep him going, she relaxed in the saddle and loosened her rein. An instant later she regretted it - he sprang into the air and flung up his heels in a full buck. Maggie tried to focus on sitting far back and moving with him, but he continued his effort to unseat her. Quickly, she tightened her rein and raised both hands in the air forcing his head up. Off balance, Jasper tried helplessly to grab the bit with his teeth. No! Maggie turned him in a tight circle until he calmed. She let out a long held breath.
She rode four more horses then went to the tack room to grab her lunch.
Pegasus Training Barn was located in the country of Northern California. It consisted of an L-shaped 17 stall barn with a tack/feed room, two paddocks, an arena and a round pen. There was also a simple elevated grass area beside the parking lot. Though it was not ‘high-tech’- it was clean and comfortable.
After feeding all fifteen horses Maggie sat down beside her favorite horse’s stall. Leaving her food, Misty thrust her elegant head over the white stall door.
“Hey girl” Maggie cooed reaching for the carrot in the back pocket of her jeans. The mare lipped her shoulder demandingly looking for food.
“Here y’go.” Maggie said giggling.
She grabbed a brush and went into Misty’s stall. The seven year old red (almost purple) roan paint mare stood basking in the setting sunlight. Her refined ears flicked lazily at the many irksome flies. She huffed happily as the soft brush slid across her body.
Maggie jumped when she heard her name called. Her mom’s figure came into view in the doorway.
“Ready to go honey?” her mom asked.
“Just about ..” she said running her rag over
Misty’s gleaming coat.
“Bye” Maggie whispered hugging the mare. With a final kiss on the nose, she exited the stall and locked it behind her.
“How was your lesson?” Holly Mclian asked.
“Great as always” Maggie said grinning.
“How’s your homework load tonight?” her mom questioned.
“Oh, not to bad.” Maggie winced inwardly, that was completely untrue. She had a pile of work awaiting her. Another late night.
The shrill bell rang signaling the end of class. Yes! Students bustled around chatting and grabbing there belongings. Maggie unzipped her backpack full of loose papers, and fished around for her boots and half-chaps.
“Ms. Mclian, can I see you at my desk please?” her ruffle haired teacher asked.
Maggie nodded still zipping up her leather half chaps.
“Maggie is there anything bothering you? Your last two papers didn’t contain any of your normal flare for detail, or your unique use of vocabulary.”
“Sorry” Maggie winced. “I’ve just had a lot going on at the barn.” Her entire class knew about her dedication to horses. Her teacher, although understanding, did not seem very impressed.
“Alright, just try harder, Okay?”
Maggie left her classroom at a sprint, barely noticing the stares her riding attire were receiving.
“Nice outfit!” someone yelled rudely.
Maggie ignored the comment and raced out to the parking lot. From a small blue vehicle, she heard the shouts from her car pool.
“Hurry up!”
15 minutes later she was sitting squashed between her car-mates. The traffic oozed slowly down the highway, and Maggie scowled. Late – again!
Maggie tore up the drive to Pegasus Farm. At the end of the drive there was a commotion, a horse trailer surrounded by stable-mates and trainers.
“Stand back, he’s likely not to like being unloaded.” Shouted a voice.
Curiously Maggie walked over and examined the scene in front of her. Through the 8 inch gap around the top of the trailer, she saw a horse with it’s eyes white with terror. As the door opened the horse backed out with quick uneven steps. When he was fully unloaded, the scraggly animal reared up, hooves slicing through the air. People backed away in alarm as the horse swung his hindquarters toward his handler and kicked out.
“Well, everyone” the head trainer said. “You’ve all just met our newest member – Hex.”
After her lesson, Maggie cooled out the horse she rode and went to see the new horse. As she walked down the barn isle, she heard a repeated banging. She quickened her pace eager to see what the clamor was. She realized the noise was emanating from the last stall – Hex’s stall. Within the stall the tall chestnut gelding had his grain bucket cornered and was pounding it into the wall with his foreleg. Maggie stifled a laugh, and opened the stall door to grab the victimized bucket when she saw the mess. Strewn across the ground amid shavings, was his plaid blanket torn to shreds. Among the mess, was his crushed halter and his neighbors saddle pad. Maggie sighed, “You really are a hex aren’t you?” Hex snorted in amusement. As she left the newly cleaned stall she turned to see Hex charging at the door, and shut it just in time.
Maggie groaned as the alarm clock buzzed, time for school. Only four more grueling days left and she’d be out for the summer. She dressed in a plaid orange skort and a white polo.
At the breakfast table her father, Blank, sat reading the newspaper, a fresh bowl of cereal was set out for her on the table. Her twin siblings sat side by side in high chairs. At eighteen months old, brown haired Lucas and Jake, were loud and mischievous. Her 16 year-old sister Catherine ambled sleepily into the room just as Maggie was clearing the plates.
“ Catherine! We have ten minutes until we have to leave and you’re not even dressed!” Her mother yelled in distress.
“Mom I’ll be ready in five…” Catherine mumbled.
Fifteen minutes later the Mclian’s were setting off for school -late. At school the eighth graders were receiving there last Algebra exam. Looking at the test Maggie groaned, great they want to fry our brains in the last week!
Maggie had an unnerving feeling that she had failed her test. Her two friends Maya and Lena did there best to cheer her but their attempts were ineffective. The bell rang signaling the end of school, but all elation left her as she remembered that she wasn’t riding. Things only grew worse when her mom begged her to baby-sit while she was out.
“But why can’t Cate do it?” Maggie whined.
“Cate’s meeting some friends at the movies, again.” Her mother sighed.
“Alright I’ll do it.” she said.
“Thanks hun, I’ll make it up to you.”
Maggie winced, her mother did a lot for her and she felt bad for acting so immature. She heard a squeal from the next room, and soon found her brothers clawing each other within the port-a-crib. She sat them in front of the television and played their favorite movie: Racing Stripes. Maggie sat back in the corner of the family room, and read her latest horse magazine.
Her mom returned three hours later with a car full of Catherine’s giggling girlfriends. Maggie groaned, and went back to her magazine.
The next day Maggie got her math test back; a big C- was scrawled across her paper. Oh no! Maggie was no wiz in math but she averaged an A-/B+.
On Saturday, Maggie returned to the barn. She was overjoyed to be out of school and with horses. Wonderbred Ranch held a camp every summer, and this year Maggie had been asked to work as a counselor in training. She was so excited to be with horse’s everyday of the summer.
During her lesson that day she practiced the western jog and slow lope. After, she looked at the stall chart to see what needed to be done. Only Hex and Misty hadn’t been cleaned. Okay - the princess and the horror…
This is chapter one... there are many chapters what do you think?
