Categories > Original > Romance > Tests of Fait - A Horse Story
Chapter One
Ruby
Nestled in mountains of Montana there's an orphanage for local orphans to live and experience the life of a ranch hand. The labor is easy and not difficult for young teens or older children to do. The food isn't great, but it's home to ten teens and their younger siblings. Not to mention the fifteen horses that the orphans take care of by themselves as the adults are too old to do such tedious work.
The mountains of Montana sit in the background of this ranch the pastures stretching to the bottom of one of the mountains. The figure of a horse and rider is seen riding up the mountain on a snowmobile trail that leads to the peak of the mountain. The rider gently encourages the young horse up the steep trail. The horse was a black Arabian with a slightly dished face and strong build, a classic Arabian look. The rider looked like they were in their element on the horse's back. Blonde hair spilled out the back of the riding helmet on the rider's head, blue jeans, red and black sneakers, and a red halter top finished off the riders outfit and it was obvious that she was having a great time.
A similar rider rode a thoroughbred chestnut horse that cantered after the other horse. This rider had no hair trailing behind them and wore a black hat instead of a riding helmet; he also wore blue jeans, but was wearing a blue tank top that showed off his muscular arms. He pushed his horse faster, but on the steep slope all they could do was fall behind as the girl and her horse got to the top of the steep part of the trek.
The girl's horse stopped on her command as she pulled lightly on the reins and looked over her shoulder to see the boy was having trouble with his horse. She rolled her eyes and slid off her horses back. She walked over toward the horse and the boy. She motioned him to get off the horse and walk the rest of the way up. She rolled her eyes once again at the boy and walked the other horse up the mountainside.
The boy looked at her and shook his head. He held the reins of the other horse as he watched the girl ease his up the steep slope. The boy was checking his watch every few seconds to see if the minute had changed and when it did he flinched. When the girl got to where he was standing she handed him his reins. She shook her head and mounted her horse.
"Next time we take the mountain trails how about we get a different horse for you, Phil. You just have to face it; Ruby just can't handle these trails. She's getting old now, I mean really, Phil, she is Mahogany's mother and Mahogany has already been broken in. She'll have to be put down soon," the girl said and the boy gave a sad nod. He looked up and his green eyes had glazed over with fresh tears. The girl nodded as she slid off her horse again and wrapped her arms around the tall boy and he wrapped his arms around her. They stood there for a few moments before the girl pushed him away and looked deep into his eyes. "She'll be happier that way. She's getting too old, Phil, we just have to face it. She was a great horse in her prime, but now her hips are starting to deteriorate and she's losing her spirit," the girl pointed out and Phil nodded as he let the girl's arms rub gently in small circles over his arms.
"Kayla, are you aware that you're using T-touch on me?" Phil asked the girl and she smiled as she blushed lightly. She looked into his green eyes with her deep blue and she just shook her head. Kayla pulled her hands away from Phil and mounted her horse once again. "It's ok, Kay, I just wasn't expecting that from you. Looks like Noir wants to get going," Phil said as Kayla's horse pawed at the ground and she smiled down at Noir and could feel him shifting his weight from one leg to the other.
Laughing at the horse's impatience, Kayla clicked her tongue and Noir pulled to get his head, but Kayla kept her hands firm on the reins as she and Phil walked until they reached a flat meadow on the mountain and Kayla let Noir have his head. Noir and Ruby tore threw the field at a gallop while their riders held on tightly to the horns of their saddles trying not to fall off their horses.
"Well, I haven't seen her gallop for a few years," Kayla said as she and Noir slowed down. Kayla dismounted and stood next to Ruby and checked her over. Kayla ran her hand down one of Ruby's legs and it came up with blood on it. "Phil, get down here now," Kayla said as she slowly worked her fingers in light circles over Ruby's hind legs and then once Phil got to her she pointed out the blood on her hands and the noticeable blood spots on Ruby's rust colored coat. "I'm taking her tack off so as to take off some of the strain. I'll strap it onto Noir," Kayla said as she went to the saddle and removed it and the saddle blanket so Ruby now only had her halter on. Kayla had stashed the halters into her saddlebags.
"I'm sorry, Ruby girl," Phil said as he stood at Ruby's hind legs looking them over and sighing every now and then. Kayla took this as a bad sign and was right. "She's got a rock stuck in her shoe that I can't seam to budge and a sharp rock pierced her skin. Doesn't look too good at the moment. I'll walk her back, you ride ahead so you can tell everyone," Phil said and Kayla nodded as she mounted and rode off toward the other end of the field where the trees started again.
Ruby
Nestled in mountains of Montana there's an orphanage for local orphans to live and experience the life of a ranch hand. The labor is easy and not difficult for young teens or older children to do. The food isn't great, but it's home to ten teens and their younger siblings. Not to mention the fifteen horses that the orphans take care of by themselves as the adults are too old to do such tedious work.
The mountains of Montana sit in the background of this ranch the pastures stretching to the bottom of one of the mountains. The figure of a horse and rider is seen riding up the mountain on a snowmobile trail that leads to the peak of the mountain. The rider gently encourages the young horse up the steep trail. The horse was a black Arabian with a slightly dished face and strong build, a classic Arabian look. The rider looked like they were in their element on the horse's back. Blonde hair spilled out the back of the riding helmet on the rider's head, blue jeans, red and black sneakers, and a red halter top finished off the riders outfit and it was obvious that she was having a great time.
A similar rider rode a thoroughbred chestnut horse that cantered after the other horse. This rider had no hair trailing behind them and wore a black hat instead of a riding helmet; he also wore blue jeans, but was wearing a blue tank top that showed off his muscular arms. He pushed his horse faster, but on the steep slope all they could do was fall behind as the girl and her horse got to the top of the steep part of the trek.
The girl's horse stopped on her command as she pulled lightly on the reins and looked over her shoulder to see the boy was having trouble with his horse. She rolled her eyes and slid off her horses back. She walked over toward the horse and the boy. She motioned him to get off the horse and walk the rest of the way up. She rolled her eyes once again at the boy and walked the other horse up the mountainside.
The boy looked at her and shook his head. He held the reins of the other horse as he watched the girl ease his up the steep slope. The boy was checking his watch every few seconds to see if the minute had changed and when it did he flinched. When the girl got to where he was standing she handed him his reins. She shook her head and mounted her horse.
"Next time we take the mountain trails how about we get a different horse for you, Phil. You just have to face it; Ruby just can't handle these trails. She's getting old now, I mean really, Phil, she is Mahogany's mother and Mahogany has already been broken in. She'll have to be put down soon," the girl said and the boy gave a sad nod. He looked up and his green eyes had glazed over with fresh tears. The girl nodded as she slid off her horse again and wrapped her arms around the tall boy and he wrapped his arms around her. They stood there for a few moments before the girl pushed him away and looked deep into his eyes. "She'll be happier that way. She's getting too old, Phil, we just have to face it. She was a great horse in her prime, but now her hips are starting to deteriorate and she's losing her spirit," the girl pointed out and Phil nodded as he let the girl's arms rub gently in small circles over his arms.
"Kayla, are you aware that you're using T-touch on me?" Phil asked the girl and she smiled as she blushed lightly. She looked into his green eyes with her deep blue and she just shook her head. Kayla pulled her hands away from Phil and mounted her horse once again. "It's ok, Kay, I just wasn't expecting that from you. Looks like Noir wants to get going," Phil said as Kayla's horse pawed at the ground and she smiled down at Noir and could feel him shifting his weight from one leg to the other.
Laughing at the horse's impatience, Kayla clicked her tongue and Noir pulled to get his head, but Kayla kept her hands firm on the reins as she and Phil walked until they reached a flat meadow on the mountain and Kayla let Noir have his head. Noir and Ruby tore threw the field at a gallop while their riders held on tightly to the horns of their saddles trying not to fall off their horses.
"Well, I haven't seen her gallop for a few years," Kayla said as she and Noir slowed down. Kayla dismounted and stood next to Ruby and checked her over. Kayla ran her hand down one of Ruby's legs and it came up with blood on it. "Phil, get down here now," Kayla said as she slowly worked her fingers in light circles over Ruby's hind legs and then once Phil got to her she pointed out the blood on her hands and the noticeable blood spots on Ruby's rust colored coat. "I'm taking her tack off so as to take off some of the strain. I'll strap it onto Noir," Kayla said as she went to the saddle and removed it and the saddle blanket so Ruby now only had her halter on. Kayla had stashed the halters into her saddlebags.
"I'm sorry, Ruby girl," Phil said as he stood at Ruby's hind legs looking them over and sighing every now and then. Kayla took this as a bad sign and was right. "She's got a rock stuck in her shoe that I can't seam to budge and a sharp rock pierced her skin. Doesn't look too good at the moment. I'll walk her back, you ride ahead so you can tell everyone," Phil said and Kayla nodded as she mounted and rode off toward the other end of the field where the trees started again.
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