I'LL MISS YOU

Champagne

"Ugh" I sigh falling into my bed, I turn to the side to see Karter curled up in a ball, irs been 3 days and he's still heart broken over Jessie, I get it, I'd be completely torn up if anything happened to Haze.

"Hey you doin ok?" I ask Karter sitting up. "No" Karter sniffles out, "Wanna go for a ride?" He shakes his head 'yes' and sits up.

"Hey how about you go to your worker cabins, get dresses, and meet me at the barn in 10 ok?" I ask helping him out of bed.

He just shook his head yes again and walked out.

Honestly I wa heart broken, it's hurts seeing your best friend torn uo like that. I've known him forever but I don't think I've ever seen him so bad.

I sigh and lay back on the bed for a minute, Haze jumps up next to me and rests his head on my thigh.

"Hey Buddy." I say to him in a soft voice messing with his collar.

He let out a small sigh, and closed his eyes. "I love you Haze." I say smiling to him.

I eventually got uo and got Sparrow, and Winnie.

They where some of the ranch horses, Sparrow, you could put literally anyone on and he'd be fine, he was a 15.2, Buckskin gelding.

Winnie was just like him, you could put anyone on her and she's take it like a champ. She was a 15.0hh paint mare.

I led them out and tied them, just I'm time for Karter to come out, he was quiet I could see the tear stains on his face.

We groomed the horses and tacked them up in silence, we finally got on and headed our for my favorite trail again.

20 minutes in I couldn't stand the quiet anymore.

"Karter, I know your having a hard time, I do and it breaks my heart to see you like this but, you be gotta talk, you can't stay in a shell forever." I knew he was hurting and the last thing I wanted to do was hurt him more or make him feel bad but he couldn't stay sheltered forever.

He sighed "I know but Jesus it's hard Leah, it really is."

"I know Karter I do, and I will never make you feel bad for it but sometimes things happen for a reason, and it may not seem good in the moment but I'm sure there's a plan behind it." I hardly even knew what I meant but it felt right to say?

He sighed again "Ha-reason what fucking reason, to break my God damn heart."

"Karter, I'm sorry, that's not what I meant and you know it, I love you and the lady thing I would ever do it hurt you intentionally."

Karter ignored me, but I let it go, he's hurting, I can cut him some slack.

*****

I got a call earlier this morning, a man calling in about his mare.

Aperently, he had a encounter with another rider, and ever since then the horse was just jumpy and flighty.

The trailer pulled in, and the man parked and stopped.

I scoffed watching the man from the ride sith Bullet the other day, walk out and to me.

"Oh God no, fuck off dude, go get yourself a new trainer I dint have time for this." I said just turning away.

"Wait please no! I'm desperate, I swear I'm so sorry about the other day, just please help us, she's never acted like this before!" He sounded upset, I coukd here the distres in his voice.

I let out a loud groan. But gave in.

"Fine bring her out."

I watched the man lead the horse our, the stunning cremello shined in the sunlight, she looked snobby don't get me wrong but her coat was still stunning.

This didn't make any sence though she looked fine so far?

Just as I thought that I jinxed myself, she pulled back immediately, and made an ear piercing neigh.

She set back on her hind legs and rose up to a half rear, the man pulled her down, but I could see the struggle he was having.

I quickly went up to the man, and grabbed the lead from him, "Ok that's enough, let's get here settled."

I tried tonger her in a regular pen but she just pulled onto her hind legs, so I settles with the small arena.

The minute I undid her halter she panicked and ran.

*****

We got all the horses fed and mid walk back to the house. I heard another shrilling scream from her.

God this horse just didn't stop.

It was about an horizontal or two before sunset so I decided to go check on her.

I walked too her pen, to see her I'm the far corner, I clicked to her, and she immediately changed dynamics. Her head perked uo her ears faced me and she trotted over.

God what's wrong with this one?

I kept thinking back to the guy that dropped her off, he had said after we got her in that after the ride she just want ok.

I didn't believe him though, no way a small encounter with me and Bullet did that.

I saw she ate her dinner, so I decided to grad her halter and slid through the panels into the arena with her.

I halterd her and tied her easily, surprisingly.

I carried over a saddle bridal, saddle pad ect.

The guy that dropped her off ssdi she had been used to do his neices 'Barrel Racing'.

Of fukcing course.

I thought back to the sentence in my mind.

"Barrel Racer huh" I said to the mare she's name I now knew was Champagne.

Or Paige for short.

I pet her down her cream colored neck, and she let out a small nicker.

"Barrel Raceing" I repeated.

God of all the things.

I was curry coming her down when I noticed her pulled her head back and nipped me and I got a specific spot ok her flank?

I looked downnat the spot ok her flank to see a big bruise and a closes but about 3 inch cut.

I needed better light, I asked her to side step so she was against the rail so the bruised flank was in the sun.

I pushed her to the side, and the minute her over flank touched the railing, she spooked pulling over to the other side.

I stepped outnof the way just in time thankfully.

That's when it clicked, it wasn't Bullet or me. Or the thing that happened the other day.

It was something to do with railing? Weather she ran into fencing that jacked her up, or got hit eithba rail.

It was still the railing that scared her. That's why she didn't like the trailer, or the pens and still was frantic in the arena.