Born In The Saddle - Quicksilver Stud - Book 1 (#wattys2016)

Chapter 15

'Leg Amber, for goodness sake girl.' Clay yelled at his increasingly red faced daughter across the arena.

'I'm trying.' She snapped back, her tiredness making her patience wear through to it's last thread.

'No you're not! If you were trying she wouldn't still be napping away from that barrel. Push her!'

I kept my head down working away quietly on the other side of the school. I felt bad for Amber but at the same time while Clay was shouting at her he couldn't be shouting at me.

It was five days since I'd first climbed onto Blaze's back in the arena. We'd ridden every night since then. My legs were only just starting to get some of their feeling back. The first morning I'd woken up I leapt out of bed and promptly crumpled to the floor. They'd given way and were screaming in agony at me.

My brain may not have forgotten how to ride but my muscles definitely had. Riding is one of those things where somehow you use muscles you never even knew existed. And it was a hell of a shock to the system to be using them again after such a long time. I'd spent the next couple of days walking like a bow legged cowboy, barely able to even stand up straight. It was embarrassing enough when I caught sight of Dawn or one of the livery owners, but spotting Connor striding about the yard made me leap behind the nearest hiding post. Which on one occasion sent me tripping over a mislaid body brush and I went tumbling into one of the open water butts.

'I'm watching you Jenna.' Clay's stern voice broke through my thoughts. 'Don't think you can get away with that lazy circle. And pick your hands up, you look like you've fallen asleep mid trot.'

'Slave driver.' I grumbled under my breath.

'What was that?'

'Nothing.'

I focused back on Blaze, lifting my hands to the correct position and squeezing firmly with my inside leg.

'Right. Give them a walk for five minutes. I'll put some fences up.' Clay announced.

I trotted across to Amber and we walked the ponies side by side.

'I think my arms are going to fall off.' Amber whined and puffed out her cheeks.

'I know, look at my hands, they're rigid. They may be stuck in this position forever.'

'It's alright for you. You get to go back to Gramps after this and have hot drinks and chocolates waved under your nose. Dad spends the rest of my evenings telling me what I was doing wrong and how to correct it.'

'He's just trying to help.'

'Yeah I know. But sometimes I just want to throw something at him.'

'Feel free.'

We giggled conspiratorially.

'Anyway, I think you're dad's ready, I'll get out of your way.'

I turned Blaze towards the gate. He always kicked up a fuss. Everytime he saw the fences being put up he'd get excited, but then I'd take him out of the arena and he'd sulk in his stable for the rest of the night. Only, to my surprise, that wouldn't be the case tonight.

'Where do you think you're going?' Clay's voice called out. I turned to see who he was addressing, only to find him looking straight at me.

'I'm getting out of the way.'

'Why? I think you two have had long enough plodding around here every night. Blaze was bred to jump. It's time to see how high.'

Blaze had come to a complete stop in the middle of the arena while I was busy gaping at my uncle. His ears had pricked like he could tell what the topic was that was currently under discussion.