Claire

My new home

Dedicated to Janellexox because she gave me the enthusiasm to keep on writing the rest of my story! thank you! and everyone else who commented on my story! thanks soooo much! :D

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The owner of us was poor but had enough money to get through the years with horses, but the barn was destroyed completely and they would have to sell of the land and the horses in order to get more money to live in a good home. Luckily, the younger horses, such as myself, where inspected and tested to see if we were good enough to stay here, which was becoming a riding academy. I was one of the lucky horses that was able to stay in my homeland. I was rejoced to be able to stay in a place I  was comfortable place, but it was also hard because my mother had died here.

It was amazing for me to stay here because I was a skinny little dirty foal, with my right back leg that was a little messed up from a fall I made while racing my friends, but they probally had more hope in me than I had in myself. Two months later I looked at myself and I was in shock. I looked like one of the foals the family had brought here. I was a beautiful golden chestnut foal with a mane that was chestnut that ran half way down my neck. There was no time to waste in training me and I would start in 1 hour. My head stuck out from my stall hoping I could go outside, when I cocked my head at an unfamiliar noise.

"Hey girl how are you!" Joe's sweet voice sang out to me! Almost forgeting he had crutches when he saw me he tried to "run" over to me but it didn't work out. "OOFF!" he cried when he fell down from trying to "run" to me. He picked himself up and hobbled over to my stall. He stroked my soft muzzle and I breathed my warm breath on his back as I put my head on his shoulder. Joe rubbed the back of my checkbone, right where I liked it, and I rubbed against him lightly to show my affection towards him.

"I hate to interupt but the horse is having her first lesson today." An unfamiliar voice replied, "I will train her until you get better, Joe. My name is John." John's rich deep voice rang out which startled Joe and he fell backwards in surprised but I caught Joe by his overalls and balanced him. He nodded and wore a huge smile of relief and happiness when he left the barn.

John was a very intellegent and kind horseman. He clucked softly to me when he tacked me up, to keep me calm. Whenever I relaxed and did not rear or buck when he put the saddle on my back, he rewarded me with a rub on the back of my cheeckbone like Joe did. John would then walk me around the white fenced field that was now filled with even greener grass and fresher smelling!

Whenever I was calm and gentle again, John would strap a haybale to my saddle so it seemed like I had someone on my back and I would get used to the uncomfortable weight on my back. Soon I was rewarded with a big juicy apple and taught me that I can't expect to always get a treat after I did what he said and that it was only to gain my trust. Next up on my list was. . . the dreaded bit!

My head thrashed violently as I refused to let the horrid, cold, hard bit in my mouth. My mouth was super sensitive and whenever something went close to my mouth ready to go in by someone else, I flipped out. I couldn't help it whatsoever. One day as I was swinging my head around I nailed John right in the stomache and sent him tumbling into the corner of the stall floor.

"Ugh." John groaned when he got up, "Claire you have got to calm down it's okay. I'm not here to hurt you, I'm here to make you a horse that can do amazing things. You are intellegent but you can't be afraid to try new things!" John's words stung me and my stomache did flips. I had to put the bit in my mouth. I opened my mouth and let John slide the bit in my mouth and the bridle over my head. Okay this is it, all he has to do is to. . . is to. . . get on my back! The thought made my head spin and give me a knot in my stomache.

John knew I was a good horse but that didn't mean I wasn't afraid of anything. My biggest fear of all was to hurt someone incredibly horribly.  My eyes were were wide with horror as I realized a sudden weight on my left side shift, and settle on my back. This time it wasn't a hay bale, this time it was John himself!

No way could a little 2 year old horse get a full grown man off her back and even a horse in general could not express their fear, but that didn't stop me from trying. The ear-piercing clang of the metal stirrup hitting the fence filled the air. I had been trying to push him gently off so I would not harm him, but of course I didn't, and he realized my fear.

"Claire, it's okay. You are gentle and sweet and a good lookout for someone's safety, but you have got to believe that you won't hurt me! I won't make you do anything crazy that could hurt you or me. When you are comfortable we can try something new." John reassured me. Almost immediately my breathing and heart beat were at a normal pace. His kind words had touched my heart and made me feel worthy of myself.

The next day, to my surprise, John didn't come at his usually time. When he came my heart felt like it was going to burst in happiness, for Joe was next to him and without crutches, which meant only one thing. . . Joe was my assistant trainer!

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Soooo tell me how I did. This chapter isn't rlly my favorite but maybe it's different for u guys. idk but i have 1 VERY important thing to say about Claire. Okay so u may think omg im sooo mean how culd I write this with Claire with these issues?! but i dont care. I cant make her the most gorgeous foal in the whole entire world and a racehorse! Problems make life exciting. and oh about the bit, its also like the back leg story. She ate poison ivy, which does NOT harm them, but she had a little bit of an allergic reaction to something that was ON the poison ivy and that is my her mouth is messed up a bit. Hey i felt bad at first about Claire having all these issues, but I realized it makes her a better character and horse. She, to me now, is more exciting than being completely perfect. so that is my explanation!