You'll never catch me alive!

Chapter 16 ~ The First Training

I didn't suspect anything when Stephanie clipped the lead rope to my halter. I followed her out of the stable and thought we were going to the pasture, as usual. I didn't react until we passed my pasture and I saw a big fenced arena. I was scared and I hoped that Stephanie knew what she was doing. We walked into the arena and she tied me to the fence. I was tense, but it felt better when she scratched my neck. Then I saw another person, Luke, walking towards me. He carried something dark brown girth-like made of leather with a square shaped piece of white cloth underneath. I instantly turned all my attention to the mysterious object. Luke walked closer to me until he stood right by my side. With Stephanie still petting me and scratching my neck, Luke carefully lifted the girth over my back and put it down slowly. The sudden weight on my back made me tense and scared. Stephanie whispered calming words and petted me until I relaxed. Then she lifted something up underneath me and I felt the girth tighten around me. I was tense at first, but Stephanies calming words made me relax soon again. Luke walked away and Stephanie scratched my neck and smiled at me.
"You're such a good girl."
Then Luke came back, once again carrying something unknown and weird. It was made if leather, too, with a thin metal thing attached to it. It looked like a leather halter, sort of. Stephanie slowly started taking of my halter and hang it around my neck so I still couldn't escape. Then she took the leather halter from Luke and let me explore it. When I was sure that it wasn't going to eat me up or explode, I sort of gave Stephanie the permission to whatever she was going to do. She brought it up in front if my head and told me she wanted me to take the "bit" in my mouth. I didn't know what a bit was but she showed me the metal piece and I figured out that had to be the bit. She helped me open my mouth by putting two fingers where I had no teeth. It all felt strange when she brought the metal bit into my mouth and took the rest of the leather around my head in different ways. Then she somehow attached this thing to the girth on my back, she finished of by putting black boots above my feetlock hair. At least, she took of my halter and attached a really long lead rope. She lead me to the centre of the arena and Luke handed her a long whip. I turned tense. She wasn't going to hurt me, right? Stephanie seemed to notice my fear for the whip so she handed the whip back to Luke.
"I'll take one later if it doesn't work." she said.
"'Key" Luke shrugged and took the whip.
He walked away and left the whip by the fence. Then Stephanie made a sort of clicking noise.
"Forward!" she said and made the noise again.
I started walking and she loosened her grip of the rope, giving me more space to walk around her. As she was sure I listened to her, she loosened her grip even more until I had a meter wide circle to walk around her. A clicking noise reached my ears again, followed by Stephanie's voice.
"Trot!"
I accelerated until I changed gait and trotted around her.
"Hey Steph!" Luke called from the other end of the arena.
"Yeah?" Stephanie called back after asked me to slow down and collecting the rope again.
"You need to let her get used to the whip. She's surely afraid of it, but it'll never work if she doesn't get used to it." he said, pointing at me.
"You're probably right... I just don't want her to loose trust for me again." Stephanie said and shrugged.
"If you do it right, she won't" he assured her and walked over to us with the long whip in his hand.
"Here you are!" he said with a smile and handed it to her.
She nodded and he walked back to his old spot. The clicking noise was heard and her voice saying "Trot!", this time she also moved the whip slightly behind me. She didn't touch me, but it was a signal for me to move.
"Good girl!" she said and asked for a trot.
I just trotted around her for a good while with her encouraging words echoed over the empty arena.
"Try a canter!" Luke called and Stephanie nodded.
She moved the whip carefully behind me, making me jump in fear.
"Come on! Canter!" she called and I trotted faster, still tense.
"Not trot, canter!" Stephanie moved the whip behind me again and I switched gait into a tense canter.
"Relax!" Stephanie called calming words, trying to make me relax. "It's okay!"
I felt a bit more comfortable with the whip behind me and I felt like I could relax. Stephanie wouldn't hurt me with it. After a while she asked for a trot and I willingly slowed down, getting a nice, smooth trot.
"Great girl! Now walk!"
The confidence in Stephanie's voice made me obey her commands and I felt safe and relaxed with she holding the end of the rope.
"Come here!"
She carefully collected the rope again, kindly forcing me to walk closer to her until I stopped in front of her. She petted my neck excited and chuckled happily.
"Gosh Luke! She's amazing! Did you see that?" Stephanie called.
"I have to admit, I can't really believe she used to be a wild horse." He said and nodded with a curious expression.
"I'll give her a shower! She totally deserves some attention." she said, gave me a pet and lead me towards the exit, getting my halter on the way. I followed her past the pastures and into the stable. Instead of going to my stall, she lead me to another part of the stable. She tied me to a small metal ring at the shower stall. A low wall divided the first spot from another. Stephanie took of the leather halter and quickly put on my halter which she re-tied to the metal ring. While she left the leather halter I took some time looking around me. There was another horse in the shower stall beside mine. It was a really small horse, a spotted one with a lot of mane and tail.
"Hi." it greeted.
"Hey." I said and turned my attention to Stephanie who was now taking of the girth and the piece of white cloth.
"I'm gonna give you a shower, girl." she said and turned on the shower.
I heard the sound of water and suddenly I felt the water streaming over my coat. It felt good. She showered my whole body before she turned of the shower.
"I'm going to get you some towels, be right back." she whispered and gave me a pet.
I saw the water steam of me in its steam form, like a cloud around me. The small horse had left and I just stood there, enjoying the feeling of steam around me. Stephanie put the towels on the wet parts of my body and rubbed the wet out of them. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the massage she gave me.
"You were like a dream today, girl." she mumbled.
When she was done, she put on a blanket and lead me back to my stall. Right before she left, she stood there in the entrance of my stall with the lead rope casually hanging over her shoulder.
"You made this day the best, girl." she gave me a light pet on my head. "You know, I'm kinda sick of calling you just girl. I hope Sir Livingstone can give you a name soon. A beautiful one."
She kissed my head and closed the stall door. I was alone again, but this time I felt good. I had made Stephanie happy and it made me happy. It wasn't late, but I was really tired of working today. The last thought that came to my mind was if I was broken. Did I do something bad? Then I fell into a deep sleep.

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Hey!
Finally an update!
Since I'm not from an English speaking country, these equestrian words are kinda hard for me. I have to google all the time! If someone could help me I'd be really happy.
Picture of Stephanie on the side. She's played by Bella Thorne! Sorry for the worst quality...

Hugs,

Zequine