The Love of a Horse and Rider

Chapter 1

"Come on girl" I murmur to my 15 hand mare, Sheister. I shift my weight ever so slightly in the saddle and she changes direction: Aiming straight at the five foot jump I had constructed from colored poles. Sheister cantered confidently towards the jump and lifted her front feet. She pushed off with her back legs and soared over the jump before landing lightly on the other side and cantering on.

"Good girl" I pulled her back to a walk and gave her a slappy pat on the neck. Five foot, or one meter fifty, was the highest Sheister had ever jumped. She was still young, only five years old, so I didn't want to push her to hard. But she was an amazing jumper, no doubt about that. She had so much talent bottled up inside her and she just loved to jump. I had had her for two years now and I had been competing her in small training competitions. Now I think it's time for a step up. I think she's ready for more, and my other horse, a 16.2 hand steel grey gelding called Hamoman, was definitely ready. I had had him for seven years now, he is eleven and has jumping talent to. He is better in cross country though so I want to compete him as an eventer, unlike Sheister, who would be the perfect show jumper.

After a little while walking around to cool Sheister down I dismounted and led her out of the flat grassy field that I used as an arena. I unsaddled her and washed her down before putting her winter cover on and leading her out to the large paddock behind my cottage that her and Hamoman shared. The ground around the gate was all churned up and muddy and Hamoman was waiting there. His checkered cover was crooked so I straightened it before letting Sheister go in the paddock. Hamoman came over to me as Sheister went to roll, and nudged me lightly. I rubbed his neck and then slipped my hands inside his cover to keep them warm. These winter nights are freezing! I thought. I gave Hamoman one last pat and jogged back inside, pulling my long blonde hair over my shoulder so that it wouldn't blow everywhere in the wind.

I opened the door of the small cottage I lived in on my own and slipped my feet out of my jodhpur boots and left them on the step. I pulled the door shut behind me and walked through the living room (The front door opened straight into the tiny living room with just a TV and one lumpy armchair) and into the kitchen. It wasn't very big, it had a sink, a stove/oven, a small cupboard I used as a pantry and some storage space under the sink as well as a shelf above. A tiny table, just big enough for one person, was where I prepared food and ate.

Suddenly the phone on the coffee table in the living room starts ringing. I jump at the sound and rush through to the phone. I never get phone calls. Who could it be? I pick up the phone and a familiar voice that I haven't heard in a while speaks.

"Hey Emmy! How you doing?" My big brother, Caleb, says loudly.

"Caleb! I haven't heard from you in ages! I'm great, how about you?"

"Good. How are the horses, little sis'"

"I'm twenty six, Caleb. I don't think I really class as 'little' any more"

"Really? Well, you're still little sis to me since you are two years younger"

"What ever. Anyway, Sheister jumped a meter fifty today! That's her highest ever!"

"Awesome! Ho high has Hamoman jumped?"

"He's jumped a meter seventy eight with me but that was a log, he's better over natural things like that than poles, Sheister likes poles"

"Aha, hey, um. I have something to tell you"

"Tell away"

"Well, uh, mum called. She told me dad's in hospital. He's seriously ill and it could be fatal. She wants you to come up and see him"

"NO!" Okay, that came out louder than I meant it, but my parents haven't been in touch with me since I ran away from home at sixteen. Sure, they got Caleb to come check on me, but mostly he came on his own accord. He was the one who found me in the first place. As soon as I was old enough he bought me this place along with some land to keep Hamoman on. I got Sheister afterwards, after I had paid Caleb back and got some more money of my own.

"Emmy, please just think about it"

"Caleb, they haven't talked to me for ten years! They didn't even care that I ran away! It's Dartanions fault I ran away in the first place!" Maybe I am being a little abrupt, but Caleb is the only human friend I have and I don't want my parents to get in between us. Most siblings don't have a relationship as good as ours, but it was Caleb who looked after me when I couldn't go home, Caleb who comforted me every time I had a fight with my dad and yelling battles with my mum. Those fights with my mum stayed the same. With my dad, Dartanion, they just got worse and worse until eventually I ran away. Caleb found me and when he couldn't persuade me to come back he took me in. He had just recently bought his own flat in town and I lived with him until I was old enough to live on my own. You know the rest.

"Okay, suit yourself"

"Caleb, I know it bothers you, but I don't feel the same way about them as you do. I don't love them, I think I stopped loving them when I was like, ten. I stayed with them because I had to. It's Dartanions fault I left. It's obvious he doesn't love me either. Same with Carmen"

"They do"

"What?"

"They do love you Emelia. They only want you to be happy. That's why they didn't force you to come back"

"Please, lets just get off the topic"

"Okay, so how's Massey?"

"Oh my god! Massey!" With the phone still in my hand I rushed to the bathroom where I had shut my black Labrador to keep him from bothering me while I was jumping Sheister.

"What did you do this time, sis?"

As I opened the door of the tiny bathroom a big black shape launched straight at me. Shrieking, I fell backwards with Massey on top of me. Laughing, I stood up and scratched him behind the ears before remembering Caleb. I grabbed the phone off the floor and held it to my ear.

"Hello? Caleb?" He had hung up. Darn, I hardly ever get to speak to my brother! I go back through to the living room and place the phone down rather roughly on the hook before collapsing into the lumpy old armchair. Massey jumps up onto my lap (Even though he is a big dog I don't ind him jumping all over me, I tend to refer to him as a 'large lapdog')

Before I know it, I have fallen asleep with the big dog lying across my lap.

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Sorry if this is a bit short. Love ya (And horses)!!!!!!!!!!!