Finding Talent (1)

Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven:

"A trick horse?!" I gasp, "Jazz is a trick horse?" It's amazing, and makes total sense! That's exactly why he's trained to voice aids. If you're doing flips on his back, your not going to be able to squeeze his sides with your legs to aid him.

"Yep," Alyssa says, and smiles, "see the wooden handles? You can grab them and do like, a handstand on his back. And the leather loops by the cantle? If you stick your feet in them, you can stand up." she explains.

"I'm so stupid! How can I NOT of realized it? And by looking at the saddle? I totally should of been able to tell!" I groan, smacking my forehead with the palm of my head. Stupid, stupid, stupid!

"You could of looked up a picture of it Sadie. It might a saved you a wee bit of trouble," she grins, putting two finger tips side by side so that they almost touch. Her example of a "wee bit".

"Yeah, I guess. It's just with owning this place, I never find the time!" I say.

"Yeah," she agrees, "I still can't believe you lived here by yourself when you were 18."

"I'd be living by myself anyway," I shrug, "I mean...I had just graduated. I just wish the circumstances had been different," I choke.

Alyssa wraps a arm around my shoulder. "Yeah, I know. It's awful Sadie, what happened to your parents that night. That driver that crashed into them...he was an idiot."

"I wonder what things would be like if that guy hadn't gotten drunk and rammed into them," I sniff, and feel a tear drip down my cheek. Wiping it away, I sniff and duck my head down. "Would things be better now? Would I be applying to a college or university?"

"I think that yes, things would have been different, but the experience has made you stronger. You're tough now, Sadie! You can deal with things I certainly couldn't," she presses her forehead into my hair, and I can tell she's crying. They may not have been her parents, but she was quite close to them as well, "come on. Let's go ride Jazz."

"Sure," I grab his brushes, tack, wipe the tears from my eyes and walk over to his stall, "I know your talent now Jazz!" I say, giving him a hug, "wanna go try it out?" He gives me a look which seems to say, "Finally!" Alyssa has already bridled him while I was talking to him, so I give a quick, but thorough brushing. I even trim the feathers on his fetlocks.

"Here ya go!" Alyssa hands me the trick saddle, and I hoist it onto Jazz's back, then do up the girth and breast collar, "you ready?"

"Yep," I take a deep breath, and lead Jazz out to the largest ring again, "here we go, bud!" I jump up onto his back lightly, and tell him to move on. After a lap or two, I lift my left leg up, and put the tip of my boot into the leather loop. I walk half a lap like this, then lift my right boot into the other loop. After half a lap of this, I sit up, so I am squatting in the saddle, then take a big, deep breath and stand up. I am forced to drop my reins.

Jazz is well trained at this though, and just keeps going around the perimeter of the arena.

"Step up!" I shout out, and he moves into a trot. I struggle to keep my balance at first. After half a lap of teeter and tottering, I am able to stand still.

"Go Sadie!" Alyssa yells from the rail, clapping her hands. I grin, and tell Jazz to "let her buck!" He tenses for a second, pauses in mid-stride, then pushes off the ground, and starts to gallop around the arena. I don't know how I manage to stay on, but somehow I do.

I think that Jazz's smooth stride was trained into him.

After two exhilarating laps, I whoa a panting Jazz to a stop. I take my feet out of the loops, and give his neck a rub.

"Good boy!" I tell him, even though he doesn't know what it means.

"Amazing!" Alyssa says, and claps "that was UN-believable Sadie!" she walks over to me, and hugs me, "you should TOTALLY enter him in the trick-riding at the rodeo on!"

"I don't know Alyssa..." I say, even though I think it would be so much fun.

"Why not?" she pouts, fanning herself with her ball cap.

"Because! It'd give me just four or five days to train. I only started today, and I can't believe I even stayed on him, at a gallop! Can you imagine me doing flips on his back?"

"I can. And you could if you trained hard enough." she argues. I start to lead Jazz back to the stable.

"Let's talk about it later, Ok? I want to put the horses out in the field with Jazz today," I untack him, and then because it's so damn hot, Alyssa and I give him a little rinse down with the hose.

"I'll bring him out, if you like," she offers, taking his lead rope.

"Ok, sounds good. I'll bring out the horses one at a time. That way they won't all crowd him at once." I watch her lead Jazz out to the field. When she slips off his halter, he shakes his head for a bit, then starts to canter around the paddock, bucking occasionally. Alyssa's put him out in the largest field, which is smart. I decide to bring out Rain first. She's the oldest, 17, so she should be the calmest with him.

I lead her out the paddock, and let her loose. She doesn't see Jazz yet, and ambles over to her favorite dirt patch. Rolling perfection. She lowers herself onto her knees, and falls onto her side, and rolls around, getting her black and white coat all dirty. She see's Jazz when she stands up, and walks up to him.

Curiously, they sniff each other. Rain has her ears pinned back, but Jazz seems friendly with her. Rain tries to give him a nip, but he steps to the side. It almost looks like she glares at him for a bit, but then she lowers her head, and starts to tear the succulent grass away from the earth.

I think they'll be just fine.

AN: So... hope this chapter was better! I think it was much more exciting, maybe even the best yet! I know it sounds cheesy... Sadie galloping on Jazz, on her first try trick-riding, but I didn't mean for it to sound that way, so if you think it's cheesy its not supposed to be. Remember that Sadie is a very talented rider, and has been riding all her life. Anyway, tell me what you think!

Vote, comment, fan, criticize. Thanks to all the people who are actually reading this! (so far, I know one person is. HUGE thank you xMagical, because you are the one person I'm talkin about! So, this AN is looooong enough! Happy reading:)

-Bella:) {+Moon!}