Bloodless Day

Freeing

Was I ever.

"Just let them gallop for two furlongs. Nothing record breaking, just a conditioning gallop. Got that?" Jack called as we passed by. Lilac and I nodded, checking our reins and our stirrups. Then, slowly, her bay colt edged out in front of Shamrock. Their round, floaty canters flattened into a gallop, the speed wrenching tears from my eyes. I curled over Shamrock's withers, giving her room to lengthen her stride.

Running on the track was different from the trails. It was a smooth ribbon that spilled in front of us, beckoning, and Shamrock was only too eager to eat the distance with her speed. We rounded the bend, and Lilac signaled to slow down. Using the turn to rate Shamrock, I finally wrestled her back to a trot. She shook her head, upset. "I know," I sympathized, "I'd rather be running too."

Lilac glanced at me, gasping for air and laughing. "Isn't it the most incredible feeling? And racing! If there was a moment I had to be stuck in for the rest of my life, it would be in a gallop, where nothing else matters but what's in front of you."

I nodded, beaming and breathing heavily too as if I, and not Shamrock, had been running. "Wow, that was just..." Lilac didn't notice that I had trailed off, but there was no way to describe galloping. It had moved me to speak but left me wordless.

We walked the horses out, bringing them slowly around to where Jack stood waiting with a big grin on his face. "We'll make an exercise rider out of you yet!"

"He's excited because this means, as the greenie, you'll take the dull horses and he'll be moved up to more important ones." Lilac informed me, though a smirk traversed her face.

"How'd you like it though?" Jack asked eagerly as I slid from Shamrock's back. I automatically bent my knees to compensate for height as I hit the ground, feeling a familiar soreness in my legs. The gallop had been fun, but not easy.

"Indescribable." I said simply.

Jack shook his head as he reached to hold Lilac's colt in place so she could dismount. "I've found one word. That pounding, that soaring, that song at your feet? Yeah, that's freedom."

It was as close as anyone could ever get to describing a gallop.

*****

Soon I was waking at four every morning so I could arrive at the farm by four thirty, work Shamrock by five, say hello to Bloodless Day, be on another colt by six, and another at six thirty, and go off to school at seven. It was exhausting, but I began to live for that moment, where the night folded into day and revealed the possibility of speed between my horse's ears. Plus, my paycheck grew dramatically, which was nice for my bank account, but I had no idea what to buy except maybe a truck. So it became my college fund, though my parents had that covered with my mom's first publication.

Sunday morning woke up long after I'd already been working, finding Jack and I rating our colts as Lilac and her filly swept past us in a mock race. It was supposed to bring up the filly's confidence, and as far as I could tell, it was working. We three rode back, chatting amiably about which horses would do well next week- Shamrock was running again, as well as Jersey Boy and a few other older horses. Lilac and Jack were arguing the merits of a field Red Hot, a liver chestnut gelding, was going against when we reached Willifred, leaning against the railing and looking pleased with himself.

"Nice workout, all of you. Anna, watch yourself or I may be tempted to name you as a jockey one of these days."

I laughed as Lilac coughed. As much as I'd improved, I was still many years from being a jockey. "Thanks."

"Any other rides? It's the weekend, we don't have to rush to school." Lilac asked hopefully.

Willifred glanced at his watch and considered. "Kind of. I'd like to give Bloodless Day another shot. Maybe he's shaped up after a two month break."