Book 1: The Horse Whisperer (Pin Hawthorn Love Story)

Chapter 3

"Not by yourself."

"I can go with her?" Suggests Marcus.

Amber looks at me with pleading eyes. I let out a sigh as I say, "Alright, since Marcus is going with you." She grins and Marcus says he'll get Monty ready. "I'm going to practice on Raven. He's been making good progress lately."

Amber exits the arena while I lead the black horse inside. I'd already used Bach flower essence on him to help relax Raven.

I clip on my purple helmet and swing up into the saddle. I click my tongue to urge him into a steady walk. These past six months, I'd been training Raven to not rely on my voice too much. I don't want it to become a habit.

I practice walking Raven around and doing little dressage exercises, such as walking him through cones is set up earlier. I do it again in a trot and do figure 8s as well.

I decide to take ravrn over a few of the low jumps. He knocks a pole off one and I canter him around. I spot Pin coming up to the fence.

"How is he?" Pin asks.

I trot over and say, patting Raven's neck, "He's good, but he still needs work on jumping."

"Here, let me get that for you," Pin says before entering the arena and going to fix the fence for me.

"Thanks, Pin."

He goes to stand by the fence while I take Raven around the fences for another half hour. I then do a couple more figure 8s and a couple of trot twenty meter circles.

I pull Raven up by Pin and pat his neck. "You're doing great with him," Says Pin as he strokes Raven's neck.

"Thanks. I just need to get him to trust other people and things will be even better," I say, patting Raven's neck.

Pin asks me, "Do you want to go on a hack?"

"Sure. It'll be good for Raven."

Pin smiles and says, "Ok. I'll just go get Hugo."

Pin holds the gate open for me and I take Raven out while he gets Hugo. Once Pin meets up with me, we head out for the forest.

After half an hour, we pause in a clearing and I trot Raven in a circle around Hugo.

"Raven is like a different horse, ever since you started working with him," Says Pin as he watches me.

"Like I said, he's made a lot of progress. I just need to figure out a way around the block in his trust with other people."

"I'm sure you'll figure it out, as you have done with other troubled horses," Pin assures me.

"Maybe. I hope I can figure it out soon. And help Raven overcome his fear of water." I'd discovered sometime ago that Raven has an immense fear of water when I'd tried to make him go over a water jump. I'd been trying to get him to overcome it but to no avail.

I'd often help people with their troubled horses. One time I'd helped reduce a hobbled mare, when she had ropes tied around her fetlocks to a fence.

I meet Pin's gaze and smile, causing him to blush. I half Raven beside Hugo, the Andalusian gelding facing the opposite way. Pin and I lean over and our lips meet in a passionate kiss.

We kiss for a few more moments before we pull back and decide to continue on. When there were logs in the trail, I'd jump them with Raven. Pin and I race each other until I hear my phone ring with Demi Lovato's Give Your Heart A Break.

It was Amber.

"Hey, Am, what is it?" I ask into the phone.

"Emma, we're back at the yard but there's this guy with a truck full of horses he'd bought from someone else who was going to take them to a slaughter house. You and Pin need to hurry back."