The First Year (Book 1 of Show Horse In Disguise)

New Surroundings

I woke up to the sound of my stall door getting unlatched. I looked to see who it was. It was my new friend Harley. She came with a few flakes of hay. Then she grabbed my water bucket and then took down my treat, that was now wore down. She came back with a full bucket of water, then she put it in my stall.

She left again, but when she came back, she brought a big wooden box. She announced,"Today we will be using all the stuff in this box." She then picked up the box then carried it out of the barn. She came back then slipped on the orange halter that she had. She clipped on the lead rope then led me out of the stall.

She took me to the place where she brought the big box. She showed me the path that went to the building. We got to the building. The building had a sandy floor. I looked around at my surroundings, there was 3 people in the stands.

One was a woman with a fragile figure. She wore spotless breeches, a navy blue jacket, and a red kerchief around her neck. The man next to her was clean shaven, he wore a navy blue show shirt, with a pair of jeans. The third person was a boy, he had on a cowboy hat, a flannel shirt, and a pair of jeans.

She looked at the three, then smiled and nodded. She went to the box and opened it. She let me nose around the box. I found many things in the box. But that's when I smelled it. I smelled apple, mint, carrots, and a strange smell. When she pulled at the rope, I looked at her then back down to the good smells. She said if I am good and listen well I get to choose if I want an apple, mint, carrot, German muffin, or molasses flavored treat.

She then bent down into the box to grab an object. She pulled out a little circle with a stick on the end of it. She said it was a curry comb. She put it near my nose. I was curious so I started to sniff at it. She then put it closer to my left side. I was startled so I jumped to the right. Her face turned bright red and she said it isn't going to hurt you. She tried again, I stood still and let her put the brush on me.

She slowly stroked the brush on my side then rose it to my back. She then was walking behind me with her hand on my rump. She felt me relax then started to brush my rump with the brush. She went to my other side and repeated the brushing.

I dozed in and out as she brushed me. She then traded the curry comb for a brush with bristles. She brushed it with me then went to the box. She pulled out a brush that looked a lot like the hard brush but with short soft bristles. She finished brushing me by using a cloth and swiping away the dirt. Then she patted me all around and ran her fingers through my mane and tail.

She went to the box and picked up another brush. It was orange and looked like it had teeth! She let me sniff it again since she saw me tense up. Then I calmed down so she went to my side. She started to brush my mane and then my tail like how she did with her fingers. She brushed until there were no more knots. She, again, patted me all around.

She then picked up the whip and lunge line. She clipped on the lunge line and rubbed me with the whip. Then she swung the rope over my back and under my belly. She then saw me settle down and swung it up and down on my right side. Once I was calmed down again she swung it up and down on my left side.

Harley looked up at the three people then the man and woman clapped. The boy nodded his head. I looked nervously at the two because it reminded me of the gunfire and the commotion of the day I lost my family. A tear streamed down my newly cleaned coat. I miss my daddy, he taught me how to defend myself. My mom, she was the best, I miss her also.

Harley called out,"Dad she looks like the foal that got it's mom and stallion taken from her."

"Go get Renegade and bring her in here," said the man.

The boy got up and left the building. I heard clopping, that's when I smelled it. My Mom. I neighed and pricked my ears up. She replied. I pranced around but didn't have far to go because Harley switched the rope to a short rope. Then that's when I saw her. A picture of my past. It all came flooding back to me.

*Flashback*

My mom standing there, me by her side. She nudged me as I stared at the water in front of me. I stuck my nose down and took a sip. It was the first time I have ever had water. Then my little foal legs started to tingle as I bucked. Back when I was wild, when I was free, in my past.

*Flash back Over*

As I came back to reality, I noticed the people in the stands were moving. The man and woman were walking out of the barn as the boy took the mare after them. Then I started getting led. The man and woman stood outside of the little round pen that I was in yesterday. The boy put my mom in the round pen, unhooked her halter, then let her walk around. Then Harley did the same to me. My mom and I trotted to each other, then we started to circle each other, head by rump, rump by head.

The boy spoke in strong, yet soft gorgeous voice,"I guess that was the foal, she became a beauty didn't she."

It was a beautiful moment for me and my mom. I missed her everyday, but she started to fade away. Until I met her again. I love this moment. I never want my mom to leave me ever again. She immediately began to groom me so I groomed her back. We dozed of while grooming each other as the warm sun hit our backs. Then Harley and the boy came into the pen. That was the end of that.