One Stride

one

"Uhm. No...? My dads out at the studio and my mom is at work" I frowned. My mom was a surgeon at the hospital across town. Yeah so now you know pretty much how rich we are.

"Oh well you are my moms waiting outside"

"Yeah, sorry no thanks. I don't do... active stuff. Even then we're only sitting on a horse it would be doing all the work" I frowned. How I wasn't some fat little teenager? I'm not sure maybe it's that once a month 5k run my dad makes the whole family do. "Also I don't feel like getting dirty"

"Well suck it up, get some leggings and a shirt you don't mind getting a bit dirty. Because we're going wether you like it or not my moms waiting outside for us. Grab some boots too" she said rolling her eyes pointing me back up the stairs.

"Only cause your mom's here" I mumbled. I rushed back upstairs and pulled out a pair of leggings that were a bit worn and a Nike sports top. I grabbed my black hunters and pulled my hair up into a pony tail. I met Trinity outside and walked with her to her car where her mom was waiting.

"Hey Grace" I smiled at her mom. She smiled back.

"Excited for today? Sydney?" She grinned pulling out of the driveway. I nodded lying just to make her happy. I met Trinity back in middle school. First day of grade six. She told me if she caught me being stuck up just because my daddy was famous she beat me up. Best friends since. She was the one "friend" who wasn't fake. Who wasn't my friend for the fame or the money my family had. But for me. Trinity was gorgeous and I'd always tell her but she always thought otherwise.

We took a turn down the long winding back roads. We pulled up to a set of black iron gates that were pulled off to the side to let people come and go I presume. Grace turned into the gravel path and pulled into a parking space. I let my boots hit the ground and took a breath of the air.

"Smells like horse crap" I observed. Trinity chuckled quietly. A tall blonde stood with a horse that was attached to a lead or something on the other side of the parking lot. The horse was a beautiful brown colour. His ears perked towards us and tugged on the girl who was holding him. She frowned and tugged back. She was wear a pair of an odd coloured brown pants with patches on the knees. Tucked into them was a polo shirt and she wore boots up to her knees that hugged her calfs tight not like my hunters I was wearing. They were quite nice and I'd wear them out in public. She clicked with her tongue and walked over.

"Ou can we pet him?" Trinity asked staring at the large creature in awe.

"Uhm, not this one he's a bit wild" she huffed as he bobbed his head as if agreeing to her words. I laughed.

"What's his name?" I asked turning to the blonde.

"Oh this is Excalibur. Or Cali for short. He's the owners horse. We bought him not too long ago from Germany. A good two hundred grand on this hunk" she laughed. I widened my eyes. Two hundred grand? Unbelievable. And all the way from Germany too! "If I'm not mistaken you guys have a lesson right?" The girl asked. We nodded.

"Okay, you guys can come with me into the barn and we can get started, also don't stand behind him he might kick you. That applies with any horse. Seeing as they can't see behind them or directly in front of them.

The barn was quite gorgeous. The dark spruce wood doors and black iron bars. Pretty horses dotted around in the stalls. She opened one up and led Cali inside, taking off the equipment on his head.

"Melanie! Can you come here and help me with the new riders?" The blonde called shutting the door behind her looking at a brunette who was emerging from a room.

"Oh hey Ashley. And sure" she grinned walking over.

"Okay girls this is Melanie, I'm Ashley. Melanie this is Trinity and Sydney" Ashley stated. Melanie locked eyes with me.

"You're Shawn Mendes' daughter, right?" She asked looking me up and down. Ugh great way to start off.

"The one and only" I said in a slightly annoyed tone. She nodded.

"Okay girls if you would follow me, we can get your horses" Ashley said turning around on her boot heel, Melanie tagging along at her side.

"What horses are you gonna use?" I heard Melanie ask Ashley.

"I was thinking Gizmo and Angel" Melanie nodded to Ashley's choice. We stopped beside a stall.

"Okay this is Angel's stall who wants to ride her?" Ashley asked. Trinity raised her hand and I just shrugged. I didn't really care. "Okay, perfect. Mel can you take Sydney to Gizmo and then meet back here? We can cross tie and tack them up together"

"Sure thing. Common Sydney" Melanie beckoned me to follow her. We pulled up to a grey horses stall he was happily munching on some hay. She picked up another form of equipment that Ashley had on Cali. "Kay so this is called a halter, I'll show you how to put it on, then I'll take it off so you can try" she showed me how and I did the same after she took it off. She handed me a lead rope to attach onto the metal ring under the halter.

I stood on his left side as she instructed and we led him back down the barn towards where Ashley and Trinity were with a dark brown horse, I supposed it was Angel. We clipped on ropes that were attached to the walls, aka cross ties to both sides of the halter and then hung up the lead rope. Melanie taught me how to groom the horse and the different brushes we used. We went together and grabbed a helmet and the tack we needed to ride.

"Okay so put your saddle pad on his back, and make sure it comes right at his withers, or shoulders" she instructed touching his withers that were jutting out slightly. We put the saddle lightly on his back and did up the girth, which was kind of like a belt how she explained it to keep the saddle from slipping.

She instructed me how to put the bridle on him, which I thought was a bit difficult because of all the straps but I got the hang of it. We followed Ashley and Mel outside towards the arena and they helped us get on. I felt so tall on top of Gizmo. He stood patiently underneath me, as we waited for Trinity to get on as well. Well this was it!