Chapter 2
Saving Apollo
Ally took her seat beside her father in the auctioning room. Shed found four horses all suitable for rescuing but she knew the one that needed their help the most was the one that lay on the ground with no hope left.
“So what did you find today?” Her father enquired.
“I found a horse, he looked like a paint horse I think, but it was hard to tell because of all the mud. He needs our help.” Ally explained quickly, before telling her father about the list of other ponies and horses she’d found. Her father sat stroking his chin thoughtfully throughout her whole listings.
“Hmmm ok Puss, I guess we’ve chosen our lot for the day.”
They both sat back and watched the auctioning begin. Everything Ally had seen in the pens began to be led up once at a time. Some were tacked up while others were led through. The range of horses that came through to the showing was phenomenal. Some were very nervous while others stood with a posture of sadness.
Half an hour into the auctioning Ally and her father had purchased three of the four horses they were allowed to buy. Ally was waiting on the edge of her chair for the pinto to come through, when finally, someone led him in. It seemed like a massive effort for the horse to just limp halfway across the arena. Someone had thrown a western saddle on his bony back and he looked like if you applied pressure to him he’d fall over.
“That guy defiantly needs our help.” Her father murmured.
Ally nodded in agreement while watching him being led forcefully around the arena.
The bidding started at twenty dollars, and at first no one moved. Then a local man, Harvey Davidson, placed a bid of twenty five dollars. Harvey Davidson was a man known around here to buy cheap or unwanted horses for slaughter. Ally’s father overlapped the bid at forty five dollars and the auctioneer started mumbling his quick words. Harvey stared in shock at Ally and her father before shaking his head and sitting down.
“That old nag aint worth nothin’ but thirty at the most. Barely any meat on him anyways’.” He hollered to everyone. Many ranches nodded their heads in agreement, but with her mind and heart set on the white and brown horse she stared straight ahead and ignored them.
She watched the auctioneer as he asked for any final bids, before banging the wooden hammer hard on the table. The man who was leading Ally’s new horse around began to lead him out of the arena as the next horse to be auctioned was brought in.
Ally and her father stood up at the same time and began making their way down the stairs. As they got to the bottom Harvey blocked there way, his eyes narrowed thoughtfully.
“You don’t want that brown and white horse. I need one more for the cattle trailer to come and pick them all up for a bargain price. So what ya’ll say we call it a day I’ll match you to your money so I get outta’ here early.”
Ally stared at him in disgust but before she could say anything her father cut in, “Thank you for the offer but I’m afraid we are going to have to decline Mr Davidson. Good day.”
Without another word Ally’s father pushed through passed the man and she followed quickly in his footsteps. They headed towards the livestock yards to the pen with their first rescue in it.
She grabbed the paper that had the horses’ details on it and read it aloud.
“12 year old bay quarter horse mare, broken in, girthy and green, 15.1 hh.”
Ally watched as her father approached the mare. The horse pinned her ears back but stood still. He stopped beside her shoulder and let her sniff his hand. When she let out a sigh and pricked her ears, her father slid a halter onto her before clucking and leading her out of the pen.
“Daniel should be here soon.” Her father muttered as he led the mare out towards where everyone’s floats and vehicles were parked.
Daniel was one of the stable hands at Clear Water Ranch. He was a year older then Ally and was her best friend. Unlike Ally’s up-bringing, Daniel had had a very rough childhood. From the age of 6 his mother deserted him in a hotel room while she ran away with a man. He was put into a foster home, but his mother came back and took the family to court to get him back. The jury had been a fool and had recklessly given Daniel back to his mum. He grew up stealing from people to survive while his mum sat at home doing drugs and gambling their money away. By the time he was 16 his mum OD’d on drugs and he was arrested for theft; He was given a jail sentence of six months. When he was free, he put a resume in at the ranch. Ally’s mum had needed a new ranch hand so agreed to take him on and he had become a second child. He lived at home, wherever that was, and he spent all his money on groceries to keep his mother alive but had turned his life around fully. They were all very proud of him and he’d been working at the Ranch for 2 years now.
Blinking back to the present, Ally saw the familiar dirty old red ute driving up the road towards them. P Plates stood out on the front of the glass and a float followed behind it.
The ute pulled up next to where they had parked with their other float. Daniel jumped out, a crooked smile plastered on his face. He swept a hand over his dark brown hair, pushing it out of his face.
“Sorry I’m late. Ki-Ki got out again and I had to chase her out all the way up to Mountains Crook.” He said, shoving his hands into his pockets.
Ki-Ki was a little welsh pony the family had rescued six months ago. Her owner had sold her because of her ‘Houdini skills’. She could undo bolts, undo other horse’s halters, get through fences and open doors. She was a very smart pony and due to her issues the family had agreed to keep her as a permanent resident at the ranch. She was only allowed out to graze when someone could be there with her.
“Alright, well I got the first horse; we got another three to go. There’s one in pretty bad shape. Ally, maybe you could go lead that one back here. Me and Daniel will go get the other two.”
Ally nodded, grabbed a halter and lead rope and made her way back to the pens. She sauntered through as people led their bought horses by. At last she arrived at the horses stall.
He stood in the corner, staring at her warily. She stopped and grabbed the paper with his description on it.
“Apollo, 4 year old pinto gelding, 15hh, green broken, comes with reg. papers.”
Ally folded the piece of paper and slid it into her jacket before sliding the bolt open and walking into the pen. Shutting the gate behind her she slowly walked up to the starved horse. He watched her advance on him but she had a feeling he had no energy to go anywhere. It was amazing he was still standing on his long wobbling legs.
As she reached him she murmured about how she was going to make him feel better. She put her hand near his nose and he blew wheezingly into it. Slowly she slid the halter on and clucked her tongue to ask him to walk on. He took a hesitant step, his legs wobbling. She gave him a pat and asked him to walk on. He walked slowly and carefully and she led him out of that disgraceful pen, glad he’d never step foot in it again. They slowly walked towards the float, his breathing laboured.
As she approached where they were parked Daniel walked over, his face expression furious.
“How someone can let a horse get like this is beyond me!” He declared in disgust.
He helped Ally get the horse to the float and then helped support his rear end as they led him on to the float. Pulling up the float ramp, it clanged loudly is he pulled the bolts back in place.
It was then that Ally’s father approached leading the aggressive chestnut they had bid on. The gelding jig-jogged as her father walked beside him, his ears pinned and head up as high as he could. He was about to walk up the ramp when the chestnut reared up, legs flailing about. His hoof slid on the ramp from the mud and rain and he fell backwards. As soon as he hit the ground he was rolling around trying to get up. Ally held her breath as her father swore and waited until he was standing before insisting the horse get into the float. Before the horse had time to pull back or fight him he was already too far in and Daniel had slid the bum bar into place. Ally’s father jumped out of the front end of the float and went and helped Daniel close the ramp.
“Well that’s all the horses. Think it’s time we headed on home now.” Her father said, glancing at his watch.
“Can I go with Daniel? I want to help unload the pinto when we get home…” Ally asked.
“It’s alright by me.” Daniel shrugged.
Ally’s father sighed and nodded his head, “Alright, but safe driving. I’ll see you when we get home.”
With that he turned around and headed for the ute. Ally walked over to the other ute and jumped in the passenger side. Daniel slammed his door shut, slid the key into the hole and waited for the engine to purr.
And just like that, they were on their way home with four new rescues.