Re: RC: Big Horse, Little Rider

[Bette Lamore <woa@stormnet.com>]

Great story, Jennifer
Looks like you got your Dad's Talent for telling a good story!
Bette

Howard4567@aol.com wrote:
> 
> Big Horse, Little Rider Part 1
> By: Jennifer L. Bramhall
> 
>      "Come on Jen, we are going to be late," my Dad hollered.  Today was the
> day I went without my Dad to an endurance ride.  It would be my third 50 mile
> endurance ride.  I was packed and ready to go in five minutes.  I was so
> excited, yet so scared.  I had to feed and tack my horse up all by myself! I
> never did that before.  I didn't know what to feed him, when to feed him and
> how to tack him up correctly.  The day before, Roxanne Ciccone, one of my
> Dad's friends, called telling me I was going to the Ponce De Leon endurance
> ride with her and leaving my Dad behind. Rebel, my Arab, was my
> responsibility and I had to feed him and tack him up by myself.   Roxanne
> said she would help me tighten the girth and stuff like that but most of the
> time I was looking after him.
> 
>     As we were driving, I took notes on how to feed Rebel.  "Make sure you
> mix up the beet pulp and sweet feed together," my Dad said.  Everything he
> said I wrote down.  The drive to Roxanne's house took about an hour and a
> half.  The plan was my dad and I were going to get to Roxanne's, eat dinner
> and spend the night there.  Then, in the morning, get everything into the
> truck, load the horses up and go, go, go!  Dad kept on telling me over and
> over and over again to be polite and don't argue with Roxanne.  I knew that;
> what was I, stupid? I know not to back talk to adults (unless they were my
> parents).
> 
> When we finally got there, it looked as if no one was home.  We went up the
> back porch and knocked on the door.  No answer.  My Dad opened the door and
> yelled, "Roxanne, Roxanne!"  "I'm in the laundry room," shouted Roxanne.  The
> house was beautiful.  A two story house with almost everything made out of
> wood.  A small, yet perfect kitchen and lots of rooms for just one person.
> We found her washing her cute Australian Terriers, Ricky and Scarlet.
> Scarlet was Ricky's mom.  Scarlet was in the washing machine and Roxanne was
> scrubbing Ricky in the sink.
> 
>     My Dad and I cracked up at the sight of Scarlet.  Her paws were on top of
> the washing machine and the rest of her was in it.  Roxanne explained that it
> was the only way to keep her from shaking off the flea shampoo.  My Dad and
> Roxanne talked and then my dad went exploring.  I stayed and helped Roxanne.
> When both terriers were nice and clean Roxanne and I caught up with my Dad.
> He was in the kitchen looking at pictures.
> 
> 
>     "These are really cool", my Dad said as he flipped through Roxanne's
> pictures of endurance riding.  "Thank you", Roxanne said.  Roxanne was fixing
> up dinner.  As Roxanne fixed dinner, My Dad and I got Rebel out of our horse
> trailer and boy was he glad!  He had his own pen with rye grass galore! He
> looked really happy.  We fed him then headed in for some real supper.  We had
> a wonderful salad with cooked carrots, potatoes, and some baked pork chops.
> My Dad gobbled it all down.  It was a real home baked meal but I wasn't
> really that hungry but I did eat.
> 
>     Later, I got all my things out of my Dad's diesel engine truck and
> Roxanne asked where my food was.  My Dad told her that he would give her
> money for me to buy some food at a seven eleven.  Roxanne shook her head.
> She said she wasn't going shopping.  After a lot of argument, Roxanne
> convinced to buy me some food.  I told him what to buy and not to mess up!
> 
> While he was gone, Roxanne told me I could sleep in the guest room.  I laid
> my suitcase below the bed and my pillow and blanket on top of it.  I took a
> look around the house. A nice living room with a medium sized TV.  Then, I
> climbed the stairs and saw another bed.  I asked Roxanne if I could sleep in
> it instead of the guest room and my Dad could have the guest room instead of
> the couch.  She agreed.  My Dad got home and had bought me Gatorade,
> Nutri-Grain bars, and some Lunchables ( If you don't know what a Lunchable is
> you need to get out more!).  When Roxanne told him I was sleeping upstairs,
> he went upstairs and said, "Jen always gets the good spots, I love sleeping
> upstairs". But I held my place and told I got the loft.  He backed off and
> just then the two terriers, Ricky and Scarlet, came in.
> 
>     Ricky jumped all over my Dad.  Scarlet licked my palm.  I reached down
> and pick her up.  Boy was she heavy! She nearly knocked me down!  Ricky then
> got jealous of her mother and ran all over me faster than you can say "Halt,
> who goes there!"  It was getting late so I got ready for bed.  My Dad and
> Roxanne went downstairs and started to talk.  My Dad told me to go to bed.
> What does he think I am! He saw me getting my pajamas on! Gosh he can really
> get on my nerves!
> 
> Anyway I just wanted to go to bed.  But first I asked Roxanne to wake me up
> when she did.  She told me that she woke up at six and would take a shower
> then wake me up.  I agreed.  The bad thing about sleeping upstairs with in a
> room that had NO walls was that it was really noisy! I said goodnight to
> Roxanne then Dad and I finally got to sleep and I was so scared about the
> endurance ride!
> 
>        When I woke up, I fumbled around for my glasses then looked around.
> Light was peering in through the windows so I could see pretty much
> everything.  I was kind of tired but my body wouldn't go to bed!  Just then a
> light came on and then Roxanne opened her bedroom door.  I sat up and she
> took a look to see if I was awake or not.  She went downstairs and told me I
> could come down for breakfast when I was ready.  Ricky came out and saw me
> and jumped on my bed.  Scarlet was to old to jump so, I got out of bed and
> lifted her up onto the loft.  I scratched their necks and pet their backs.
> GGRR went my stomach.  I was hungry! I set Scarlet and Ricky down and quickly
> got dressed.  I went down stairs and saw Roxanne.
> 
>     "Which do you like better? Corn Flakes or Quaker Cereal?" asked Roxanne.
> "Since I like its oatmeal I think I will like its cereal, Quaker Cereal
> please," I replied.   Roxanne got the cereal I chose out and then a bowl than
> the milk.  She told me where the spoons were than she got her breakfast
> ready.  I was already eating when my Dad finally got up.
> 
> He went to the bathroom and when he got out I thanked him for the Gatorade,
> Nutri-Grain bars, and Lunchables.  He said your welcome.  Roxanne and I
> packed my food and drinks in a Styrofoam    cooler.  We were nearly ready to
> get on the road.  I put my suitcase, pillow ,and blanket in the living
> courtiers in Roxanne's trailer.  My Dad and I fed Rebel and Roxanne fed her
> horses.  Roxanne was bringing Spirit to Ponce De Leon as a training ride for
> the Baltimore.  James Agnew was going to sponsor me.  If he didn't come then
> I would go with Samantha and Sandy Thomson.
> 
> My Dad, Roxanne, and I loaded up everything.  We double checked that we had
> all we needed for the trip.  Next, we tried to get Rebel into the trailer.
> And boy was he a Rebel! We tried everything to get him in.  My Dad got kind
> of worried we were going to have to twitch him.  But I waked him on the but
> and he went.  Rebel has never been in a trailer that was so narrow.  My Dad's
> trailer was nice and wide and it had a ramp.  Roxanne got her horse in like a
> snap.  She told me that Spirit had training so that was why he behaved better
> than Rebel did.  I hugged my Dad good-bye and told him I would see him
> Sunday.  I got in the truck and we were off.
> 
> 
> 
> Big Horse, Little Rider Part 2
> By: Jennifer L. Bramhall
> 
>     I had brought my cereal because I was hungry but I couldn't eat anymore.
> I asked where to put it and Roxanne said I could give it to Scarlet.  Scarlet
> was allowed out of her cage but Ricky wasn't because she was always too
> hyper.  Scarlet gobbled it all up and looked at me as if she wanted more.
> "Sorry Scarlet but I don't have anymore," I told her.  She seemed to
> understand because she jumped to the ground and looked for something else to
> do.
> 
> Later, Roxanne and I stopped for gas.  I went in and got some chips.  I
> already had a drink in the trailer.  After we paid, I got a soda from the my
> cooler in the living courters of the trailer.  I also got Triskits and a
> Gatorade for later.  I got back in the car and we were back on road again.
> Then, maybe and hour or so later, we stopped at a Kentucky Fried Chicken for
> our dinner.
> 
>     When we were almost there, we stopped at a rest area to meet one of
> Roxanne's friends.  Roxanne and I went to the bathroom with the dogs.  When
> we got out we saw Roxanne's friend's truck.  We ran as fast as we could get
> the dogs to go.  Since Roxanne was walking Ricky, Roxanne got there first.
> Scarlet doesn't run as fast as Ricky.  Roxanne and her friend talked for a
> while.  Then, they decided to let Roxanne in front and have her friend
> follow.
> 
>     Roxanne would ask me if I could see her friend everytime she couldn't.
> One time I couldn't see Roxanne's friend and we guessed that we were either
> going to fast or she just goes plain slow.  There really isn't much to say
> what happens next because we just sat in the car.  When we were nearly there
> we say an AERC sign and then I took a look at how get there. I read the last
> direction and it was a cool place, it looked like one really cool ride.  The
> campsite was not completely roomy but it wasn't cramped either.  Roxanne
> spotted two of her friends, Carol and Vicki.
> 
>     When they saw us, they signaled us over.  "Why don't we all park together
> as a group?" Roxanne suggested.  "Sure that would be cool, " said Vicki.
> Everyone agreed and we se up.  Roxanne's friend we met at the rest area
> parked next to us and Carol and Vicki parked behind us horizontal.  We were
> really close to the vet check, thank heaven! My dad always parks miles away
> from it! Since Spirit was last to load, he was first to unload.  He is one
> really trained horse!  She didn't have to even get IN the trailer! She just
> asked Spirit to back out, then she would grab his halter-lead rope and tied
> him up to the trailer.  We had a real hard time making Rebel back out of the
> trailer.  He's used to a much wider trailer and he normally turns around in
> the trailer instead of going backwards.  "Come on Rebel!" Roxanne started
> yelling.  Rebel started backing up.  He only needed one more step to get out.
>  He raised his back right hove and moved back, expecting something hard and
> high above the ground but as he touched the ground he jerked it back up and
> moved forward several steps.  It took some time but I started talking to him
> and he paid more attention to my voice then the ground.  he hesitated but he
> finally backed out! I gave him a hug and kept telling him what a good boy he
> was.  Roxanne showed me this special knot that keeps the horse from jerking
> away from the trailer.
> 
>     Now, it was time to set up the pen.  Roxanne told me to unpack and get
> the chairs out.  I got all the chairs out and got Rebel's sweet feed and
> electric lights where Roxanne put hers.  I had already put my tack where
> Roxanne had told me to.  When Roxanne had finished with the pen, We put our
> horses in it.  She had put a divider just in case they decided to fight.
> Since we had already fed the horses, we just started unpacking and gave the
> horses some flakes of hay.  We set up her thing ( I forget what it is called
> ) that keeps us in the shade.  I decided to eat one of my Lunchables because
> I was getting hungry.
> 
>     There really isn't much that happened until we registered.  We got a bag
> filled with our vet cards, T-shirts, maps, trash bags, an agenda, and a
> dinner card for Saturday after the ride.  W waited a few hours and went to
> the vet check.  We got the horses lead ropes on and headed toward the vet
> check.  Rebel was really exited.  He was neighing like crazy! He hadn't been
> with this many horses in a long time! We got in the very unbusy line and
> noticed we didn't see James Agnew anywhere! We didn't see Samantha and Sandy
> Thomson either.  Uh-oh! Now I don't have a sponsor! Roxanne said she
> would be my sponsor.  We double checked to see if James or Sandy were here.
> We asked this lady and she told us neither of them are coming because a foal
> was due and the other just couldn't come.
> 
>     We got our vet cards out and got in line again.  Rebel was very hyper and
> he was very attached to Spirit.  While Roxanne and Spirit went, Rebel neighed
> and I could hardly keep control of him.  One of the ladies helped me calm him
> down until it was our turn.  He behaved well and got all A's.  Afterwards I
> let him drink and eat in a patch of grass while Roxanne was trying to get
> spirit to take a drink.  Rebel barely drinks but he got enough for the night
> in his system.
> 
>     Later, we fed the horses and gave them some more flakes of hay.  Plus we
> made sure they had water and we had everything ready for tomorrow.  We ate
> our Kentucky Fried Chicken for dinner.  Then, we went to the ride meeting.
> Roxanne and I got chairs and took our maps and headed to where they had it.
> The ride meeting was really late, since we changed time zones it killed me!
> We were supposed to start at 5:00am but people complained, so the pushed it
> to 6.  We were going to wake up at 4:30am (their in central time zone, so it
> was only 5:30am to me) and start at 6 or 7 ( I can't remember but I know it
> was early!).  They went through the map but I didn't really pay attention
> because I was ready to fall asleep.  Finally they explained the trails and
> how they were marked.  It finally ended and I went straight to bed.
> ~
> 
> Big Horse, Little Rider Part 3
> Written By: Jennifer Bramhall
> 
> BEEP, BEEP, BEEP! went a car horn.  I hadn't waken up yet.  Roxanne had. She
> got up quietly and went outside to feed the horses.  "Wake up Jennifer!"
> Roxanne said.  She had called my name several times but I hadn't budged.  She
> threw Scarlet down off the upper bed where she was sleeping onto me down on
> the chair-bed.  I woke up immediately.  "I fed the horses, " Roxanne told me.
>  "Thank you so much, I really appreciate it, " I said.  "It was nothing, now
> get dressed, I'll be out side getting coffee, " Roxanne said.  I nodded and
> slapped on my T-shirt, sweater, plus my Dad's coat, which I looked really
> goofy in but it was warm.  I slipped into my riding pants, socks, riding
> boots and gloves.  I stepped outside.  It wasn't that bad but it was chilly.
> I went in the tack room and got my quarter chaps on and placed my helmet in
> my chair.  Carol and Vicki were up and same with Roxanne's friend we met at
> the rest area.
> ~
>     Later, after everyone had coffee and I had some hot chocolate, we were
> ready to tack up.  I got Rebel tied up.  He was really chilly but I rubbed
> him and he stopped shaking.  He was a Florida horse and hated cool weather
> sometimes, at other times he loved it and I mean he LOVED it.  I got his
> saddle pad on and tried to put on the saddle, but failed.  Rebel kept on
> moving and I wasn't as quick as he was.  When Roxanne had her saddle on she
> helped me and every five minutes we would tighten it because he kept on
> floating.  One of my Dad's friends came over and helped me put the bridle on.
> she kept saying, '' The bratty girl on the bratty horse".  She was just
> playing.  Roxanne and I tightened the girth one last time and got on.  I was
> really starting to get the hang of this.  Earlier, we had put all of our vet
> check and beet pulp together and then, Roxanne showed me how to put the
> electric lights in Rebel.
> ~
>     When I got on, Rebel started to move because he couldn't stand still!  It
> wasn't that cold, it was nice to actually have some nice weather for once.
> Roxanne and I got to the starting point right.  "the bratty horse and the
> bratty little rider" someone said.  I turned Rebel around.  It was my Dad's
> friend that helped me with the bridle.  I really liked her England accent.
> "Roxanne, I'll take Jennifer off your hands if you want me to, " the lady
> suggested.  "Thats OK, she's not a problem, " Roxanne said. ( thats a good
> thing because that lady got in top ten! Rebel isn't ready for that,
> especially in the 50!) When the race started, Roxanne and I started slow.  We
> walked the first mile.  Normally my Dad would trot or maybe even canter like
> everyone else.  But I was fine.  After and hour or so, Rebel had started
> doing a nice, solid canter. Roxanne allowed it.
>                         ~
>     When we finished the first 11 miles, we went into one busy line for the
> vet check.  We had to pull tack unless we had a reason.  If you didn't pull
> tack you had to loosen the girth.  Roxanne pulled her tack, got the horses to
> eat and drink and got through the vet check.  Rebel got an over all A-
> because his gut sounds got a B+.  We were 5 minutes late for our out time
> because Rebel wouldn't take his electric lights but Roxanne helped me.
> 
> the second loop was the most dangerous!  We had to go along a train track and
> cross it twice! ( we had gone on a trail ride the day before, we had not seen
> a train though, thats a very good thing!)  We crossed the first time
> perfectly but, the second time was really hard!  We had to get a guy to lead
> Rebel across then Roxanne and a friend who rode Genius (which was no
> genius!).  Then Randy, my Dad's friend controlled the water and we got a
> drink there.  Just then the 25's came in and didn't even take a drink!  We
> got back to camp and same thing, busy lines.  After this, it won't be so
> busy, I thought.
> 
> So far, I was in last place but I loved it.  I would get a bunch of prizes
> for turtle!  We were 9 minutes late for our out time but we didn't care.
> This loop was a breeze and before I knew it, we saw Randy.  We got a drink.
> Hunter, Randy's son was in the car.  Kay, Randy's wife had done a 25 and had
> came in 13 or so.  I was getting hot so we gave our sweaters and jackets to
> Randy to keep in safe keeping.  One more loop! We cantered a mile or so and
> than walked until we got to camp.
>                         ~
>     We did our second to last vet check with an over all A- again.  But it
> was OK.  We gave the horses their electric lights, Roxanne tacked up and all
> three of us were off.  Genius was really moody and she was a kicker too.
> Rebel seemed to know that because on the last loop he got either in front of
> her and more close to Spirit or yards behind her.  We were on the worst loop.
>  The train loop! What made it the worst was, you had train track on your left
> and barbed wire on your right! Basically, the perfect trap! When we were
> nearly a mile away from Randy and a train came by but we were really far
> away.  Rebel stepped forward in curiosity then backed away like crazy.
> Spirit turned around and was about to gallop in the other direction!  Genius
> just stared at it go by.  We headed toward Randy and Kay.  Since we were the
> last ones, they just had to pack up and left after we went.  They were yards
> and yards away.  We started to canter but had to walk on the stones.
> Finally, the last vet check.  This time, I took off my tack.  Rebel got an
> over all A- again! It was like a curse or something! He always got an over
> all A-!
>                         ~
>     Later, We had the dinner and wrote our names on the back because there
> would be a drawing and you would get a prize.  Wonderful chicken and gravy!
> Hot roll, vegetables and brownies for dessert.  There was also a cake, too.
> While we ate, the had the Award Ceremony.  I won the turtle, a bucket, a
> journal, and Carbo Charge.  Then I got a pre registration to another
> endurance ride for being 2nd Junior.  Then, I won the drawing which was HP 20
> ( for hooves ).  It was funny, when I got up there for the third time the
> lady said, "Jennifer Bramhall, again".
> 
> That was my endurance ride.  If you want to know, on the way back, Roxanne
> bumped her trailer into one of those telephone polls and bent something near
> her wheel.  She almost started cursing!  It was really fun and everyone wish
> Roxanne good luck at Baltimore!  I hoped you liked my story! I might write
> another one! Not!
> ~
> 
> 
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-- 
Bette Lamore
Whispering Oaks Arabians, Home of 16.2hh TLA Halynov
(yes, REALLY!)
http://www.arabiansporthorse.com