A Small Town Girl

I came from a small town, it was a country town. It was hard to keep secrets, everyone knew everyone, would help each other every time someone needed it. You were all friends. My mom and dad are divorced, my mom was now married to a baseball player and they were moving around a lot. So I was now living with my brother and father. My mom had to sell our small horse ranch. I only saved enough money to take one horse with me to my fathers. My father had a barn on the outside of town, and only a small ranch house. He boarded horses, recued a few horses here and there, and trained horses also. And he was going to let me give lessons. Even if my family had, had a small ranch I rode both English and Western. The horse I brought with me was an ex race horse that refused to run. He was now an all-round-horse. He could show anything you put him in, and I did that at most shows. His name was Phantoms Nightmare Madness. I called him Phantom. He was very graceful at shows and even at home.

A Month Later…

I’d been here for about a month now. We had to put a colt down after my brother was riding him and he slipped after a jump and broke his leg. That was about a week after I came here. So that opened up a big breeding mare stall. We added a wall to make 2 stalls open. My father sent all his colts and fillies out to the biggest pasture we had. They were pasture boarded until they were 2 years old. Then they came in for training. My father’s barn held about 60 horses. His pasture with the colts and fillies held a limit of 20. My brother and my day started at 6 am every day. My father now only handled the money and management of the stables. He also brought in grooms and boarders. We had a small barn that held 10 horses for horses just passing through. My brother would be leaving tomorrow morning for the war. So we had a new stable hand coming in to take my brothers place in helping with lessons and care for the horses. I think my dad also said he had a horse. And we still did have to open stall. I looked up as my brother opened the door, “Your not sleeping in today! Remember you are teaching all the lessons today and the new stable hand comes, too!” He said. He was tall and looked very much like a soldier. “I’m taking Luna’s Secret on one last trail ride to say goodbye till I come home.” He added and smiled. He wasn’t one to mistreat an animal if he was going away. He always wanted to say goodbye or hey again. And that way with horses was to go on trail rides. I sighed and threw the pillow at him. “Let me get dressed then.” I said and laughed as he stuck his tongue out at me and shut my door. I heard him heading down the stairs. I got up and got dressed in a white tank top with a light blue button up plaid shirt over it not buttoning it up, faded blue jeans, and my brown cowboy boot. As I headed out my bedroom door I grabbed my cowboy hat and shut my door behind me. I went down the stairs and made me and my brother breakfast. I ate and then went out the door. I walked down the some gravel path to the barn and opened the sliding door wide open. I smiled as the smell of horses, hay, straw, grain, sawdust, sand, and leather filled the air. My brother walked up behind me, “I’m going to miss this!” He exclaimed. I smiled again and laughed. “And they are all going to miss you too!” I said over my shoulder as the horses greeted us with whinnies and neighs. “I got dibs on the left side!” I added. I heard my brother, Dallas laugh, “That only because your horses are on that side!” He shot back. I giggled. “So, your horse is on the other!” I shot back. I went into the grain room and pulled the two carts out with the grain on it. I pushed his cart to him and then fed the 30 horses on my side their grain and hay. Then I filled their water buckets. My brother was done a bit after I was. He waited while his horse, Luna ate and then tacked her up and was off. “I’ll be back before dinner!” He called over his shoulder and cantered off. I smiled and waved to him as he went over the hill and out of sight. I went into the indoor arena and turned on the sprinkler. Then I went to the outdoor arena and set up some jumps that were about 2’. Then I went back into the barn and pulled out Phantom and June. June was one of the stables lesson horses. I brushed them both and then led them out to the outdoor arena and tied June and Phantom and sat on the top bar of the fence to wait for the new stable hand and my first students, Tess and her brother, Tim. What is my name? My name is Mia.

I know you had not described one in your description- but do you think you could consider me joining as a younger sister of Mia?