Angels in horse hair... Part two.
Yes, I can't wait... I thought to myself. I get to see Eli today. I sat impatient in the front of the car. Come on mom, drive faster. It seemed to take hours to get up there. First she was late to pick me up from school, and then driving out to Tumalo seemed to take forever. The silence of the car ride didn't help at all either. I was tapping my fingers on my knees by the time we finally we got to the turn off and turned onto the familiar gravel road that lead up to the ranch. My mom drove slowly up to the top of the driveway. I was almost to the point of just jumping out of the car and walking up there myself.
It was a beautiful summer day, perfect for riding. The sun was blazing down but a gentle whisper of wind blew and made it just cool enough. In times where there is no wind the ranch gets to hot... you end up spending most of the day in the sprinklers. You can and I still do ride. You just end up very sweaty and hot. But not today, it was warm enough but a day that any person would want to ride!
When finally we did get to the top I didn't see anyone at first, and then I saw Ami and Kim walking towards us. I open the door of the car and closed it not even saying a word to my mother. She rolled down the window as I was walking away, "I love you.." she said.
"I know.." I said in reply to her. I couldn't say those three words to her, I love you, that would be a lie. I hated her. I hated all of them, my whole family. But that is another story, for another time. I walked as fast as I could away from that car and towards the paddock where the ranch kept Eli. Kim walked over to my mom and talked to her for a bit and then she turned around and left.
Eli, my horse, or what I called my horse. He was a very old gelding with grey coat and a grey and white mane and tail. He was a gentle horse, and not many rode him. Every other day I would come out and bring him apples and carrots from home. I would clean his paddock and than take him out to groom him. Talking to him all the time, about life, school and family, he knew most things about me. After grooming him I would sometimes saddle him up and ride him, getting a lesson from Kim. I adored and love the horse.
As I got closer though, I noticed that the paddock was empty. I turned and saw Kim coming my way. "Where did you move Eli?" I asked. I was anxious to see him.
Kim did a half smile and said, "He is at a new home now... we found some people that just wanted a pet horse. Since he is so old and can't be ridden that much, we knew he would love living out there."
What?!?! I wanted to scream. You sold him and didn't tell me. How could you. Why? I horrible feeling crept up inside me. I knew what it was instantly... it was that same feeling I felt when my mother said "I love you" and I knew she didn't mean it. It was the same feeling that came when my brother or sister were beating up on me. That feeling of absolute hatred I had for my father who was never around when I needed him. I felt that now for Kim and the ranch.
I wanted to run away and cry but there was no place to go. How could you? I never even got to say goodbye. I was deep in my thoughts, when a voice broke them. "I have something I want you to see. Kind of a project that I would like help in." Kim spoke softly.
I turned back towards her; I had been facing the padox trying as hard as I could not to scream and cry at the same time. Her face was excited, and although I wanted to know what she had, I also didn't ever want to see her again. But I followed her anyways towards the round pin. Eyes downwards. I have no where to go anyways, I thought to myself, I might as well go see.
Around to the front of the roundpin we went. Inside stood a little horse; a little bay horse with four white socks and a little star that was on its forehead. The horse was very thin, you could see many of the ribs and other bones in her body. The mane which should have been jet black, slick long and smooth; was very short and chunk, knotted up and looked very dry. It had cuts all along its body where it looked as though someone too a whip to her. The little horse stood at the far end of the round pin, wanting to be as far away from everything and anyone.
"I want you to make this horse your project." Kim said.
"What? You want me to ride your horse, Ele?" I asked. For this horse looked exactly like Kims personal horse Ele. Ele was a bigger horse but also was a bay with four white sock, a black mane and tail and a star on her forehead.
"No," Kim laughed, "she is a new rescued baby. She doesn't have a name yet. Let me tell you a little bit about her." She walked me over to the picnic table that was right beside the round pin. We sat on it and she told me this story. "This horse, lived at a ranch about 20 minutes from here. Where they beat her and starved her. The people rode her doing barrels and in other games. But if she did not go fast enough, or was bad they would beat her and make her bleed. She got beaten so bad, that when they tried to catch her one time (she was out in a field) she wouldn't let them. She ran away. These people tried everything to get her to come. When I was out there a few days ago looking at horses to buy. They informed me that we could have her for free if we could catch her. After a long time, we finally got her into the trailer and home here. She has been in the round pin since."
By the time she was done with the story I had not forgotten about Eli and I was still mad but I also became very interested in this little beaten and starved horse. Kim ended her story with a question for me, "I want you to help me with her. Help me get her healthy again and bring her back to life. I want you to help train her and to ride her. Would you like to help?"
My heart jumped in excitement. Help train a horse. I was only 14 and she wanted my help. "Yes.." I said quietly, looking down, but with a bit of excitement in my voice.
We both got up and walked back over to the round pin. And looked at this little horse, standing in the back shaking, for fear that we were going to hurt her. I looked into the eye of that horse, and knew how she felt. How it was to be neglected and abused. Although my abuse had just been emotional and verbal, not as much physical as this little horse. But I understood, and I wanted to help her.
After about 10 minutes of sitting there staring at each other the horse put her head down and took a step towards the gate. As if to acknowledge me... I smiled and turn to look for Kim. I couldn't see anyone. I was standing there alone with this abandoned horse.
It was a beautiful summer day, perfect for riding. The sun was blazing down but a gentle whisper of wind blew and made it just cool enough. In times where there is no wind the ranch gets to hot... you end up spending most of the day in the sprinklers. You can and I still do ride. You just end up very sweaty and hot. But not today, it was warm enough but a day that any person would want to ride!
When finally we did get to the top I didn't see anyone at first, and then I saw Ami and Kim walking towards us. I open the door of the car and closed it not even saying a word to my mother. She rolled down the window as I was walking away, "I love you.." she said.
"I know.." I said in reply to her. I couldn't say those three words to her, I love you, that would be a lie. I hated her. I hated all of them, my whole family. But that is another story, for another time. I walked as fast as I could away from that car and towards the paddock where the ranch kept Eli. Kim walked over to my mom and talked to her for a bit and then she turned around and left.
Eli, my horse, or what I called my horse. He was a very old gelding with grey coat and a grey and white mane and tail. He was a gentle horse, and not many rode him. Every other day I would come out and bring him apples and carrots from home. I would clean his paddock and than take him out to groom him. Talking to him all the time, about life, school and family, he knew most things about me. After grooming him I would sometimes saddle him up and ride him, getting a lesson from Kim. I adored and love the horse.
As I got closer though, I noticed that the paddock was empty. I turned and saw Kim coming my way. "Where did you move Eli?" I asked. I was anxious to see him.
Kim did a half smile and said, "He is at a new home now... we found some people that just wanted a pet horse. Since he is so old and can't be ridden that much, we knew he would love living out there."
What?!?! I wanted to scream. You sold him and didn't tell me. How could you. Why? I horrible feeling crept up inside me. I knew what it was instantly... it was that same feeling I felt when my mother said "I love you" and I knew she didn't mean it. It was the same feeling that came when my brother or sister were beating up on me. That feeling of absolute hatred I had for my father who was never around when I needed him. I felt that now for Kim and the ranch.
I wanted to run away and cry but there was no place to go. How could you? I never even got to say goodbye. I was deep in my thoughts, when a voice broke them. "I have something I want you to see. Kind of a project that I would like help in." Kim spoke softly.
I turned back towards her; I had been facing the padox trying as hard as I could not to scream and cry at the same time. Her face was excited, and although I wanted to know what she had, I also didn't ever want to see her again. But I followed her anyways towards the round pin. Eyes downwards. I have no where to go anyways, I thought to myself, I might as well go see.
Around to the front of the roundpin we went. Inside stood a little horse; a little bay horse with four white socks and a little star that was on its forehead. The horse was very thin, you could see many of the ribs and other bones in her body. The mane which should have been jet black, slick long and smooth; was very short and chunk, knotted up and looked very dry. It had cuts all along its body where it looked as though someone too a whip to her. The little horse stood at the far end of the round pin, wanting to be as far away from everything and anyone.
"I want you to make this horse your project." Kim said.
"What? You want me to ride your horse, Ele?" I asked. For this horse looked exactly like Kims personal horse Ele. Ele was a bigger horse but also was a bay with four white sock, a black mane and tail and a star on her forehead.
"No," Kim laughed, "she is a new rescued baby. She doesn't have a name yet. Let me tell you a little bit about her." She walked me over to the picnic table that was right beside the round pin. We sat on it and she told me this story. "This horse, lived at a ranch about 20 minutes from here. Where they beat her and starved her. The people rode her doing barrels and in other games. But if she did not go fast enough, or was bad they would beat her and make her bleed. She got beaten so bad, that when they tried to catch her one time (she was out in a field) she wouldn't let them. She ran away. These people tried everything to get her to come. When I was out there a few days ago looking at horses to buy. They informed me that we could have her for free if we could catch her. After a long time, we finally got her into the trailer and home here. She has been in the round pin since."
By the time she was done with the story I had not forgotten about Eli and I was still mad but I also became very interested in this little beaten and starved horse. Kim ended her story with a question for me, "I want you to help me with her. Help me get her healthy again and bring her back to life. I want you to help train her and to ride her. Would you like to help?"
My heart jumped in excitement. Help train a horse. I was only 14 and she wanted my help. "Yes.." I said quietly, looking down, but with a bit of excitement in my voice.
We both got up and walked back over to the round pin. And looked at this little horse, standing in the back shaking, for fear that we were going to hurt her. I looked into the eye of that horse, and knew how she felt. How it was to be neglected and abused. Although my abuse had just been emotional and verbal, not as much physical as this little horse. But I understood, and I wanted to help her.
After about 10 minutes of sitting there staring at each other the horse put her head down and took a step towards the gate. As if to acknowledge me... I smiled and turn to look for Kim. I couldn't see anyone. I was standing there alone with this abandoned horse.