My Wild Heart

by Melanie
(Texas)

Rebel

Jazz and me ( 5-9-2019)

Hooty

So I have been posting on horsecrazygirls.com for years now, commenting on other's stories, sharing some of my stories and everthing. I read Josh's Forsaken and Parker Liam's Star Dancer and saw how much y'all guys loved those stories and I am stepping up and writing my story about my life with horses.

So the first bunch of years I'm going to sort of speed through and then get into more detail as I get closer to present day... Some things you should know though is I am the oldest of 5 siblings, I don't technically live where my horses are, they are at my grandma's who lives 20 minutes away from my house and I go there like 4 or 5 out of 7 days a week so I can horse around. ;) Other things will be added in as the story goes...

It started when I was a baby. Talk about love at first sight! My mom held me up to one of our horses and I touched him, and then pet him. Horse was one of my first words. I couldn't get enough of them. From then on, man I was hooked! As soon as I could walk I was toddling out to the fence to pet them. When I was like 2 I got to ride for the first time. It was awesome!

Years pass and I was 5 and still horsecrazy. A horse from our neighbors pasture escaped into ours. I say escaped because these people starved their horses, beat and abuse them. We had called the Sheriff on them a lot but they always got away with it. Finally this one broke through the fence into our pasture. He was a 5 year old bay stallion but sweet as a puppy! He followed me around everywhere. We kept him, castrated him and started train him to ride. The thing is he was okay with me but anybody else he was scared of. I'm sure he had been beaten. I named gim Phillip. Phillip bucked everybody off but me except once. That time I was on him and a bee sting him and he bucked me off trying to get away from the bee. I broke my elbow and after that my mom was scared of him and hardly let me on him. Then I went to riding Buck. He was a 15 hand paint gelding with an addditude. I shouldn't have been riding him but I wouldn't stop with horses and he was the only one who was "safe". And he wasn't safe. I couldn't control him. He scraped me off under so many trees, swam through so many ponds and creeks and kicked up his heels so much to try to get me off. We decided to buy me a trained horse. So on Face book, when I was 9, my grandma ran across this place where the sold a bunch of horses. We decided to visit there and see if any might be suitable.

We drove down the winding road. "Are we close yet?" I asked my grandma.

"Just a few more minutes" she said.

Shortly we pull up at this place with a big barn. We meet the people and and they show us around.

"This paint horse might me a good fit", the man said." He is young but obedient".

That paint just reminded me too much of Buck. I still rode him but I just didn't have any spark. Then they brought out a different horse. This one a sorrel mare. I rode her. I rode her a LOT. She was awesome and sweet. "This is the one," I told my grandma.

Okay that was the first chapter. Sorry if it's short and boring the others will be much better. I will add more later but I have to finish mucking out stalls!

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Aug 15, 2019
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Part 7
by: Warhorse

Part Seven

Months pass. It is summer now. I am able to ride but I still can't. Sunset is just still soooo skinny. Then, my Grandma meets this lady on Facebook. Her daughters train mustangs from wild. Of course we both though, " How cool is that!" The lady, Mrs. Deden, invited is to her ranch for a day to hang out...
We drive down the road, me navigating off the directions Mrs. Deden gave us, Loli driving. "Turn here", I said. "Now it's just a little farther and we'll look for a red gate with stars on it she says". Sure enough, we round a bend and there it is. And I knew we were in the right place. Why? A girl was there loping circles in the field on a sorrel horse sporting a freeze brand on his neck.
The girl stops and showed us the way to the house. We followed her through the pasture, through a patch of tress, all the way up a sandy driveway to the ranch house. We stopped and got out of the car. "Hi! I'm Jennifer", the girl introduced herself.
My grandma nudged me. "I'm Melanie, nice to meet you Jennifer", I said shyly.
"Heeeeeeyyy!", a enthusiastic voice says. I look away from Jennifer and see a lady walk out of the ranch house. "You must be Melanie, I've heard so much about you from your grandma. I'm Elizabeth, Jennifer's mom. How are you? And hello Lori, how are you?" She addressed me, and Loli in one breath.
"I'm fine,ma'am. Thank you", I said.
"You'll be calling her Mrs. Deden", Loli reminded me. She addressed Mrs. Deden, " Hello Elizebeth! I'm fine! And you?"
We went through introductions and all. How old I was, how old Jennifer was, Jennifer's sisters. Did I have any siblings? How old they were and such. I met their dogs, Jake and Timmy. Finnaly I was asked if I wanted to see the horses.
"YES MA'AM! I said enthusiastically. I was always ready. We'd had enough talking for my taste.
Jennifer showed me her horse Larry.
" He is five, you can ride him today if you want".
"Really? Thank you!" I said
Larry was good. He behaved just like the horses at frontier camp. He was pretty easy to ride. Jennifer made me ride in the round pen first, just to make sure I knew how to rise well. I walked, trotted, and loped on Larry. We even jumped a bush that was in the pen that apparently looked to Larry like a solid object that he couldn't have just walked through. Jennifer had laughed when he did that.
"How about a trail ride now?" She asked.
"Sure!"
She pulled another horse out of another round pen and hopped on him bareback. "This is my sister , Virginia's horse Merlin, we call him Emmy, because when we leased him to camp, there was already a horse named Merlin so we had to come up with something different". (I think Emmy was a brown horsr. That i can remember, it's been a while since then ;)
We started on the trail ride. Jennifer said they jad 800 acres of land so there was plenty of space to play around. We went through pastures, woods, around ponds. They had so much space! It was probably hours later when we came to a clearing and i realized we had circles back to the round pen where we had started. I was disappointed. I could have stayed riding for hours more! But it was getting hot for the horses Jennifer pointed out. She put Larry and Emmy up. "Let's go inside and take a break for a few minutes, then we'll come back out and I'll show you Apollo. He is my Mustang Makeover horse".
"What's the Mustang Makeover?" I asked.
Jennifer grinned, " Let me show you".

Jul 25, 2019
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Chapter 6
by: Warhorse

Part Six

I woke up the next morning in excruciating pain. "I guess the Advil wore off", I groaned. I tried to get out of bed but pain shot through my arm and shoulder. Finally I twisted a way that the pressure was not on that arm and I got up. Getting dressed, I had to let my arm become unsupported by the sling. I grit my teeth, screaming inwardly,feeling nauseous it hurt so bad. Tears streamed down my face,"Stop crying", I told myself," You're 11, toughen up girl, only babies cry." I finnaly had to call my grandma to help me get dressed. She saw how pale I was and how much pain I was in.
"That's it, we're going to the doctor".
I didn't object. First, I was in a lot of pain and could not disquise it much longer. Second, it was monday, during business hours so an ER wasn't necessary and we could afford it. So we went to the doctor.
We got there, they took x-rays of my shoulder. It turned out to be not just broken, my arm had been broken clean off my shoulder and cracks like a spider web had gone through my shoulder, cracking my ball and my growth plate. All said and done, my shoulder was basically shattered. The doctor said he wasn't going to preform surgery, instead just have me in a sling for a while. Looking back, I probably should have had surgery but I'm glad I didn't. The price I pay is not being able to lift my left arm up higher than my shoulder because the bone grew back in thick layers and I lost mobility in the joint area. Oh well. It's not like I really need to move it like that. The worst part of thing for me then was that he said no riding for 2 months... What!?

Jul 14, 2019
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Chapter 5
by: Warhorse

Part Five

I flew through the air and landed hard on my shoulder and hit my head on a log. I lied there for a minute in shock, blackness at the edges of my vision and sharp, unbearing pain radiating through my shoulder and arm. I tried to roll over off my injured arm. As I moved the pain suddenly became even greater, I whimpered and clenched my teeth. I had to get off my arm and onto my back. I closed my eyes, and tried once more. "Jesus please help me!"
It hurt. It hurt a lot. I almost went unconscious from the pain. But at least I was on my back now. I screamed for help again and again. But it was useless. I was in the back of the pasture, it was too far away for someone to here me anyway, and then everybody was inside except for my siblings and cousins playing on the trampoline on the other side of the house. I lied there for a few minutes catching my breath. I saw Buck grazing across the pasture happy that he was freed from his 80 pound burden. I saw my little Chihuahua mix dog sniffing across the pasture. I think She had heard me screaming for help. She saw me and ran to me covering me in little doggie kisses. Too bad she wasn't Lassie. I cried for help again and again. It had probably been at least half an hour I had been there. I tried to get up. If I was going to get help I had to go across the pasture by myself. As I got up the pain got worse. I finally held my arm bent like it would be if you put it in a sling and got up. I hiked across the pasture slowly. I had a bruise on my head and my whole left side of my body was bruised up. I also had cuts all over my face from briers. I made it to the gate on the other side of the pasture. How was I going to open it? It was a very old gate you had to have two hands to open holding the gate up with one and sliding the latch with the other. I cried for help again, this time right as my little brother was rounding the corner of the house. He saw me in tears and cut up. "What happened?"
"He, he bucked me off. Buck did. I hurt my arm. Open the gate. Please", I said through tears. Rex opened the gate for me and then ran in the house for help. Aunt Ann was the first one out followed closely by Uncle Boy and I then I think it was my mom. I was carried inside and layed on the couch.
"What hurts you?" They asked. "My shoulder", I answered pointing to where it hurt the most. They made a sling for me out of a dish rag and I was able to get some relief. I took some Advil too. I started feeling better and I told them everything that happened. "I'll take her to an ER", Uncle Boy offered. "No! We can't afford it." I said. My arm hurts but it's not life threatening. We can go see a doctor sometime this week".
We decided to see how it went for the next few days. If it got worse or didn't improve we'd see the doctor.
I didn't get much sleep that night. I hurt more than I had let on but we couldn't afford an ER so what else could I do?

Jul 08, 2019
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Thanks for the update
by: Josh

Thanks for the latest chapters, I really enjoyed reading them!

I can totally relate to last minute decisions like the one at the end of the last chapter. It's definitely something we as riders have to face every now and then! I remember a time when I was riding and TOTALLY stalled on making a decision. It was a dark night about a year ago, and Jordan and I were going out for a moonlit ride or whatever you call it.

There are two fence posts outside the tack shed that you have to ride through. Jordan had already gone through them but I was taking my time because I have a phobia of fence posts ever since one almost took my leg off years ago when I galloped a horse around a corner. I don't know if my horse spooked or what, but suddenly he lunged ahead.

There was a bolt on one of the posts and the my shoelace caught on it. My leg twisted backwards and I couldn't think for a second. I probably should have just jumped off, but for some reason I didn't. I ended up with a sprained ankle before the shoelace finally snapped, AND I wrecked my favorite shoes. :D sorry for the long comment!

Jun 28, 2019
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Chapter 4
by: Warhorse

Part 4

Looking back, I still would have hot Sunset, even if we knew she was old. As the months dragged into years, Sunset Blessing got skinnier and skinnier up until one day...
I went out to ride. It was January 27th, 2017, my Uncle Mike's birthday. I had caught Sunset and bridled her and was about to get on when my Uncle Boy ( long story about why i call him Uncle "Boy" but anyway back to the story)stopped me.
"This horse is WAY too skinny and old to ride. I am not letting you ride her now".
I almost snapped back something to the extent of you're not in charge of me and it's not your horse to begin with. But I caught myself, that kind of response would get me in trouble up to my ears. And Uncle Boy was really just thinking about what was best for Sunset. I looked over at Buck in the pasture next to Sunset's pen. What if he hurt me again? No way, I had survived him when I was a little 9 year old. Now I was a better rider and bigger and stronger. I was going to ride today and if I couldn't ride Sunset, I'd ride Buck.
I told Uncle Boy I was riding Buck. He was okay with it. He knew Buck and knew he wouldn't do anything serious to hurt me, scraping me under trees wasn't exactly a serious offense. Almost every horse has done it one time or another.
Uncle Boy went back inside. I tacked up Buck and put the bridle on him. Uncle Boy had been all over me lately to try out this new bit, he said it would help control Buck.

Okay so I hopped on Buck and rode him in the pen a little bit, he seemed okay, normal for Buck. I opened the gate and rode out... Okay pause for a sec. Do you see what i was doing wrong? First, there were no adults outside, second I was trying a new bit on third a horse that hasn't been ridden in two years who has a history of attitude. Do you see something wrong with this picture? Ueah, looking back, I do to. Play.
As soon as we rode out the gate Buck went from a standstill to all out gallop. I almost fell off. I had lost a stirrup. I pulled back as hard as I could screaming whoa! Whoa! Whoa! That was when he started bucking. And this was no playful buck or even an would you het off please old lady buck. This was a you ARE getting OFF kind of Buck. I held on as tightly as I could thinking somewhere there might be a good place to jump off. But we were in the back part of the pasture where we keep all our junk and where there are plenty of berry briars. This was NOT a good place to bail. I had to hang on tighter! I heard a scream, lots of screaming, and then realized sickly it was me doing the screaming. Buck was coming in hot bucking up a storm, headed for the woods to get me off under a tree. No! If he slammed me into a tree going this fast he could kill me! I had to bail before he got to the woods, which was coming up super fast. I glanced at the ground where I might land. It was covered in briars and there were lots here and there. Rough landing I thought. But it's either that or maybe death in the woods. I made my decision and I let go.

Jun 10, 2019
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Part 3
by: Warhorse

Part Three

The next morning, Sunset was delivered. I was ecstatic! I led her around everywhere! Then that evening I rode her. She was so sweet and well behaved. I didn't have a saddle though so I just hopped on bareback. We went everywhere in the pasture!

The next day I rode her again and again the next, pretty soon, we got bored riding in our pasture. It is kind of large but it still got boring. Then I started seeing how fast we could go across the pasture. I started trotting, (keep in mind I was bareback) then I loped (for beginner horse people, lope is the western term for canter, in the story I wrote a while ago called "her own way", I set it in English discipline. Well I had to make myself write canter instead of lope as I am a western rider. Then I had to go back and fix all the times I slipped and put lope instead of canter. Lol! But anyway, back to the story).

It was one of the first times I had loped. It felt like flying! Pretty soon I was running everwhere. Sunset and I were awesome!

My grandma said to remember she was on the older side, the man had told us she was 20, so maybe I should take it easy on the galloping.

After a few weeks, I got a saddle! Just my size! I still usually rode bareback because I was too little to put the saddle on by myself.

One day, our cousin stopped by (he is some sort of cousin, 2nd or 3rd I think. My grandma's cousin's son.) He was a veterinarian and she asked if he would look at Sunset and see what he thought.

He walked over to Sunset. I was holding her. "She is just the sweetest thing!" I said, "And very obedient. AND fast." I went on and on.

He looked at Sunset strangely. Then he looked at her teeth.

"Lori, this horse is pushing 30," he said plaintivley.

Jun 09, 2019
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Also
by: Warhorse

Also, y'all can see a picture of Sunset that I posted shortly after I got her. Go to the latest, horse pictures from all over the world l, click on share your cool horse pictures but don't actually share. Below the form there should be something that says now see other's horse pictures. It is titled Sunset, buck, and Phillip. I just saw this the other day and a flood of happy, bittersweet memories rush through my haed. I was cute back then I thought. :) Anyway if you want to see something I wrote when I was 9 about her, do it. It's cute.

Jun 09, 2019
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Part 2
by: Warhorse

Okay, so here goes. Part 2...

Part Two

"Are you sure about this sweetheart?", my grandma asked.
I threw my hands around the horse's neck,"Of course! She is perfect, and so sweet and pretty! Can we get her?"
"I have to talk it over with your Grandfather, your mother AND your father before any decisions can be made".
I groaned,"How long will THAT take?! Just tell them ' We're getting Melanie a horse, be home with it soon'".
"Very funny, pumpkin. But you and I both know it doesn't work that way".
" I think we'll go home and discuss it tonight and come back in the morning", she told the man.
"Get in the car, Melanie".
" Yes ma'am", I sighed. I slowly trudged to the car and and reluctantly climbed in, casting a longing look back at the mare.
As we drove home , I imagined her running beside the car along the roadside, jumping over ditches and driveways, going around signs as if they were barrels, even jumping over cars! When we had better service I called my mom on the phone.
" Momma I'm in LOVE", I told her. " She is so sweet and pretty! She listens very well and liked it when I rubbed her forehead. And her mane is so pretty and long, oh and her tail too! And she is just my size, not to small; she still looks like a horse, but she is so, um, what's that word? Delicate. Yup that's it! Delicate and pretty! And they say her name is Traveler but I think I'll change it to something prettier", I went on and
on about her.
When I finnaly stopped talking long enough to take a breath, my mom said," Can I please talk to Loli". ( FYI...That is my name for my grandma, my grandpa is Poppa, Loli and Poppa).
Mommy and Loli talked for a while... " She looked old", Loli said to Mommy.
" Old is good to an extent, though", Mommy said. " That means she won't be a Bucking Bronco or anything like that".
They talked FOREVER in my opinion. By the time she was done, we were almost home.
" We're going to go back tomorrow with your mother and Uncle Don and decide then". Uncle Don was Poppa's brother. He and Poppa had both been police officers in Houston in their younger days but Uncle Don had worked with the Mounted Patrol. He knew a little about horses so we would have him ride my horse to be and tell if she was a good horse or not. Let me tell you, that was one of the longest 12 hours ever! When I woke up I got dressed in 3 seconds flat and ran to my grandparent' s room.
" Can we go now? Let's go! Is it time?".
My grandma groaned, " Ughhh! First it's 'May I' second you just woke me up, third... It's 7:00. I'm not going ANYWHERE!Now get some breakfast, brush that wild blonde hair of yours, along with your teeth and don't bother me until 8:00. We will leave closer to 9:00 or 9:30".
I trudged through the hall into the kitchen and started the stove. I was going to make me some eggs. Mommy had just taught me how to make the scrambled fluffy ones. She said the flat ones ( fried eggs) were harder so I would have to wait a while before I could make those. I fixed extra for Loli. Poppa I figured would maybe want oatmeal so so didn't fix him any eggs.
Finally it was 9:30 and we were driving out the driveway. We would meet my mom and Uncle Don at the Walmart parking lot and she would follow us to the place to get my horse.
After what seemed like ages, We arrived. Uncle Don rode her.
" She's okay at reining but hasn't the slightest idea of what I mean when I use foot cues". Me, not knowing what foot and leg cues were didn't care.
My mom couldn't decide. She didn't know what to do. We had never done this before, bought a horse I mean. All of our horses we had now except for
one had been rescues. We went out to eat to further discuss this. When we were done, we still hasn't reached a conclusion. I called my father on the phone and asked him. He said YES!
We went back to the place, signed papers and arranged for her to be delivered tomorrow side we didn't have a trailer.
... That evening I sat on the couch thinking of names for her. My mom sat with me.
"What about something shiny or sunny. Like Sunshine or something?"
" I like that idea" Mommy agreed.
I was quiet for a minute, "What about Sunrise or Sunset? I love those." I remembered it was the afternoon/ evening that I had first seen her, and 24 hours later in the evening that the final decision was made. It had been sunset. Her name would be sunset.
" Her name is Sunset Blessing".

Jun 07, 2019
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Good
by: Aspen (Artist)

It's a good start, and I look forward to reading more of it, it was a bit short but some of my stories start out similar to this beginning also. Good job!

Jun 06, 2019
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It is well written!
by: Josh

Please keep on posting! My first word was horse too>>

Jun 05, 2019
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INCREDIBLE
by: singin Cowgirl

OH MY GOD! What! You HAVE TO keep going... I love it!