by Doree
(Canada)
Tyler James stood in front of a dainty bay mare. "How about this one Tyler? She's very beautiful and she's got some good breeding! Look, she's a Morab!" Said Tyler's father, Tim. Tyler looked at the papers her father held under her nose. She shrugged her shoulders.
"She's OK but dad, I already told you, I'm looking for a barrel racing horse. This little mare just isn't right for me." Tyler's father pursed his lips in a tight line.
"Why are you so into the western stuff? You know me and your mom would love it if you did something English." Tyler folded her arms and stuck out her bottom lip stubbornly.
"No. I like western dad. You and mom know that, so stop trying to make me like Christine." Tyler thought of her older sister. She was tall, slim and very beautiful. She had long dark curls which reached her hips, her eyes were a beautiful hazel color.
Christine loved English, she was also two years older then 14 year old Tyler. Finally her father sighed and nodded his head. "Whatever." He muttered under his breath. Tyler smiled slightly. She had won this battle! Just like the last on, Tyler thought. She had just finally convinced her parents to let her do western. They had allowed her to go to riding camps which rode western, but always told her, soon enough she would be wanting to ride English like her big sister.
Tyler snorted to herself. She never changed, always stayed the western girl in her family. She couldn't explain to her family why she loved it so much. Her favorite western thing to do was barrel race. She was really good at it, having been practicing since she was 6 years old.
Tyler glanced around the auction place. She nervously tugged at her own dark curls, her hair was in braids. Everyone told her she looked like her big sis, but Tyler couldn't see it. Her sister, had long hair. Tyler had short hair. Her sis had hazel eyes, she had dark brown eyes, her sis had beautiful tan skin, she was as white as a ghost, she could never really tan right, all she could do was get sunburned. She sighed slightly. Was she every going to find the right horse!?
"Let's go look at Henry. He looks promising." Said her father, his eyebrows raised. Tyler had to stand on her tippy-toes to see which one he was pointing to, being on the short side.
"Okay." She agreed excitedly. Could this be the horse!?
Click here to read or post comments
Return to Horse Training Stories.
by Doree
(Canada)
As they headed towards Henry, Tyler glanced at the other horses in the pens. There was bays, paints, roans, and chestnuts and grays. Tyler felt bad for the horses. Some got all the attention because of their beauty, other ones got none at all, because they were a bit on the ugly side.
As they reached Henry, Tyler realized it was the same case with him. He was plain ugly, his dark chestnut coat was dirty and caked in mud in some places, with a few bald places all over his body. He was sickly skinny and his head, which had a white stripe on all the dirt, was to big for his body. Tyler heard her father let out a low whistle as they stared at the chestnut gelding.
"Wow. He's only four and he looks like this?" Exclaimed her father.
As people walked by, Tyler noticed the disgusted look they shoot the poor horse. Tyler reached forward and scratched Henry?s ear. He leaned into her touch and stared up at her with adoring brown eyes. A tall man with dark hair came and stood beside Tyler.
"Ugly thing ain't he? Yup that's why we're gonna sell me to the slaughterhouse." The man took a long puff on his cigar.
Suddenly, Tyler wished her father was here, but he had goon to check out Fizz, another horse her father said sounded promising.
"No don't! I'm sure someone here wants him!" The man raised his eyebrows at Tyler.
"Yes, I do. I'm buyin' him then sending him to the slaughterhouse." He let out a bark of laughter.
"I'll get him for so cheap, it'll be like I'm getting the old nag for free." He took another puff of his cigar then ground it into the dirt.
"See ya later kid." Said the tall man as he walked away.
Tyler stood there in shock as Henry nuzzled her face, this sweet fellow was going to the slaughterhouse! But he had so much life ahead of him! So much potential. Then it hit her, she would buy the gelding! She hurried towards her father.
"Dad, dad!" Panted Tyler as she skidded to a stop in front of a bay gelding who had to have been Fizz. "I want Henry, a guy just said he's gonna buy him then send him to the slaughterhouse! Dad you know how I feel about slaughterhouses!" Her father frowned.
Tyler bit her lip and looked up beggingly at her father. "Okay, under all that ugly, it says here on the papers here that he's a pure Quarter Horse. Did a bit of barrel racing?" Said her father. Tyler smiled.
"That's great! Right?" He nodded. All of a sudden a voice came of the speakers that were playing country music a few minutes ago.
"The bidding is about to began! Please come to the bidding area!" Tyler and her father rushed into the arena. Horse after horse was sold. The horse before Henry got sold as soon as she entered the arena. Figures, thought Tyler. That horse was beautiful! It was a tall, leggy dark bay thoroughbred, with a blaze and one white sock.
"Next is a pure breed Quarter Horse! 4 years old, has done a bit of barrel racing and is a dark chestnut gelding." Henry entered the arena, Tyler heard sounds of disgust from the people around her, and people whispering, What an ugly horse! Eww! He's ugly! Look at his head! That horse is sooooo ugly! Tyler gulped down that urge to stand up and throw something at the people whispering.
"Who will pay 100$ for this little one?" Tyler rose her paddle in the air and shouted 150$ Her father said before the entered and arena that he would only pay 500$ for the horse, nothing more. The man she met earlier shoot her a surprised look, then raised his own paddle in the air and said, 175$. Tyler smiled then raised her paddle again and said 200$ the man stopped raising his paddle when they reached 300$. Tyler could hardly contain herself, soon he would be hers!
All of a sudden a women in front of her with tan skin and black hair that was in a thick braid raised her paddle in the air. Tyler frowned, Oh no! what if this lady was willing to pay even higher then her!
Click here to read or post comments
Return to Horse Training Stories.
by Doree
(Canada)
Tyler frowned and took a deep breath in. "500$!" Shouted Tyler. The lady in front of her didn't raise her paddle again. Tyler smiled. "Going once....going twice....SOLD to the little lady in the red shirt!" They led Henry out of the arena.
Tyler and her father hurried over to Tyler's new horse. "Hey boy! Your comin' home with me baby!" She scratched Henry's ear. He sighed and relaxed into Tyler's touch. She grabbed his lead rope and lead him up and into their trailer after giving the money for the gelding. On the ride home, Tyler heard Henry stomping and neighing in the trailer.
"I don't think he likes it back there much." Sighed Tyler frowning. "He'll be fine, he has to like trailers if your going to show him. Are you excited to ride him?" Asked her father. "I'm actually going to wait until tomorrow, you know, so he can settle in." Her father nodded.
"Okay, sounds good to me." Tyler grinned to herself, she could hardly wait until tomorrow! As they turned into their driveway, Tyler noticed a white truck pulling a large trailer behind them.
"Dad, there's someone behind us." Frowned Tyler.
"Hmm well let's go see what they want." Her father put the vehicle in park and both of them got out.
"Tyler unlatched the trailer and lead Henry down the ramp. He nuzzled her. She then stared at the man who also had gotten out of his truck and strolled towards them, it was the man who almost bought Henry!
"Hello" he greeted them with a nod of his head.
"My name is Jake Evans. I came here to ask you something." Jake Evans paused. "I would like to trade you horses, you see I wanted Henry." Tyler narrowed her eyes and glanced up at the steel gray trailer. There were at least ten horses in that trailer! All looked healthy and beautiful. "That would be up to Tyler." Said her father looking the man square in the face.
Jake Evans paused then nodded. He turned to Tyler. "Wadda you say kid?" She glared at the man. "No." She said sharply and turned her back to him, leading away Henry.