part four.
Ruby halted, Sullivan standing square. “Halt to trot to halt. Then halt to canter and back.”
Ruby nodded and did as she was told. She asked Sullivan for a trot, picturing in her mind yet again the beautiful trots they’ve already done. She then pictured him standing square and they stood halted. She then asked him for a canter from a standstill, and he obeyed perfectly. Back to a halt they went.
“Okay, walk him out,” Becca said distantly, walking away and shaking her head. Did she do something wrong? Ruby was worried. She let Sullivan drop his head and walked him around the ring until he was cool. She then dismounted, ran up her stirrups, loosened his girth, and brought the reins over his head. She hand walked him another couple laps before bringing him up to the barn.
In the dim light of the barn, Ruby exchanged his bridle for his halter, clipping him once again to the crossties outside his stall. She took off his saddle and pads, laying them on the collapsable saddle rack. After taking off her helmet, chaps, and gloves, she proceeded to lavish Sullivan with attention and peppermints, informing him how great he was and that he was the absolute best horse in the world. Ruby got his bucket and found a cactus cloth. She rubbed away what little sweat spots he had, then set to work on thoroughly grooming him. This time, she added a bit of hoof polish to his already gleaming feet. She poked her head in his stall and noticed his water bucket should be filled. She used a nearby hose to fill it to the brim with fresh, cool water, then put Sullivan back inside his stall to relax. Ruby fed him a few more peppermints before gathering his tack and heading to the tack room for a cleaning session.
Once inside the tack room, Ruby once again became aware of her surroundings. Expensive horse equipment was everywhere in sight—including in her hands. There were private custom made tack trunks and an espresso machine. An espresso machine! In fact, there was a woman in shiny new dressage boots finishing up a cup of the stuff. Ruby was aware that her hair was flattened and sweaty and that she had horse hair and slobber all over herself. A corner of her tee shirt had gotten wet from giving Sullivan water, as well.
Blushing, she set down his tack by the cleaning stations. She brushed horse hair off of Sullivan’s pads before shaking them out and putting them back. She sat down to scrub his bridle and martingale, giving his bit extra attention. Ruby put those back before setting to work on his saddle, cleaning it thoroughly before conditioning it. It was as she was putting his saddle back that three people walked into the tack room.
Ruby looked up at Ms. Chafey, Becca, and her mother. She spotted Alexis poking her head in curiously, but she quickly disappeared. All three women’s faces were expressionless, and it was Ms. Chafey who spoke.
“If you’re done in here, Ruby, I’d like to speak with you in my office.” Ruby gulped.
“I-I’m done. In here, I mean,” she replied, suddenly extremely nervous. Did she do something wrong? Were they kicking her out? It’s true, she didn’t like the people much, and everywhere she looked she was reminded that they were all made of money, but she fell in love with Sullivan—the ten million dollar horse-- and didn’t want to leave him.
“Then follow me, please.”
