Copper View Ranch
Chapter Three
Sophia glanced at her reflection in the mirror as she passed through the hallway, pausing to straighten her cowboy hat. After breakfast she changed into some boots for riding and headed out for the barn while everyone was still at the table and eating. She wanted a chance to start the horses without having an audience. She decided to start with the chestnut mare first. The mare didn't have a name, but Sophia figured she would see what the mare was like before naming her. Tom mentioned that she was six years old but still needed quite a bit of training.
Sophia grabbed a rope halter hanging outside of the pen the mare was in before entering. The mare stood calmly as she slid the halter on and took her out to the hitching posts outside the barn. She spent a few minutes quickly going over the mare with her brush. The mare stood calmly with a hind hoof rested, occasionally flicking her ears forwards at the horses in the pens nearby.
Finally Sophia saddled and bridled the mare. She led her to the far arena behind the barn as it was empty, except for a couple of barrels that someone set up to practice barrel racing. Putting the reins over the mare's head, she then attempted to lift her foot up to the stirrup, although she quickly realized she was no longer flexible enough to mount as easily as she had when she was younger. It didn't help that she was wearing tight jeans that didn't stretch at all.
"Okay, I'll just use the fence," Sophia muttered under her breath. She led the mare over to the fence and climbed up on the rail. She put her foot in the stirrup and easily swung up into the saddle. The mare shifted uneasily, her ears pointed back, listening to Sophia.
"Walk on," Sophia told the mare, squeezing the mare forward into a walk. The mare took a few short steps forward, sidestepping uneasily away from the fence. Sophia failed to recognize the signs that the mare was nervous, and once she was halfway around the ring she attempted to urge the mare forward into a jog.
The mare suddenly jerked her head down, nearly ripping the reins from Sophia's hands. Sophia fell forward, attempting to yank the mare's head back up as she felt the mare's hind end snap up as the mare started to buck. She feebly attempted to get the mare's head up although she now only had one rein in one hand and was attempting to grasp the horn of the saddle with the other. She completely lost control as the mare continued to attempt to buck her off. She fell forward, wincing as the horn hit her hard in the ribs before falling forward as the mare bucked again and somersaulted, falling hard onto the ground on her back.
Sophia just managed to roll out of the way as the mare's hind end came down again dangerously close to where she'd been laying. She gasped for breath, winded from the fall as the mare took off across the ring, bucking wildly.
Sophia didn't hear the footsteps quickly approaching as she stared up at the cloudless sky, wincing. She felt dazed and was just coming to terms with what happened. Suddenly a tall figure blocked her view of the sky as the young man leaned over her, looking concerned.
"You okay?" Lucas asked as he knelt down next to her. He wasn't wearing his cowboy hat for once and was running a hand through his blond hair, looking anxious.
"I'll live," Sophia grumbled, attempting to sit up and massage her ribs at the same time. A thought struck her and she glanced around, hoping Ethan didn't see her fall. She didn't want him to think she wasn't capable of riding these horses yet and stick her on one of the older, safer horses. "She just caught me by surprise."
"Should've warned you that she bucks," Lucas said with a grin. He held a hand out, helping her stand up. "Don't worry, no one else saw. They're still at breakfast."
"Why weren't you at breakfast?" Sophia asked with a hint of irritation, as if it was his fault she fell. She couldn't help but notice earlier when he was the only ranch hand that didn't come in for breakfast, like they all usually did. She stood up, brushing sand off herself before spotting the mare standing at the opposite end, anxiously trotting back and forth along the fence.
"One of the broodmare's are due to foal, I had breakfast earlier," Lucas explained as he followed her over to the other end of the arena. Sophia nervously watched the mare pacing back and forth along the fence before calling softly out to her. The mare stopped, the whites of her eyes showing as Sophia tentatively approached her. She went up to the mare and grabbed onto the reins, realizing the mare must've gotten caught up in the reins as the leather was ripped. Her chestnut coat was lathered in sweat.
"I better cool her down," Sophia said as she glanced over to Lucas, who nodded and opened the gate for her. She led the mare out of the arena and back into the barn, where she began walking her up and down the empty barn aisle to cool her off. A few minutes had passed before Ethan came into the barn.
"Done already?" he asked as he glanced over the mare's sweat soaked coat. "How was she?"
"I got bucked off," Sophia replied, gritting her teeth. She had been tempted to lie and say she just took the mare out for a hard ride, but she knew that wouldn't do any good. "You could've warned me she likes to buck."
"I didn't realize you were taking her out first. She has tried to buck in the past but she has been pretty good lately. This is the first time in a few months she's done it," Ethan looked worried. He seemed to assume that since Sophia was up and walking, she hadn't been badly injured. "I'll get one of the boys to work with her again for now."
"I'll put her away," Sophia grumbled before turning away and leading the mare back out to her pen. Once the mare was back out near her pen she stood calmly while Sophia took her saddle off and quickly ran over her coat with a brush. She then let her loose in her pen and stepped back to watch the mare trot over to the fence and exchange greetings with the sorrel gelding. She was starting to wonder if she would ever get anything right here.
Sophia grabbed a rope halter hanging outside of the pen the mare was in before entering. The mare stood calmly as she slid the halter on and took her out to the hitching posts outside the barn. She spent a few minutes quickly going over the mare with her brush. The mare stood calmly with a hind hoof rested, occasionally flicking her ears forwards at the horses in the pens nearby.
Finally Sophia saddled and bridled the mare. She led her to the far arena behind the barn as it was empty, except for a couple of barrels that someone set up to practice barrel racing. Putting the reins over the mare's head, she then attempted to lift her foot up to the stirrup, although she quickly realized she was no longer flexible enough to mount as easily as she had when she was younger. It didn't help that she was wearing tight jeans that didn't stretch at all.
"Okay, I'll just use the fence," Sophia muttered under her breath. She led the mare over to the fence and climbed up on the rail. She put her foot in the stirrup and easily swung up into the saddle. The mare shifted uneasily, her ears pointed back, listening to Sophia.
"Walk on," Sophia told the mare, squeezing the mare forward into a walk. The mare took a few short steps forward, sidestepping uneasily away from the fence. Sophia failed to recognize the signs that the mare was nervous, and once she was halfway around the ring she attempted to urge the mare forward into a jog.
The mare suddenly jerked her head down, nearly ripping the reins from Sophia's hands. Sophia fell forward, attempting to yank the mare's head back up as she felt the mare's hind end snap up as the mare started to buck. She feebly attempted to get the mare's head up although she now only had one rein in one hand and was attempting to grasp the horn of the saddle with the other. She completely lost control as the mare continued to attempt to buck her off. She fell forward, wincing as the horn hit her hard in the ribs before falling forward as the mare bucked again and somersaulted, falling hard onto the ground on her back.
Sophia just managed to roll out of the way as the mare's hind end came down again dangerously close to where she'd been laying. She gasped for breath, winded from the fall as the mare took off across the ring, bucking wildly.
Sophia didn't hear the footsteps quickly approaching as she stared up at the cloudless sky, wincing. She felt dazed and was just coming to terms with what happened. Suddenly a tall figure blocked her view of the sky as the young man leaned over her, looking concerned.
"You okay?" Lucas asked as he knelt down next to her. He wasn't wearing his cowboy hat for once and was running a hand through his blond hair, looking anxious.
"I'll live," Sophia grumbled, attempting to sit up and massage her ribs at the same time. A thought struck her and she glanced around, hoping Ethan didn't see her fall. She didn't want him to think she wasn't capable of riding these horses yet and stick her on one of the older, safer horses. "She just caught me by surprise."
"Should've warned you that she bucks," Lucas said with a grin. He held a hand out, helping her stand up. "Don't worry, no one else saw. They're still at breakfast."
"Why weren't you at breakfast?" Sophia asked with a hint of irritation, as if it was his fault she fell. She couldn't help but notice earlier when he was the only ranch hand that didn't come in for breakfast, like they all usually did. She stood up, brushing sand off herself before spotting the mare standing at the opposite end, anxiously trotting back and forth along the fence.
"One of the broodmare's are due to foal, I had breakfast earlier," Lucas explained as he followed her over to the other end of the arena. Sophia nervously watched the mare pacing back and forth along the fence before calling softly out to her. The mare stopped, the whites of her eyes showing as Sophia tentatively approached her. She went up to the mare and grabbed onto the reins, realizing the mare must've gotten caught up in the reins as the leather was ripped. Her chestnut coat was lathered in sweat.
"I better cool her down," Sophia said as she glanced over to Lucas, who nodded and opened the gate for her. She led the mare out of the arena and back into the barn, where she began walking her up and down the empty barn aisle to cool her off. A few minutes had passed before Ethan came into the barn.
"Done already?" he asked as he glanced over the mare's sweat soaked coat. "How was she?"
"I got bucked off," Sophia replied, gritting her teeth. She had been tempted to lie and say she just took the mare out for a hard ride, but she knew that wouldn't do any good. "You could've warned me she likes to buck."
"I didn't realize you were taking her out first. She has tried to buck in the past but she has been pretty good lately. This is the first time in a few months she's done it," Ethan looked worried. He seemed to assume that since Sophia was up and walking, she hadn't been badly injured. "I'll get one of the boys to work with her again for now."
"I'll put her away," Sophia grumbled before turning away and leading the mare back out to her pen. Once the mare was back out near her pen she stood calmly while Sophia took her saddle off and quickly ran over her coat with a brush. She then let her loose in her pen and stepped back to watch the mare trot over to the fence and exchange greetings with the sorrel gelding. She was starting to wonder if she would ever get anything right here.