enough on my plate right now keeping Jerry from smothering him with a pillow during the night. Sounds like he’s a bit of a whiner after hours.”
Chanel rolled her eyes. “Tell me you’re surprised.”
Mitch shrugged. “I still stand by my decision to take him on this summer. Be the adult, Chanel.”
This was one of those times when Chanel wished she wasn’t so devoted to her dad. Not wanting to cause him any extra stress, she’d agreed to attempt to make Maddox horse savvy enough to ride drag during the yearling drive.
“I don’t mess around when it comes to the horses,” Chanel said as she unsnarled a particularly nasty snag in Rosalind’s mane. “It’s not fair to them. Now, pay attention and we’ll get this over with. Use the currycomb and go over her whole body, including her mane and tail. Work out the dust and loose hair. Then smooth her out with the brush. If you want, you can do it all at once like this.” Her hands were in motion before she’d even stopped speaking— the left sweeping down with the currycomb, closely followed by the right. She moved with speed and grace, a product of a lifetime of grooming horses.
Maddox cautiously shuffled up to Rosalind’s hindquarters. Placing a hesitant hand on her rump, he eased in on the opposite side from Chanel. She noticed the weary look in his eyes, and a zing of satisfaction whizzed through her. Good, he was as drained as she was. Maybe he’d cooperate, so they could turn in sooner.
Determined to be the bigger person, Chanel didn’t comment. Instead, she left the stall and said, “I’m going to catch someone for me to ride. We’ll get you saddled when I get back.”
A couple of minutes later, she reentered the barn leading a short red roan horse with a wide blaze running down his nose.
“Not using Vivi tonight?” Maddox asked.
“No, I worked her pretty hard today. She needs to rest. Overworking your horse can make it lame.”
Maddox nodded and moved around to Rosalind’s other side to finish where Chanel had left off. Unable to help herself, Chanel watched him as she curried her horse. His broad shoulders were relaxed, and he seemed focused on his task. If she didn’t know better, she’d think he was enjoying himself.
“You about ready to saddle up?” Chanel said once her grooming was done. She was impressed with the job Maddox had done on Rosalind.
“Sure,” Maddox replied giving the gray horse a pat on the rump and following Chanel to the tack room.
“Grab that saddle right there with the blue pad on top,” Chanel said pointing to the tack atop a wooden stand attached to the wall. She grabbed her own saddle, but instead of snagging her regular hot pink and black Navajo print pad, she reached for a black one from another shelf.
“I’ve never seen you use that one before,” Maddox said nodding at the pad in her hand.
Impressed with his observation, Chanel smiled and said, “My regular pad is wet with Vivi’s sweat. Pete will appreciate a dry one.”
“Makes sense. We always use fresh base layers under our gear on double practice days.”
Chanel led the way out of the tack room, saddle under her left arm, blanket in her right hand. Maddox positioned his tack the same and stood outside Pete’s stall to watch as she flipped the blanket onto Pete’s back, pulling it up to where his mane began. Then with an effortless swing, she settled the saddle in place. With a grin his direction, she began outlining what she was doing.
“First, you want to get the cinch hooked around the belly just snug enough so the saddle doesn’t fall off. We’ll tighten more just before we get on. Then you secure the back cinch. It doesn’t have to be too tight. Now for the breast collar.” Chanel pulled a strap free from the saddle horn and stretched the piece of leather around the horse’s barrel chest and buckled it through a ring on the opposite side of the saddle. “And there you go. Now it’s your turn.”
She
Chanel rolled her eyes. “Tell me you’re surprised.”
Mitch shrugged. “I still stand by my decision to take him on this summer. Be the adult, Chanel.”
This was one of those times when Chanel wished she wasn’t so devoted to her dad. Not wanting to cause him any extra stress, she’d agreed to attempt to make Maddox horse savvy enough to ride drag during the yearling drive.
“I don’t mess around when it comes to the horses,” Chanel said as she unsnarled a particularly nasty snag in Rosalind’s mane. “It’s not fair to them. Now, pay attention and we’ll get this over with. Use the currycomb and go over her whole body, including her mane and tail. Work out the dust and loose hair. Then smooth her out with the brush. If you want, you can do it all at once like this.” Her hands were in motion before she’d even stopped speaking— the left sweeping down with the currycomb, closely followed by the right. She moved with speed and grace, a product of a lifetime of grooming horses.
Maddox cautiously shuffled up to Rosalind’s hindquarters. Placing a hesitant hand on her rump, he eased in on the opposite side from Chanel. She noticed the weary look in his eyes, and a zing of satisfaction whizzed through her. Good, he was as drained as she was. Maybe he’d cooperate, so they could turn in sooner.
Determined to be the bigger person, Chanel didn’t comment. Instead, she left the stall and said, “I’m going to catch someone for me to ride. We’ll get you saddled when I get back.”
A couple of minutes later, she reentered the barn leading a short red roan horse with a wide blaze running down his nose.
“Not using Vivi tonight?” Maddox asked.
“No, I worked her pretty hard today. She needs to rest. Overworking your horse can make it lame.”
Maddox nodded and moved around to Rosalind’s other side to finish where Chanel had left off. Unable to help herself, Chanel watched him as she curried her horse. His broad shoulders were relaxed, and he seemed focused on his task. If she didn’t know better, she’d think he was enjoying himself.
“You about ready to saddle up?” Chanel said once her grooming was done. She was impressed with the job Maddox had done on Rosalind.
“Sure,” Maddox replied giving the gray horse a pat on the rump and following Chanel to the tack room.
“Grab that saddle right there with the blue pad on top,” Chanel said pointing to the tack atop a wooden stand attached to the wall. She grabbed her own saddle, but instead of snagging her regular hot pink and black Navajo print pad, she reached for a black one from another shelf.
“I’ve never seen you use that one before,” Maddox said nodding at the pad in her hand.
Impressed with his observation, Chanel smiled and said, “My regular pad is wet with Vivi’s sweat. Pete will appreciate a dry one.”
“Makes sense. We always use fresh base layers under our gear on double practice days.”
Chanel led the way out of the tack room, saddle under her left arm, blanket in her right hand. Maddox positioned his tack the same and stood outside Pete’s stall to watch as she flipped the blanket onto Pete’s back, pulling it up to where his mane began. Then with an effortless swing, she settled the saddle in place. With a grin his direction, she began outlining what she was doing.
“First, you want to get the cinch hooked around the belly just snug enough so the saddle doesn’t fall off. We’ll tighten more just before we get on. Then you secure the back cinch. It doesn’t have to be too tight. Now for the breast collar.” Chanel pulled a strap free from the saddle horn and stretched the piece of leather around the horse’s barrel chest and buckled it through a ring on the opposite side of the saddle. “And there you go. Now it’s your turn.”
She
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