“I’m ready,” she said as she rode past the two men on the sidelines. She continued to ride to the open area at the end of the arena where she would start her run. Then she turned her horse around. She’d done this so many times it was becoming second nature to her and to Tenterhook. But every ride was different.
Nervous energy was always there before a ride. But this time, her nerves were against her. She fought off the tension deep in her gut and focused on her ride. Tenterhook’s muscles flexed beneath her legs, something he always did before a run. He was ready.
Trip gave the signal he was ready for her to start. She held the reins and kicked Tenterhook’s side to coax him into a gallop. She focused on the first barrel and pulled the reins on one side to make a tight right corner around the barrel. She held her position in the saddle, leaning into the turn as Tenterhook made the sharp turn and then kicked her heels, making Tenterhook speed towards the second barrel in the cloverleaf pattern.
She saw the two men standing by the wall out of the corner of her eye, but kept her focus on the barrel and in staying seated in the saddle. As they approached the barrel, she pulled the reins to the left, and felt her body pulled to the right as Tenterhook made the turn. Again, she kicked the horse’s sides and Tenterhook took off like a bullet towards a bull’s-eye. They reached the last barrel, made the last turn, and then raced down the center of the arena towards the open area where they’d started their run.
The double door was open bringing fresh air into the arena. Although the arena was heated, the cold chill by the open doors smacked her sweated skin and made goose bumps raise beneath her cotton shirt. It wasn’t like Trip to keep the arena doors open during the winter months because it cost too much to heat the arena and keep it warm. But she was too concerned with her score and Kas’s reaction to her run to think beyond why the doors were open.
Unlike when she competed, there was no announcer giving her a score over the intercom. There was no applause. But when she rode up to the wall where Trip and Kas were standing, she got instant satisfaction by the look on Trip’s face.
“It was a good run, Tabby,” Trip said. “A good one.”
Pride spread through her. She stroked Tenterhook’s neck and said, “It felt good.”
A constant horse’s whinny and the pounding of hooves out in the driveway pulled her attention back to the open door. The horse sounded distressed, which caused Tenterhook to stomp his feet in agitation from the ruckus happening just outside the door leading to the barn.
“What’s Levon doing out there?” Tabby asked.
With a worried look, Trip glanced back at the arena door where they’d heard the ruckus. “The farrier came by this morning to put shoes on Mad Dog. But he’s never reacted badly to new shoes.”
“He doesn’t sound like he’s too happy about it now,” Kas said.
“Hunter has come and gone. He was only here this morning for Tenterhook. He didn’t put any shoes on the other horses.”
Something crashed. The sound was muffled, but the banging of metal against metal was unmistakable.
“It sounds like one of the horses got out of the barn, but that loud crash came from inside the barn, Trip,” she said, peering out the open doorway to the driveway leading to the road. They couldn’t see the barn door. But it was lined up with the arena doors to make it easier to get the animals from barn to arena with ease during the bad weather.
Trip adjusted his hat and then grabbed his jacket. “I’d better go check. Sounds like Levon might need some help.”
Tenterhook’s hooves dug into the arena floor, he bobbed his head and shook it, a clear sign he was restless by the noise outside.
“It’s okay, boy.”
The harsh sound of a wood splitting and then something being thrown against a wall echoed in the open arena, making them all turn.
“That hit just outside the arena wall.” Trip moved faster toward the door. He was halfway to the door when Mad Dog sped by the arena doors and raced away.
“I’m coming with you,” Kas said, grabbing his jacket from the half wall and shrugging into it as he ran out of the arena with Trip.
Tabby started to follow, but Trip turned around and said, “Better keep Tenterhook in here in case Mad Dog or one of the other horses got spooked by something. No sense getting them all riled up.”
The two men ran out of the arena and left Tabby to tend to Tenterhook. She rode Tenterhook over to one of the inside horse stalls and then dismounted. Opening the gate, she led Tenterhook inside the stall and quickly loosened his saddle. She’d take it off later when they were in the barn and she could put it away properly. The feed bins were empty, so she went to the tack room, grabbed two buckets, and filled one with water and the other with some grain. She’d give Tenterhook more hay when she put him back in the barn.
She carried both buckets over to the stall and put them down. She then picked up the water bucket and poured the water into the trough. Tossing the empty bucket aside, she heaved the grain bucket and started pouring that into the livestock feeder.
She was almost done emptying the bucket when she heard yelling outside. Trip was yelling to Kas. Tabby couldn’t hear exactly what he was saying but he was clearly upset.
“That doesn’t sound good at all, Tenterhook,” she said as she dropped
