Tell us about one of your horses ( x2)

[Rhianon]

Tell us about Two of your horses
Seren & Eleri

Eleri clutched the arm of the old farm truck as Seren sped along the two-lane highway hauling the small empty trailer. They were on their way to look at a Dash for Cash grandson for her budding gaming string. Personally, Eleri would not drive that fast while towing, she and Seren were very different. She supposed it had to do with the adrenaline rush. Seren chased dopamine much harder than she did herself.

The farm truck was a 70's Chevy that had been repaired well. While it didn't look great, it did run great. The red and white color was faded with age, and a few rust spots had begun to show over the last few years. The trailer behind was the two-horse slant that the farm kept for short runs or to visit the Vet in Rawlings, or Cheyenne. It was Rainbow Ridge Red, with rainbow pinstripes. Sometimes Eleri felt like the farm took the rainbow thing too far, But a logo was a logo and she was proud of her family's ranch.

"What do you know about the horse?" She asked her sister.

"Not much, she ran top 10 in her last few shows. The seller seems motivated and talked a good game. On paper, she's impressive."

"On paper..." Eleri echoed. That meant, in Reese-Speak that the seller was trying to blow sunshine about the horse. She was glad her sister had gotten wise to that right up front. While she was there for a second opinion, Eleri's goal was to let her sister handle the deal. She was 18 now and could make the purchases herself. This would be her first adult purchase in her own name. Hopefully, the excitement didn't override her keen eye for gaming horses.

Seren slowed as they approached the driveway to Harris Farm. The old truck rattled around the corner reasonably, and the slower speed gave both girls time to take in the farm. It was brown fences and green barns with big pole buildings for workshops. There was a man with a bay horse in the round pen and a young woman struggling with what looked like an appaloosa in the arena.

"He's already got her in the roundpen, I think," Eleri commented.

"Not a good start. I wonder what kind of sass he's working out of her." Seren parked the truck in the big lot and the girls slid out. They walked side by side over to the round pen, as they approached the mare spooked and charged the man inside.

"Well then." Seren said, "Not necessarily a bad thing with a hot gaming horse." She said low to her sister.

"Hello" The man, Ray, said and walked towards the wall. The mare continued to trot a little while then busied herself with the business of rolling on the sandy footing.

"You must be Seren." He said, looking at Eleri. Eleri shook her head and pointed to Seren.

"I'm Seren," She said and offered her hand. "This is my sister, Eleri."

"Pleasure to meet you both." he said and extended a hand Eleri after shaking Seren's hand.

"This is Gloria." He motioned to the mare who was grunting in pleasure as she scratched her back.

Just then, the young woman in the arena took down a barrel and started to take it out on her horse with harsh words and a small leather bat.

"Excuse me." Ray said and hustled over to who both women assumed was his daughter. Seren had competed against her before and knew she had a hot temper.

"Well." Eleri said softly.

"She has a reputation." Seren said, leaving off the type of reputation. "Makes me want to buy all the horses."

"She's useless." The girl shrieked. "I thought appaloosas were supposed to be brave! I'm so done, I need a new horse." The entitled girl shouted at her father. Both Reese women blinked in surprise. Their father would never allow that kind of behavior.

Seren watched the nearly white mare. She was all keyed up, nostrils flaring and ears half pinned. That girl was going to get thrown.

"Hey!" the girl, Tatiana, Seren remembered. "This horse is for sale too!"

Seren and Eleri looked at each other and walked over to the bigger arena, leaving the mare, Gloria to her own devices in the round pen. The mare swiveled her ears forward as they approached.

"Appaloosas are crazy." Eleri said softly.

"Crazy isn't bad in a gaming horse." Seren reposted. Eleri just snorted a reply.

"Can I ride her then?" Seren said.

"You're serious?" Elier said in surprise.

"Absolutely, think of it like a rescue." Seren said as she walked into the arena and took the flustered mare from Tatiana.

Ray and his daughter excited the arena and let Seren have her ride. The girl stayed away from teh barrels and spend a while just walking the edge of the arena, before she moved into trotting and then a canter. She did lead changes and circles and went over a grid at the end of the arena before she turned and asked for speed and the pattern. The mare obliged with a bust of speed but as she approached the barrel her ears started to flick back and forth. Seren loosened hte rein and leaned into her, using light pressure to get the turn. Once the mare realize she wasn't gonna be yanked on the mare settled to business and took the last two barrels blinding fast. Seren was beaming when she pulled her up.

"She's better at Poles" Tatiana called from the edge of the arena.

Eleri took one look at her Sisters face and realized that Rainbow Ridge was about to be a multi breed barn. She sighed softly.

"Want to look at my other mare too?" Tatiana said without consulting her father. He cut his eyes are the girl.

"What?" He asked in surprise.

"Yea, sell them both and use the money to buy me a GOOD horse."

"Sure," Seren said and looked over at Gloria in the round pen who was now racing around the perimeter and screaming her opinion at the other horses. She had worked herself into a lather.

Seren slid off the back of the Appaloosa and gave her scratches and affection. She glanced at her watch, Jase would be to the farm in an hour to give pre-purchase exams. That should be fun. She wondered what her father would say when she came home with an Appaloosa.

Tatiana walked off with the mare towards the barn.

"Are you interested?" Ray asked, his own trepidation at letting go of the mare showing on his face and in his timbre. That was enough to cinch it for Seren.

"Yes, we'll have the vet look at her." She smiled then looked to Gloria. "But I think I'll pass on Gloria. She seems a bit too edgy for me." She was being polite, the mare was now bucking and throwing a full blown hissy fit. "She seems like she'd be well suited to your daughter though."

Ray snorted, looked at the young woman then laughed.

"She is the creature I created, I know." He said with a wry expression. "Her mother spoils her rotten."

"Tell me about the appaloosa mare." Eleri said.

"Her show name is An App For that. She's foundation on the bottom and has Dash lines on top. Originally she was thought to be a cow horse but she likes to go fast too much. She's quirky, and needs regular work to stay sane. Tatiana hasn't ridden as much as she should. She's placed well with regular work."

"Quirky?" Eleri probed.

"Yea, she is antsy in the crossties and a picky eater. She would rather snack on treats that eat good food. She's better with a light hand, which you seem to have intuited. She's a demon in the chute though and has nearly hit the fence on the way out a couple of times." He said honestly. None of what he said dismayed Seren.

"You should have time to ride Alice before the vet gets here." He continued. "Alice is fast, but needs work with elasticity and where the heck to put her feet. Grids and circles, which Tatiana hates."

Eleri could see the man's displeasure in how his daughter handled her horses. She wondered if he would actually buy her another horse with how he currently felt. She knew she certainly wouldn't.

A few moments later Tatiana came out leading a flashy black horse with a big white splotch on her rump. She was gorgeous, Eleri had to admit.

"This is Alice, Malice Alice." Tatiana said, handing the reins to Seren.

"I Hope she doesn't take after her name," Eleri said as Seren climbed into the saddle.

Once again, the man and daughter moved to the arena edge to watch. Eleri took a place close enough to hear them, but far enough that it wasn't obvious.

Alice, for her part, acted like a barrel horse and entered the arena sideways with her head high and ears pricked. Seren kept her at a walk and took her to the rail, heading for the poles at the far end. She did several turns at a walk and trot before asking for any kind of speed. She brought the mare to a halt facing the barrels and let her have a good look.

When Seren asked her to go, the mare obliged. Her reaction to the cue was instant and the mare was all in. They hit the first barrel and left it up and were off to the second and then the third. Seren starfished coming off the last barrel and Eleri was afraid they were gonna hit the fece but the mare veered at the end and cantered out around hte outside of the arena.

"Shit," Eleri thought to herself as she watched her sister. "We're going home with two horses."
Once the handoff between Tatiana and Seren had happened. The two sisters and Ray gathered in the shade of the barn to talk money. It wasn't cheap, and she knew that Seren would use up her own money and some of the loan she'd secured from Dad, to purchase two.

They were still talking when the big truck that housed the mobile vet equipment rolled up and Jase got out. Eleri's heart caught a moment. Would she ever get past that gut reaction to seeing him? She plastered a generic smile on her face.

"Hey Reese." Jase said as he walked to her first. He had a similar generic smile on his face but his eyes betrayed his pleasure at seeing her.

"Hey Jase, good to see you." She said as they walk into the barn in a group.

"We're looking at two today." Seren said. "I only expected one, sorry to spring it on you."

"It's good, I've got a little extra time." Jase said, "Who do we got?"

"Malice Alice and An App For That." Ray supplied and hauled open a stall door. Tatiana had disappeared. Ray snapped a lead on Alice and led her out first.

Jase went over her with a fine toothed comb. Soundness exam, he looked in her mouth, eyes. Compared her to the registration papers to be sure it was the same horse. He spent a good while with the mare. Longer than expected, he was very thorough.

He did the same process with the light-colored mare. Trotting her out twice before comparing paper to the horse then nodding.

"Both sound and it looks like the paperwork, coggins, and everything are in order." He told Seren with a heart-stopping smile. "Good choices."

"Go negotiate then," Eleri told Seren. She personally, had seen no obvious flaws with either horse. Seren was the one with the eye for gaming horses. Neither of them were cow horses so she didn't have anything to add.

Ray and Seren walked into the office, leaving Eleri and Jase in the aisle. She looked over at him and was struck by how much she missed having him up at the ranch like High School. But that was a years ago. Then she made a decision.

"Want to come up for dinner sometime?" she blurted, self consciously.

"I thought you'd never ask." he said with another brilliant flash of white teeth. "When?"

"Sunday?" She queried.

"Perfect, I'm not on call Sunday." He said.

"Come early and we can go for ride, for old times sake?"

"How about after lunch." He said, studying her face.

"Yeah, " She offered a shy smile. Jase laughed softly at her.

"You act like we didn't used to date." He said.

"I act like I wish we still did, you mean." She said, flustered.

"Blunt like always. I love that about you. So since Sunday is dinner at the Ranch, how about a movie or something on Wednesday night? Wednesday is my in house day and I usually get out at a decent time."

"Like a date?" She said, raising her brows.

"Just like that." He laughed again. Before he could say anything else a beaming Seren came out and whispered to Eleri. Eleri nodded and got out a checkbook to cover the remaining cost of the two horses.

"How do they load?" Seren asked.

"Like pros." Ray said with a sad smile. His daughter hadn't even came to say goodbye to the horses. He'd be damned if she got another before she could prove she'd work the two she had left.

And they did, load like pros. First Alice and then Song, as the other mare was called around the barn. Song hopped up with a graceful pop and started to munch at her haynet. Neither mare seemed distressed in the least.

"So Rainbow Ranch is getting into Appaloosas now?" Jase asked, curiously.

"I buy the horses I think will do well. Regardless of their bloodlines or breed." Seren said. "That's different than how Dad does it. I'm okay being different."

Eleri closed up the trailer and set the locking mechanism.

"Let's go, we have a drive to get home and I'm hungry," Eleri said, after smiling at Jase. "See you Sunday." She handed him a check for his services.

"Looking forward to it." He said with a nod, then he shook Ray's hand. "Take care Ray." He said before getting in his truck and driving off. Seren got into the drivers seat and waited for Eleri before following the Vet down the drive.

"So, dinner on Sunday with Jase huh?" Seren said with a teasing tone and half a laugh.

"Hush." Eleri said, "It's not a big deal, he's been to dinner a hundred times."

"Yeah, but not since he's back in Rawlings. It surely took you long enough to ask him."

Eleri glanced at Seren who had eyes on the road.

"He asked me out for Wednesday night too." She said softly, but her stomach filled with butterflies.

"Good, you guys were always so cute together in High School. I'm glad you're gonna try again."

2505 Words