Still Waters Run Deep
Feb 16, 2021 20:59:21 GMT
juliporiginals, astudyinscarlet, and 5 more like this
Post by helen1983 on Feb 16, 2021 20:59:21 GMT
Hello all! I've been having a Facebook break and I have to say I quite like being away from it! It made me think that I ought to use this forum more, especially for photo stories, because I know there are a few people not on Facebook too. This is a story I've already posted on Facebook, but I'd like to post it on here because there is a sequel to it planned. Hope you enjoy!
Greystones has another new livery; but the staff can't quite work her out. Alice is on a mission to get to the bottom of it...
“We've got a new livery coming on Friday afternoon,” said Olivia to Alice as she strode into the feed room with armfuls of empty buckets. A distinct lack of hammering on stable doors showed that feeding time had just gone, rather than being imminent.
IMG_2303 by Helen Davies, on Flickr
“Oh, yeah? Who's that then?” asked Alice.
“Girl called Emily Matthews. She's bringing her gelding, it's really well-bred, apparently. Out of a Grade A showjumper.”
“Oh, how splendid, darling,” said Alice with a grin. Olivia aimed a playful kick at her.
“Idiot! She seemed really nice on the phone. She's not that old I don't think.”
“I’d better clear out a stable then,” said Alice.
IMG_2305 by Helen Davies, on Flickr
Friday dawned and the girls got to work scrubbing out the biggest stable they had. Claire, Bear's owner, stuck her head in at the door and wrinkled her nose at the smell of the disinfectant.
“Pooh! What's that smell?”
“Come for a wash, have you?” Alice raised her soapy broom to Claire and she squealed, laughing.
“Don’t!”
Alice grinned. “New arrival. Say, fetch me a haynet, would you? One of the big ones.”
IMG_2351 by Helen Davies, on Flickr
At that moment, the crunch of tyres on gravel made the girls turn around. A smart trailer and jeep stood in the car park, and a young blonde girl had clambered out of the passenger side. Another blonde was sitting in the driver's seat, and Claire jabbed Alice in the side excitedly.
“OMG that's Simone Matthews!”
“Who?”
Claire sighed impatiently. “Simone Matthews! You know! The top eventer! Well, she was, don’t you remember that awful fall she had at Badminton? She was paralysed from the waist down.”
“No, I don’t remember. Anyway, ssshhh!”
IMG_2327 by Helen Davies, on Flickr
“You must be Emily!” said Alice, taking charge of the situation.
“Yes that’s right, and this is my mum, Simone.”
So Claire was right; her mum was a top event rider!
“How do you do, Mrs Matthews?” said Alice, politely.
Simone smiled. “Pleasure.”
Alice thought she was a bit abrupt, but didn’t dwell on it; she had a livery to get settled! “Shall we unload?”
IMG_2328 by Helen Davies, on Flickr
Emily undid the ramp and Alice helped with the other side, lowering it carefully.
IMG_2329 by Helen Davies, on Flickr
The girls crowded around to see the new arrival; it was always an exciting event!
“Ooh, he's gorgeous,” breathed Olivia, as Emily went into the trailer and backed him down the ramp. He was indeed a fine specimen of an equine; he stood tall and proud in the car park, his head lifted high and his ears pricked intelligently.
IMG_2335 by Helen Davies, on Flickr
“Follow me, and I’ll show you where to put him,” said Alice, and made her way onto the yard, her ponytail swinging in time with her footfall. Emily and Dylan followed with Olivia and Claire bringing up the rear.
IMG_2346 by Helen Davies, on Flickr
"What do you make of her?” whispered Claire to Olivia.
“She seems really nice," said Olivia, who wasn’t unkind at all and saw the good in everybody.
Claire nodded her approval. "Bit shy but once we teach her to start taking the mickey out of David, she'll be right enough!"
IMG_2347 by Helen Davies, on Flickr
Once the girls had shown Emily her stable, and where things were, she settled Dylan down, removing his travelling gear and checking his water before giving him a pat.
IMG_2348 by Helen Davies, on Flickr
Sunday dawned, bright and early, and most of the liveries were at the yard that day, making the most of the decent weather.
"You riding today, Emily?" asked Olivia. "A few of us are doing some jumping practice, Sarah says she'll give us a free lesson!"
"Oh...no, I'll have to give it a miss, we jumped yesterday," said Emily. "I don't want to overdo it, he's so young still."
Alice gave Olivia a meaningful look without Emily seeing, before they both left the room.
IMG_2306 by Helen Davies, on Flickr
"She didn't ride him yesterday, let alone jump him," said Alice, once they were out of earshot. "Why would she say that?"
Olivia shrugged. "Maybe she rode him early, or late? She might have taken him to the paddock. Can't blame her, it's awfully nerve wracking being on a new yard and riding with new people. She might feel a bit shy because her mum is so famous."
IMG_2308 by Helen Davies, on Flickr
Alice wasn't convinced. There was something not right in all of this.
IMG_2309 by Helen Davies, on Flickr
And so, over the next couple of weeks, a pattern started to develop; the girls, one by one, would ask Emily if she wanted to ride with them, but every day brought a different excuse. Saddle sores, a twisted ankle, day off...
"I don't think I've ever seen her ride that horse," said Alice, drumming her fingers thoughtfully on the table in the tack room.
"Alice, mun! Give it a rest!" Olivia sighed.
IMG_2310 by Helen Davies, on Flickr
"What's all this, now?" interjected Daphne, who had just brought Aurora's tack indoors.
IMG_2311 by Helen Davies, on Flickr
"Well, I think it's odd, that's all," said Alice. "Why doesn't she ride him? She's been here like, two weeks now."
Daphne looked thoughtful for a moment. "Emily? I could have sworn I saw her take him out ten minutes ago? She was heading towards the outdoor school."
"Right, come on," said Alice. "I want to get to the bottom of this."
"Alice!" said Olivia, vexed. "Why are you so bothered?"
"Because it's weird, on't you think?"
"Maybe, but that's up to her."
"Well, I'm going to find her, anyway," said Alice firmly. "Get to the bottom of it."
Olivia sighed. "I'd better come too.”
IMG_2312 by Helen Davies, on Flickr
The girls made their way out onto the yard, to find that Daphne was indeed correct; Dylan's stable was empty. His rug lay over the top of the door.
IMG_2313 by Helen Davies, on Flickr
The girls quietly made their way to the outdoor arena, and Alice threw out her arm to stop Olivia going around the corner.
"Why are we even hiding, you numpty?" hissed Olivia.
"Because," whispered Alice, "she's obviously trying to hide something from us!”
IMG_2314 by Helen Davies, on Flickr
The girls peeked around the corner of the stable block; Emily was in there, riding Dylan. He looked so handsome and fit, and Emily looked fantastic on him, sitting so straight.
Olivia nudged Alice. "Told you. Do you feel like a wally now?"
IMG_2316 by Helen Davies, on Flickr
Just as she spoke, Emily gave a little squeal and the girls glanced up quickly to see Dylan move sharply sideways, huffing and snorting. Emily looked visibly shaken, and her usually pink cheeks looked very pale.
IMG_2317 by Helen Davies, on Flickr
Emily legged him on and Dylan suddenly reared up! Emily cried out and clasped his neck for dear life, before he broke into a series of bucks and galloped off down the long side of the school.
IMG_2318 by Helen Davies, on Flickr
"Gosh, we can't just sit and watch," said Alice, making a move from their hiding place. Olivia grabbed her hand.
"You can't! She'll feel even worse if she knows we've seen!”
IMG_2319 by Helen Davies, on Flickr
Dylan violently bucked again and both of Emily's feet came loose from the stirrups. Alice and Olivia clutched each other in fear, praying she could stay on.
IMG_2320 by Helen Davies, on Flickr
There was a thud and a cry of pain as Dylan dropped his shoulder and spun, throwing Emily onto the ground.
IMG_2321 by Helen Davies, on Flickr
Alice couldn't help it; she ran forward with a cry. "Emily! Don't move! Are you okay?"
Emily wiped her tears with the back of her gloved hand. "I can't keep on like this!"
"Like what? Don't worry about Dylan, Olivia's caught him."
IMG_2322 by Helen Davies, on Flickr
Alice put her arm kindly around the younger girl's shoulders and helped her to her feet.
"He's too much for me," said Emily, sniffling into the back of her hand. "He's so naughty! He's always napped a little bit, and kicked his heels up every so often, but he's doing it every time I ride now, and he's started rearing. He's just so unpredictable! I'm not good enough to ride him!"
Alice squeezed Emily's shoulder reassuringly. "Don't be daft! From what I saw, you ride beautifully! Anything that big when they start throwing their weight around can be a real nuisance."
"It's just tough because of my mum, really," said Emily. "She wants me to follow in her footsteps, and she bought me Dylan to compete on. Since she had the accident, she just wants me to compete at the same level she did. But I daren't tell her I'm struggling, she would be so disappointed in me."
"Oh, Emily!" Alice hugged the younger girl. "I'm sure that's not the case. Come on, let's go back to the yard, and we'll think of something.”
IMG_2324 by Helen Davies, on Flickr
Olivia had already taken Dylan back to his stable, and Alice and Emily weren't far behind. Sarah, Olivia's aunt and an experienced horsewoman and instructor, was striding onto the yard, whistling as she rolled a cigarette between her nimble fingers.
"Sar, can we grab you for a sec?" asked Alice.
"Sure, what's up?"
Alice explained the situation with Emily and Dylan, and sensitively mentioned the subject of Emily's mum. Sarah nodded and listened.
"What do you think, Sar?" asked Alice, after she'd explained.
"Sounds like there's a lot of things going on here. He's a youngster, and you've never had a youngster, have you? They can be really difficult. The other thing is, you've lost a lot of your confidence. I've seen you riding a couple of times on your own, and you're better than you give yourself credit for. I'd be happy to come give you some pointers, and maybe ride him a couple of times, see if we can iron out those bad habits of his. What do you reckon?"
Emily nodded gratefully. "That sounds brilliant, thank you."
"I'm around all day tomorrow, Alice will give you my number, text me and we'll get something in the diary."
IMG_2349 by Helen Davies, on Flickr
"Thanks for helping me, Alice," said Emily gratefully. "I feel like such an idiot, trying to struggle on by myself with him."
"You're welcome," said Alice. "This is my mare, Ember, she's a real sweetheart. If you want to get a bit of confidence back on her, you're more than welcome to ride her."
IMG_2352 by Helen Davies, on Flickr
Emily hugged Alice. "I'm so glad I came here!"
IMG_2354 by Helen Davies, on Flickr
Greystones has another new livery; but the staff can't quite work her out. Alice is on a mission to get to the bottom of it...
“We've got a new livery coming on Friday afternoon,” said Olivia to Alice as she strode into the feed room with armfuls of empty buckets. A distinct lack of hammering on stable doors showed that feeding time had just gone, rather than being imminent.
IMG_2303 by Helen Davies, on Flickr
“Oh, yeah? Who's that then?” asked Alice.
“Girl called Emily Matthews. She's bringing her gelding, it's really well-bred, apparently. Out of a Grade A showjumper.”
“Oh, how splendid, darling,” said Alice with a grin. Olivia aimed a playful kick at her.
“Idiot! She seemed really nice on the phone. She's not that old I don't think.”
“I’d better clear out a stable then,” said Alice.
IMG_2305 by Helen Davies, on Flickr
Friday dawned and the girls got to work scrubbing out the biggest stable they had. Claire, Bear's owner, stuck her head in at the door and wrinkled her nose at the smell of the disinfectant.
“Pooh! What's that smell?”
“Come for a wash, have you?” Alice raised her soapy broom to Claire and she squealed, laughing.
“Don’t!”
Alice grinned. “New arrival. Say, fetch me a haynet, would you? One of the big ones.”
IMG_2351 by Helen Davies, on Flickr
At that moment, the crunch of tyres on gravel made the girls turn around. A smart trailer and jeep stood in the car park, and a young blonde girl had clambered out of the passenger side. Another blonde was sitting in the driver's seat, and Claire jabbed Alice in the side excitedly.
“OMG that's Simone Matthews!”
“Who?”
Claire sighed impatiently. “Simone Matthews! You know! The top eventer! Well, she was, don’t you remember that awful fall she had at Badminton? She was paralysed from the waist down.”
“No, I don’t remember. Anyway, ssshhh!”
IMG_2327 by Helen Davies, on Flickr
“You must be Emily!” said Alice, taking charge of the situation.
“Yes that’s right, and this is my mum, Simone.”
So Claire was right; her mum was a top event rider!
“How do you do, Mrs Matthews?” said Alice, politely.
Simone smiled. “Pleasure.”
Alice thought she was a bit abrupt, but didn’t dwell on it; she had a livery to get settled! “Shall we unload?”
IMG_2328 by Helen Davies, on Flickr
Emily undid the ramp and Alice helped with the other side, lowering it carefully.
IMG_2329 by Helen Davies, on Flickr
The girls crowded around to see the new arrival; it was always an exciting event!
“Ooh, he's gorgeous,” breathed Olivia, as Emily went into the trailer and backed him down the ramp. He was indeed a fine specimen of an equine; he stood tall and proud in the car park, his head lifted high and his ears pricked intelligently.
IMG_2335 by Helen Davies, on Flickr
“Follow me, and I’ll show you where to put him,” said Alice, and made her way onto the yard, her ponytail swinging in time with her footfall. Emily and Dylan followed with Olivia and Claire bringing up the rear.
IMG_2346 by Helen Davies, on Flickr
"What do you make of her?” whispered Claire to Olivia.
“She seems really nice," said Olivia, who wasn’t unkind at all and saw the good in everybody.
Claire nodded her approval. "Bit shy but once we teach her to start taking the mickey out of David, she'll be right enough!"
IMG_2347 by Helen Davies, on Flickr
Once the girls had shown Emily her stable, and where things were, she settled Dylan down, removing his travelling gear and checking his water before giving him a pat.
IMG_2348 by Helen Davies, on Flickr
Sunday dawned, bright and early, and most of the liveries were at the yard that day, making the most of the decent weather.
"You riding today, Emily?" asked Olivia. "A few of us are doing some jumping practice, Sarah says she'll give us a free lesson!"
"Oh...no, I'll have to give it a miss, we jumped yesterday," said Emily. "I don't want to overdo it, he's so young still."
Alice gave Olivia a meaningful look without Emily seeing, before they both left the room.
IMG_2306 by Helen Davies, on Flickr
"She didn't ride him yesterday, let alone jump him," said Alice, once they were out of earshot. "Why would she say that?"
Olivia shrugged. "Maybe she rode him early, or late? She might have taken him to the paddock. Can't blame her, it's awfully nerve wracking being on a new yard and riding with new people. She might feel a bit shy because her mum is so famous."
IMG_2308 by Helen Davies, on Flickr
Alice wasn't convinced. There was something not right in all of this.
IMG_2309 by Helen Davies, on Flickr
And so, over the next couple of weeks, a pattern started to develop; the girls, one by one, would ask Emily if she wanted to ride with them, but every day brought a different excuse. Saddle sores, a twisted ankle, day off...
"I don't think I've ever seen her ride that horse," said Alice, drumming her fingers thoughtfully on the table in the tack room.
"Alice, mun! Give it a rest!" Olivia sighed.
IMG_2310 by Helen Davies, on Flickr
"What's all this, now?" interjected Daphne, who had just brought Aurora's tack indoors.
IMG_2311 by Helen Davies, on Flickr
"Well, I think it's odd, that's all," said Alice. "Why doesn't she ride him? She's been here like, two weeks now."
Daphne looked thoughtful for a moment. "Emily? I could have sworn I saw her take him out ten minutes ago? She was heading towards the outdoor school."
"Right, come on," said Alice. "I want to get to the bottom of this."
"Alice!" said Olivia, vexed. "Why are you so bothered?"
"Because it's weird, on't you think?"
"Maybe, but that's up to her."
"Well, I'm going to find her, anyway," said Alice firmly. "Get to the bottom of it."
Olivia sighed. "I'd better come too.”
IMG_2312 by Helen Davies, on Flickr
The girls made their way out onto the yard, to find that Daphne was indeed correct; Dylan's stable was empty. His rug lay over the top of the door.
IMG_2313 by Helen Davies, on Flickr
The girls quietly made their way to the outdoor arena, and Alice threw out her arm to stop Olivia going around the corner.
"Why are we even hiding, you numpty?" hissed Olivia.
"Because," whispered Alice, "she's obviously trying to hide something from us!”
IMG_2314 by Helen Davies, on Flickr
The girls peeked around the corner of the stable block; Emily was in there, riding Dylan. He looked so handsome and fit, and Emily looked fantastic on him, sitting so straight.
Olivia nudged Alice. "Told you. Do you feel like a wally now?"
IMG_2316 by Helen Davies, on Flickr
Just as she spoke, Emily gave a little squeal and the girls glanced up quickly to see Dylan move sharply sideways, huffing and snorting. Emily looked visibly shaken, and her usually pink cheeks looked very pale.
IMG_2317 by Helen Davies, on Flickr
Emily legged him on and Dylan suddenly reared up! Emily cried out and clasped his neck for dear life, before he broke into a series of bucks and galloped off down the long side of the school.
IMG_2318 by Helen Davies, on Flickr
"Gosh, we can't just sit and watch," said Alice, making a move from their hiding place. Olivia grabbed her hand.
"You can't! She'll feel even worse if she knows we've seen!”
IMG_2319 by Helen Davies, on Flickr
Dylan violently bucked again and both of Emily's feet came loose from the stirrups. Alice and Olivia clutched each other in fear, praying she could stay on.
IMG_2320 by Helen Davies, on Flickr
There was a thud and a cry of pain as Dylan dropped his shoulder and spun, throwing Emily onto the ground.
IMG_2321 by Helen Davies, on Flickr
Alice couldn't help it; she ran forward with a cry. "Emily! Don't move! Are you okay?"
Emily wiped her tears with the back of her gloved hand. "I can't keep on like this!"
"Like what? Don't worry about Dylan, Olivia's caught him."
IMG_2322 by Helen Davies, on Flickr
Alice put her arm kindly around the younger girl's shoulders and helped her to her feet.
"He's too much for me," said Emily, sniffling into the back of her hand. "He's so naughty! He's always napped a little bit, and kicked his heels up every so often, but he's doing it every time I ride now, and he's started rearing. He's just so unpredictable! I'm not good enough to ride him!"
Alice squeezed Emily's shoulder reassuringly. "Don't be daft! From what I saw, you ride beautifully! Anything that big when they start throwing their weight around can be a real nuisance."
"It's just tough because of my mum, really," said Emily. "She wants me to follow in her footsteps, and she bought me Dylan to compete on. Since she had the accident, she just wants me to compete at the same level she did. But I daren't tell her I'm struggling, she would be so disappointed in me."
"Oh, Emily!" Alice hugged the younger girl. "I'm sure that's not the case. Come on, let's go back to the yard, and we'll think of something.”
IMG_2324 by Helen Davies, on Flickr
Olivia had already taken Dylan back to his stable, and Alice and Emily weren't far behind. Sarah, Olivia's aunt and an experienced horsewoman and instructor, was striding onto the yard, whistling as she rolled a cigarette between her nimble fingers.
"Sar, can we grab you for a sec?" asked Alice.
"Sure, what's up?"
Alice explained the situation with Emily and Dylan, and sensitively mentioned the subject of Emily's mum. Sarah nodded and listened.
"What do you think, Sar?" asked Alice, after she'd explained.
"Sounds like there's a lot of things going on here. He's a youngster, and you've never had a youngster, have you? They can be really difficult. The other thing is, you've lost a lot of your confidence. I've seen you riding a couple of times on your own, and you're better than you give yourself credit for. I'd be happy to come give you some pointers, and maybe ride him a couple of times, see if we can iron out those bad habits of his. What do you reckon?"
Emily nodded gratefully. "That sounds brilliant, thank you."
"I'm around all day tomorrow, Alice will give you my number, text me and we'll get something in the diary."
IMG_2349 by Helen Davies, on Flickr
"Thanks for helping me, Alice," said Emily gratefully. "I feel like such an idiot, trying to struggle on by myself with him."
"You're welcome," said Alice. "This is my mare, Ember, she's a real sweetheart. If you want to get a bit of confidence back on her, you're more than welcome to ride her."
IMG_2352 by Helen Davies, on Flickr
Emily hugged Alice. "I'm so glad I came here!"
IMG_2354 by Helen Davies, on Flickr