Popular

by Jessica Burkhart

  “Nice timing, LT,” Lexa said.

  “You too,” I said. “Want to grab Honor and Whisper and meet somewhere to groom and tack up?”

  “Want to tie them to their stalls?”

  Whisper and Ever were neighbors near the end of the aisle. I rubbed my palms on my dark fawn-colored breeches. “Can we go somewhere private? Quieter?”

  Lexa pressed her lips together. “Of course. I know a good place. You okay?”

  I shrugged. “Yeah. No. I don’t know. That’s why I want to talk to you.”

  “Say no more,” Lex said. We walked into the tack room. A few younger students stood inside on tiptoes grabbing bridles off racks. Lex and I gathered our horses’ tack and left the room. We reached Honor’s stall first. The beautiful strawberry roan mare had a wide blaze and four white socks. Thanks to Lexa’s meticulous grooming, every white hair on Honor’s body sparkled. Always.

  We took our grooming kits out of our tack trunks and put everything on the lids. I plucked Whisper’s baby blue cotton lead line off the hook near her stall door.

  “Hi, girly,” I said, my voice soft. I peered into the stall, not wanting to barge in and startle her. Whisper faced the stall door, a hind leg cocked as she rested. She pointed both ears forward at the sound of my voice. I grinned, opening the door. Whisper walked to me, her dark eyes soft. She breathed on my palms as I ran my hands over her muzzle. It felt like velvet.

  “Pretty girl,” I said. I kissed her muzzle and reached to scratch under her forelock. Tiny gray hairs fell to the bed of sawdust beneath us. “Not that you’re already not gorgeous enough, but how about we go with Lex and Honor? You deserve a special grooming before our lesson.” Whisper let out a low, barely audible nicker. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

  I snapped the lead line to the gold ring under her chin and led her out. Mimicking Lexa, I put Whisper’s saddle pad, saddle, and bridle onto her back and laid the girth on the top. I picked up her sky blue plastic grooming kit with my free hand.

  “This way,” Lex said. Honor swished her tail—content—and looked pretty in a plum-colored halter.

  Whisper and I followed them down the stable aisle. Students were everywhere. Most of the crossties had been filled and everyone was busy. One older boy trimmed a bay’s bridle path with whirring Wahl clippers. Another guy was bent over a chestnut’s hind leg with a hoof pick. A couple of girls had tied their horses close together, laughing as they groomed them.

  We passed Ever’s stall. Khloe’s bay Hanoverian mare was asleep in the back of her stall. Khloe’s advanced lesson wasn’t until after mine and Lexa’s.

  We exited the stable and walked the horses over to a dirt patch with tie rings. It was away from stable noises but close enough that we wouldn’t have to rush to get back.

  “This okay?” Lexa asked.

  “Perfect,” I said. “We have a great view.”

  We looked in front of us. Dark wooden fences kept dozens of turned out horses from wandering onto campus. Open bales of hay gleamed a dusty yellow against the green grass. Most horses grazed, but a couple cantered in playful circles, nipping at each other.

  Whisper and Honor pricked their ears at the sounds of the playful horses. Honor’s entire body shook as she let out a trumpeting neigh. One of the horses called back.

  “No,” Lexa said. She gave a quick tug on Honor’s lead line. “We’re not going to play.”

  Honor kept her ears in the direction of the horses but stayed quiet. I tied Whisper with a slipknot to her tie ring. Her head was as high as Honor’s, watching the other horses, but she hadn’t made a sound. I patted her shoulder, reinforcing her good behavior.

  We took off the tack, setting it on nearby stands, and dug into our grooming kits. I pulled out my stiff dandy brush. “Did you roll during your turnout?” I asked Whisper. She blinked her big brown eyes at me, flashing her curly lashes. “That doesn’t make you look innocent,” I teased. Dirt along her poll and tangles in her mane gave her away.

  Lexa laughed. “I always ask Honor the same thing when she rolls before a lesson. She had the most awful grass stains once on her blaze and I was like, ‘Honor! How did you do that?’”

  We giggled. The horses settled as we fell into the familiar grooming routine.

  Lexa cleared her throat. “So, I know you didn’t ask me to go somewhere private just because. What’s up, LT?”

  I brushed a stubborn dirt clump on Whisper’s foreleg. “Something weird happened with Khloe at lunch. I’m sure I’m overthinking things and being sensitive, but my feelings got kind of hurt.”

  Lexa peered at me over Honor’s back. “What happened?”

  “Khloe and I were having a really fun lunch. We talked about Drew and Zack and lots of stuff. Then these guys came up to us. Boys that I’ve seen Khloe say hi to or wave at in the hallway, but they sat by her and were definitely friends. Not acquaintances, like I’d thought.”

  “Names?” Lex asked. She bent over Honor’s right front hoof.

  “Shawn was sort of the leader. He asked Khloe why she’d been holding out from introducing her ‘cute new roommate’ to him. None of them knew my name. They were really nice and friendly. I didn’t get why Khloe wouldn’t have said something to them—as her friends—that she had a new roommate.”

  Lexa released Honor’s hoof and moved to pick the mare’s back hoof. “That would have hurt my feelings, too,” she said. “But Khloe also has a ton of ‘friends,’ aka people who know her and act like they’re superclose but only talk to her every once in a while. It’s totally possible that Khlo hadn’t had a convo with them since school started. Maybe they were acting like they were Khloe’s BFFs to impress you.”

  “Why? They didn’t even know me. They just found out I existed at lunch.”

  “Maybe they’ve seen you in the hallway and never came up to you. Our grade is fairly small. Old students notice new ones and, like that guy said, you’ve already made a name for yourself here.”

  Everyone kept saying that, but it didn’t feel like it. I was just being myself. I wasn’t trying to win a popularity contest.

  “What if Khloe did hang out with them recently and didn’t say anything?” I asked.

  Lexa stood, resting her arms on Honor’s back. “It’s possible, but it wouldn’t be malicious. Khloe might have said hi to those guys in passing and that was all. It’s also only the second week of school and there are a zillion ‘catch up’ convos—you know how those go. So, maybe she did talk with them, but it slipped her mind.”

  I took a breath, inhaling Whisper’s sweet scent—hay and slightly floral—and processed what Lexa had said.

  “Thanks, Lex,” I said. “I know you’re right. Khloe’s not like that. I guess I just needed to hear it from someone else.”

  “Understandable.”

  Lexa smiled at me and picked up Honor’s body brush. I worked the dirt out of Wisp’s coat and switched to a smoother brush. Lexa had made me feel better about Shawn and the other guys. I felt silly for thinking Khloe had ditched me at lunch. I definitely was not bringing that up with Lex. I wanted to leave it at that. Plus, I had to remember that Khloe was also Lexa’s best friend. I never wanted to put Lexa in an uncomfortable position by coming to her with questions about Khloe’s motives. I needed to trust my gut more often.

  16

  WHISPER + LT

  = HARMONY

  “WELCOME, CLASS,” MR. CONNER SAID. MY class of six had gathered our horses in front of him in the indoor arena. We were warmed up and waiting for instruction. I kept my gaze straight ahead, not allowing myself to glance to my right.

  Drew was next to me on Polo. Très exciting! He’d ridden up to Lexa and me when we’d entered the arena. Lexa, not so subtly, had left to chat with Cole. Drew and I had warmed up our horses side by side, talking about our day. He looked irresistibly cute in a waffle-knit dark gray shirt and black breeches. Polo, his blood bay gelding, stood still next to Whisper.

  “. . . that’s why I want to focus on assessi
ng you and your horse’s dressage skill level,” Mr. Conner said.

  Oops.

  “I want to talk a little about dressage and ask you questions,” Mr. Conner continued. He slowly walked back and forth in front of us. He wore his usual hunter green polo with the gold CCA logo stitched a couple of inches below his collar. “Dressage is a vital training area to each of you because it develops subtle aids, soft hands, and a balanced seat, among other things,” he said. “For your horse, it helps with stiff movements, suppleness, and strength. The goal of our dressage work will be to unite you and your horse as one and a long-lasting team. Harmony is the goal.”

  We nodded, and Mr. Conner’s eyes stopped on Clare. “Clare, why are stiff movements a problem?”

  “It can create injury if a horse moves incorrectly,” Clare answered easily. “It also makes it harder on the rider.”

  Mr. Conner nodded. “Well said. If we’re striving for engagement from the horse, Cole, what two types are we seeking?”

  A couple horses down, Cole looked at Mr. Conner. “Proper tucking and swinging,” he said.

  Dressage talk made me so happy! This was my world. I could discuss dressage forever.

  “Lauren,” Mr. Conner said, walking toward Whisper and me. “Can you explain tucking and swinging?”

  “Yes,” I said. “In its correct form, tucking is when a horse tucks his hindquarters, flexing and bending the joints of his hind legs. A horse should tuck when he’s asked for a collected gait, rebalancing, or . . .” I blanked on the last one.

  “Downward transitions,” Mr. Conner added, smiling.

  “Yes, thank you.” I tried not to get flustered. “And swinging is also about the hindquarters. It’s when a horse swings the hind legs forward and takes a long stride. There’s not much flexing. This makes it easier for the horse to propel forward.”

  Mr. Conner tipped his head to me. “Excellent. Thank you. Okay, who can tell me the types of correct walk in dressage?”

  “Working, collected, medium, free, extended,” Drew answered.

  Mr. Conner quizzed us with the same question for trotting and cantering.

  “Take your horses to the wall and space them out,” Mr. Conner said once we’d finished his questions. “We’re going to take the horses through each of the types of walking, trotting, and cantering you’ve described. We’ll stop after each gait and talk about any problem areas.”

  We rode to the wall, and I fell behind Drew and in front of Lexa.

  “Please begin a free walk,” Mr. Conner said. “Remember this is a four-beat gait with no suspension.”

  I eased up on the reins, giving Whisper room to move her head and neck. Her strides were long and they covered the ground—perfect for a free walk.

  “Loosen your reins, Cole,” Mr. Conner called.

  Mr. Conner watched us for a few minutes. “Good,” he called. “Switch to a working walk.”

  I tightened the reins slightly but let Whisper move freely. I pressed my calves gently against her side and she moved forward, almost breaking into a trot.

  “Not so much pressure, Lauren,” Mr. Conner said. “I want to see Whisper energetic, but not pushing for a trot.”

  I took his cues and Whisper settled into a working walk with even steps.

  We moved through the other types of walking and switched to a trot. Whisper’s ears flicked back and forth. She’d been testing me during the last round of walking. She wanted to go faster.

  “As a reminder, the trot is a two-beat gait,” Mr. Conner said from the center of the arena. His eyes shifted from pair to pair. “The horse moves from one diagonal pair of legs to the next, and there should be suspension in between. While we go through the types of trots, I want to see elasticity, steadiness, engaged hindquarters, and a rounded back. Please begin a collected trot.”

  I let out a little rein and cued Whisper to execute a collected trot. She moved forward with short steps, lifting her legs higher as she settled into the faster gait.

  “Nice, everyone,” Mr. Conner called.

  Whisper stretched her neck, wanting to catch Polo. She shifted her weight and leaned against the bit. Each step was faster and her strides became irregular. Posting to the bumpy trot wasn’t easy.

  I pulled her to a walk and started over. You and Whisper have only been working together since this summer, I reminded myself. You’ve got a lot to teach her. It wasn’t fair to expect Whisper to be as experienced as some of the dressage veterans I’d ridden in competition.

  Lexa trotted Honor past us and I checked Whisper to keep her from taking off after them. Her muscles bunched beneath me and her ears flattened, unhappy with my decision. I kept Whisper at a walk until we’d fallen behind Riley, the last in line, before asking for a collected trot again.

  This time, Whisper maintained the same pace and kept her neck high and arched. She pushed forward with her hindquarters and was on the bit instead of leaning on it.

  “Good work, Lauren,” Mr. Conner called. “Whisper looks light on her forehand. Beautiful.”

  I didn’t let his compliment derail my attention to Whisper. Almost as if she’d been embarrassed by being forced to the back of the line, Whisper moved like an angel through the rest of the trotting exercises. I felt more in tune with her than I ever had. Dressage was what made me feel alive. Completing the movements correctly with Whisper felt like heaven.

  Everyone else seemed to have a fairly easy time with the exercise. Mr. Conner commented throughout, but they were all quick corrections. The other five horses—Polo, Valentino, Honor, Fuego, and Adonis—trotted musically along the arena wall.

  “Last part,” Mr. Conner said. “Let’s work on cantering. I should not have to tell you by now that this is a three-beat gait. We’re working on cantering to help balance, roundness, forward movement, and impulsion. Keep your mount’s hindquarters engaged and supple.”

  Mr. Conner asked us for a collected canter and, without incident, the horses completed each command. Whisper shook out her main during the extended canter. She loved lengthening her stride to the fullest. I stayed prepared for her to lean on the bit or become excited from cantering with other horses, but she remained calm.

  “Riley,” Mr. Conner called. “Adonis’s canter became hollow a few strides back.”

  I looked across the arena at Riley, and I couldn’t see her cues to Adonis. I wondered if she’d even decided to correct his movement. I’d barely finished my thought when Adonis’s back rounded and his canter turned light and steady. Riley was talented.

  After another lap around the arena, Mr. Conner raised his hand. “Please draw your horses to a walk.”

  Whisper and the rest of the horses breathed a little faster than normal. A line of sweat trickled from beneath Polo’s red saddle pad. The lesson had kept all of the horses and riders physically and mentally engaged. Or Whisper and I, at least.

  Mr. Conner let us lap him once at a walk before calling us to the center. “Wonderful work, everyone,” he said. “I’m impressed that each of you was able to correct problem areas that were revealed during different gaits. Everyone demonstrated a valuable strength in dressage.”

  Smiling, I looked at Cole on my left. He smiled back and rubbed Valentino’s neck.

  “Please make sure your horses are completely cool before putting them away,” Mr. Conner said. “I look forward to tomorrow’s lesson. Read the next section of your horse manual and be prepared to answer questions. We’ll meet in the large outdoor arena.”

  Mr. Conner exited the arena and each of us dismounted. I loosened Whisper’s girth and ran up the stirrup irons.

  “You were such a good girl,” I said, kissing her muzzle. “I’m so proud of you. You’re a dressage star.”

  I clucked my tongue, urging her forward for a cool down, and someone waved near the entrance. Khloe.

  “Hey,” I said, leading Whisper to Khloe. Lexa and Honor were a few strides behind us.

  “I tacked up early, and Ever and I caught the last few minutes o
f your lesson,” Khloe said. She scuffed a boot in the dirt. “I wasn’t spying, I swear.”

  “I don’t mind if you watch,” I said.

  “Hey,” Lex said, reaching us. She high-fived Khloe.

  “I just told LT that I saw a bit of your lesson,” Khloe said. She put on her black helmet, snapping the chin strap. “You guys looked great. Honor and Whisper are such gorgeous movers.”

  Lexa and I smiled. I’d never stop feeling crazy-proud when someone complimented Whisper.

  Khloe looked over her shoulder as horseshoes rang down the concrete. “I better go. We’re working outside today.”

  “Good luck,” I said.

  “Yeah, I’m sure you’ll do great,” Lex added. She scratched Ever’s cheek.

  “Thanks, guys,” Khloe said. She touched Honor’s and Whisper’s muzzles. “Oh, Laur. I think we need to have a serious talk tonight.”

  “About what?” I asked. Khloe’s tone was scary-serious.

  Khloe grinned. “About how much Drew stared at you during your lesson!”

  “He was?!” I grinned, both because of the observation and because Khloe’s serious act wasn’t real.

  Lexa bumped my shoulder with hers. “He was, oh blind one.”

  “Drew likes Lauren! Drew likes Lauren!” Khloe sang.

  “KHLOE! Shhhh!” I waved an arm at her. “He. Is. In. Here.”

  Khloe held back a laugh. “Oops. Sorry, LT.”

  “Lauren likes Drew!” Lexa whispered.

  “Guys! He’s going to hear you!” I shot my friends looks, but I was on the verge of laughter too.

  The three of us burst into giggles. We didn’t even hear the approaching horseshoes.

  “Later, guys,” Drew said, halting Polo beside us.

  Our giggles stopped. Immediately.

  “Everything okay?” Drew asked. His blue eyes looked from person to person.

  “Fine. Totally fine,” Khloe said.

  “Oh, yeah. Great!” Lexa added.

  “We’re so good,” I finished.

  Oh, mon Dieu! We could not have been more awkward.