Jill was proud of the fact that she'd graduated the week before (finally) from simply schooling the school horses to riding a young horse that the head coach/trainer didn't get to that day. A few days later when the boss asked if she could help set up/settle the two top show horses at the giant Palgrave facility for a show, she was excited to and said yes. The boss said "bring your boots and your hat though, because you might want to take one of them for a hack." (whoo hoo)
Even though they had only met the once, she had him on her mind. Jill knew he had referred to his girlfriend that March. Were they still seeing each other that fall? Or, the next spring? It was a very long-standing crush. She didn't know how to find out, or how much it actually mattered whether her fantasies were adulterous or just simply ridiculous, ha. She couldn't help wishing for a quick trip to Arizona for June - who knew what could happen where the land itself was magic? She had areoplan points but needed to save them for a trip in the sunshine next winter. She was thinking of booking soon...
*
At her other horse-pace, Jill saw a horrible horse emergency that morning. The calm, trustworthy filly she was to jog later had her head stuck, the halter snagged on the bolt on the outside of the stall door. Jill walked in the barn and couldn't understand the mare's weird expression and pose, over half door. What was she doing? Then Jill saw that the the nylon halter was caught. Jill could see it needed to slide like a millimeter the right direction and the horse would be free.
Arizona was frozen there and Jill went over saying "okay whoa girl i am going to help you with this" wondering if she could somehow cut it off the horse, thankful the mare was so still. Jill touched the halter to give it a tiny tug for freedom and the horse FREAKED OUT. Scrambling backwards, or attempting to, with all her horse power. A horrible scrambling clatter of hooves on the floor and wall with her head still stuck and the friggin halter would not give. She was hanging herself and almost ripping her own face apart and it was horrible. Jill watched saying easy, easy, easy and not knowing what to do... until thank god a buckle broke, and provided the needed slack, and she was freed.
Jill almost cried with relief and Arizona kicked the stall walls about four times really hard after that. Jill was glad she hadn't been INSIDE there trying to help. Her heart pounded for a long time after that and the pony was freaked too, you could tell. poor thing.
When the boss-vet came in, he had a look at all the rub marks and self-inflicted burns and scratches but pronounced her well and lucky enough overall.
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