7
Who knew horses couldshit so much. I cleaned these stalls yesterday and yet here I am doing it again this evening. I have emptied the wheelbarrow at least five times. I swear I am going to be smelling poop for days. Scooping up another pile and throwing it in the wheelbarrow I look around at the work I’ve done so far. The stalls are all free of poop and full of fresh shavings and look so much better!
“You’re a pro.” Megan says, walking down the barn hall with a horse by her side. She stops when she gets to me and ties the horse up to the panels.
“I really think my nose is going to fall off.” I say scooping up another pile and putting it in the wheelbarrow.
She laughs and starts undoing the horse”s saddle. I put my shovel up against the wall and walk over to the panels looking down at what she’s doing.
“Do you have to ride them every day?” I ask her as she takes off the saddle. She sits it down and looks at me.
“The young ones I do.” She points at the horse, “This is a colt I’m breaking, and my goal is to start back barrel racing on him someday. He is one of our two-year olds.” She turns to pick up her saddle, taking it to the tack room, and I walk out of the stall I am in and walk over to him. His ears prick up and I cannot help but think how beautiful he is. He is a reddish color with light tones and a fire red mane.
She comes walking out, “The young ones keep so much pent-up energy. Riding them every day gets it out, plus it helps get them used to someone on their backs.” She pats the colt on the neck. “This here is Crackerjack.” She points to another stall, “He’s one of that young mare’s colts and so far, he’s one of my favorites.”
I smile at her, “He’s beautiful.”
I turn from him and walk back over to the stall picking up my shovel and continue working. Megan takes Crackerjack back to his stall, getting the next one out that needs ridden.
I am finishing up laying fresh shavings in the stalls I have cleaned and put the wheelbarrow and shovel up in the tack room. Opening the fridge in the tack room, I take a water and wipe the sweat off of my face. I have seriously never worked so hard in my life.
“Stalls don’t look clean enough.” Logans voice sounds from the tack room door.
I give him a side eye while drinking my water.
He walks in with a bridle and hangs it up. He looks at me quickly.
“You look like hell.” He says turning and walking out of the tack room.
I follow him out but do not say a word. “What? Not going to argue with me?” he smirks.
“I have no energy for annoying people, such as yourself.”
He gives me a devilish grin, “I want to show you something, come on.” He walks past me and into the side stall of the barn. I’m curious as to what he is going to show me, so I follow him. He disappears behind a sheet of plywood, and I turn to follow him. My eyes widen with happiness when I see what is on the other side.
It’s the calf we rescued from the creek, and it is drinking milk from it’s mama. Logan stands in front of them with his arms crossed, “It’s a little girl.” He says to me without looking at me. My heart flutters with happiness and the biggest smile crosses my face.
“Is she going to be okay?” I ask him, bending down closer to the calf.
“Thanks to you, she will.” He says bending down with me.
“Thanks Ivy. You did well this morning. Maybe I was wrong about you not being able to pull your weight around here.” He smirks at me.
I laugh, “Oh, don’t get all mushy with me now, Logan.” I roll my eyes playfully.
He eyes turn to something sinful as he looks at me, “I’m a man of many personalities.”
I blush and look away from him and back at the calf. He stands and starts walking out of the stall and comes back with fresh hay for bedding.
I stay bent down watching the calf drink milk, mesmerized by the beauty of such a small creature. After a moment, she stops drinking and looks my way.
“Hey, pretty girl.” I tell her. “What are we going to call you?” I ask her and her tail swishes. Slowly, she takes a step towards me and sniffs the air near me. Step by step, she slowly gets closer and closer to me until her nose touches my hand.
“Well, I’ll be,” Logan says standing behind me, “I think she’s picked her human.”
I smile. “What will we call her?” I ask him.
He’s silent for a moment, and then bends down again beside me and the calf, “I think it’s only fair that the one who saved her gets to name her.” He says but continues looking at the calf.
“So, what name did you pick?” I ask him.
He looks at me, “I didn’t save her. You did.” I look back at him shocked and confused.
“We would have never known she was there if you hadn’t heard her and her mom when you did.” He says, looking back at the calf, “You get to pick her name.” I smile at him for a moment seeing a side of him I did not realize he had. Tinder.
“What do we want to call you?” I ask the young heifer. Her tail wiggles and she spins her heels around running through the stall with zoomies. Logan and I both laugh.
“Let’s call you Maggie!” I say to the calf. “Do you like that name?” she walks over to me and nudges my hand.
“I’ll take that as a yes!” I smile, happy with the name choice I picked.
“Why Maggie?” Logan asks with an intrigued look on his face.
“Honestly?” I start, “I can’t remember where I heard the name when I was a young girl, but I’ve always thought it was beautiful.” I smile, “and she’s a beautiful girl.”
Logan nods his head, “Just like her human.” I blush unsure where that came from but he stands and walks out. I follow slowly behind. We walk out into the barn and Tiny sticks his head out of his stall.
I stop at him and give him a rub on the nose. “You are the best boy, aren’t you?” I say to him rubbing his nose again.
“For someone who hasn’t grown up around this life. You sure look comfortable around here.” Logan says leaning up against Tiny’s stall wall.
I shrug my shoulders, “I can’t explain it. Once I got up in the saddle and relaxed, it was like my muscles knew what to do.”
He cocks an eyebrow, “And you didn’t ride horses or anything as a kid?” he asks me.
I sigh, “Not that I’m aware of. My life has been nothing but city life. Prim and proper.” I shrug and he nods.
Silence falls over us and Logan just stares at me with Tiny.
In the distance a bell is ringing, and I jump, looking up at Logan. “What the hell is that?” A look of concern crosses my face.
Logan chuckles, “It’s supper time.” He says walking towards the house, and I follow behind him in silence.