Post by symphony on Aug 4, 2012 12:24:27 GMT -5
Tally Cremer
It had only been about twenty minutes since she had awoken. How had she even fallen asleep? She was used to getting up so early now; sure, she had missed an hour or two of sleep the night before, but she hadn't expected to spend half her afternoon sleeping.
It was well after lunchtime now, and Tally had only just finished switching around the horses that were turned out. There were two thoroughbreds in one yard that she didn't recognise or hadn't seen race, though they had been in with Storm, so she figured they wouldn't mind Essy. Coursette, Marie and Smoke grazed quietly opposite them, replacing Sola, Reema and Zorya. Coursette was the only one of the three who would cause any trouble, Tally knew, though it was unlikely given Smoke and Marie's passive natures and Coursette's already established dominance. As for the other three...well, the neighbours would hear anything that happened, and if the two who were there on temporary agistment could manage not to start a fight with Storm, then they should get on swimmingly with sweet Essy.
Tambourine was the only horse without turnout time today. Darren had figured out the schedule, and Tally recalled mentioning something about her taking him out on the nearby trails for a ride today. It had been much too long since she had done anything simply out of pleasure, though now she was almost regretting it. Sleeping those few extra hours had somehow made her feel even more tired then she had before, and she had work to do, figuring out plans for stable extensions to cater for the inevitable increase of size that their string would undertake before long, and continuing enquiries about the possibility of two back pastures in addition to the front ones. She was working with limited space, but sure it could work.
Pushing it out of her head, Tally strengthened her resolve of the previous day, and went to haul the old english saddle and snaffle bit out from their place amidst the light-weight racing saddles and mess of equipment that could probably do with re-organising. Within fifteen minutes, she had the bay stallion shining and tacked up, and had mounted by use of the fence, while trying not to think about how much of an idiotic thing that was to do with a retired racehorse.
Then they were off, not down the drive and towards the track where most of the other horses would have headed, but out the back and into the forest trails. For the millionth time, Tally silently thanked her grandfather for establishing his business in such a convenient location, despite the rumours that occassionally circled about the forest being haunted.
Torto was calm and content to walk today, which was a relief because Tally had breezed four or five of the racehorses that morning, and managed to watch the rest, and was ready for something easy. It occured to her that perhaps she should take Smoke out one morning; the one runner you actually had to push to get results from. Half-halts were not a requirement with the dark bay.
Gradually, she settled into the smooth, ambling walk of Torto and let her mind wander away from King's Park and all the many things to work on with each horse. The stallion was content to pick his own path and did so on a long rein; having never raced, he had become used to this sort of riding and wasn't as fizzy as most ex-racehorses. Vaguely, she wondered what sort of foals would be had come summer; two would be his, she knew. One from Coursette, and one from a mare from Flat Creek. Hopefully, they would show some potential on the track.