Post by Rena Humble on May 9, 2012 11:02:07 GMT -5
I want to preface this really quickly by saying that I originally posted this story on my Tumblr and, because I joined as Rena here, I figured I'd share it. The first post is going to be extremely image/text heavy because I'm basically copy and pasting all of the story as I've written it and posted it on my Tumblr and transferring it here.
If some terminology is off or is inaccurate, you can point it out (nicely, haha). I've only ridden casually, having taken lessons once a few years ago and only had trail rides prior so I'm not extremely clear on everything.
The above lot was made by Breanna @ Riddermark
And that's all I've written so far. I have a general storyline planned out for what's to come next but I have yet to execute it, mostly because I'm doing something on the side that is kind of related, haha
If some terminology is off or is inaccurate, you can point it out (nicely, haha). I've only ridden casually, having taken lessons once a few years ago and only had trail rides prior so I'm not extremely clear on everything.
“Mom, can I go to the Equestrian Center for my first real riding lesson now?”
“Of course you can, sweetie. Go ahead.”
Ellen watched as her daughter grabbed her backpack as she flew out the door, placing the bag carefully into the basket that was attached to the bicycle and wheeled it down the pathway and onto the sidewalk. Shifting to mount the bicycle, Rena cast a glance at the house before waving and heading off.
Ellen waved back, smiling as she watched her daughter leave. It was about half an hour by bike to the equestrian center but Rena had taken that route and memorized it well before she started taking lessons. Rena had always been a source of worry for Ellen, not because of what she did but because of what she didn’t do; she never hung out with friends, she never talked much about school, she got good grades but never really did anything besides study. Well, except for horses, Rena loved horses more than anything. It was the only reason that she left the house, other than to go to school.
Ellen had talked to the school counselor about Rena and how she acted in school and the counselor had suggested that perhaps Rena had some form of social anxiety that left her not wanting to interact with her peers, or not wanting to risk embarrassment in front of them. Rena’s style, one that was almost eclectic, didn’t help her fit in very much but she was mostly ignored rather than mocked.
This was going to be good for her.
Rena’s nerves were frazzled. She had no idea what to expect at her first riding lesson. Her feet methodically pedaled as her mind went somewhere else; to that nervous place. The one that caused her endless anxiety. It wasn’t so much a place as about 95% of her brain and the other 5% was the part that kept her sane.
The instructor greeted her when she arrived and let her lock up her bike before Rena jogged after her to get to the barn. The stable was a public facility, usable by everybody, so lessons had to be arranged so that the lesson horses could be available when needed.
“This is the horse you’ll be riding today; her name is Dapple.”
Rena had this expression of awe as she gazed at the mare. She looked so… delicate? That wasn’t the right word but there were no words to describe what she thought of this mare; this mare that was going to teach her how to ride. She walked up and pulled out the piece of carrot she had swiped from the fridge for this exact occasion and held it out. Dapple stretched her neck forward before grasping it and crunching it happily as Rena cautiously placed a hand on her muzzle and bit her lip, a smile on her lips.
“Alright, here you go!”
The instructor said with a grin as she gave Rena a boost to get her atop Dapple. Rena clutched the reins like they were her lifeline and she could feel Dapple getting antsy because of her nerves. She felt like she wanted to die; she couldn’t even sit on a horse without feeling anxiety? This was going to be one giant failure like everything else in her life.
Squeezing Dapple’s sides with her heels, she felt the mare start to move immediately and all of a sudden, she felt a feeling she had never felt before; peace. It was like a wave of calm that washed over her and she felt like jelly, but in a good way, know what I mean? She felt so relaxed, like she could do anything effortlessly and a goofy grin spread across her face as she came to a stop in the round pen.
“This is… everything I imagined it to be.”
“She’s spending every waking moment at the barn. Is that even healthy?”
Felipe asked them conversationally as he rummaged through his mail, glancing across the street at Terry Humble.
Rena had been spending a lot of the at the barn. Between school and the barn, she was almost never home but she always managed to make it before curfew. They were lucky if they saw her at all before she left for school because she biked to school and then immediately biked to the barn.
Terry glanced over at his neighbour and shrugged.
“It’s healthy for her, that’s all that matters.”
Rena’sNewDiary: Entry 1
Hi, New Diary. Sorry, I haven’t had a chance to write anything down yet, I’ve just been swamped. It’s 11pm right now and I’m under the covers with a flashlight, trying to write this. Thank god Dominick is a heavy sleeper or I might wake him up.
Anyway, I’m on my fourth lesson, I think, and I’ve learned how to get on a horse properly and how to clean the stalls and the saddle and all that stuff. I’ve even had a chance to groom Dapple (Oh! Dapple is the lesson horse that I ride) and that was exciting, heh.
Some days aren’t as good. I’ll try to cut out some pictures to glue in here later but my posture is still terrible, which isn’t surprising because I suck at riding. It’s just so hard to balance on top of a giant rippling mass of muscles. Although Dapple is supposedly a Welsh Cob x Arabian so she’s on the smaller size, just around 14.3hh.
I also fell off while dismounting. That was disorienting more than anything but I felt so embarrassed, I thought I was going to die! Nobody was even around or anything but if somebody had been… I don’t even know what I would’ve done.
Rena’sNewDiary: Entry 2
If I’m not at the barn, I’m checking the local ads for horses for sale (I really really really really really really really want my own horse!) and reading about events and stuff, you know?
My family eats dinner at the table together, in case you didn’t know, and I always tell them about what I learned and about how cools horses are (because they are, you should know this, Diary).Oh god, what if they think I’m annoying? What if they think I’m a nuisance if I’m telling them about these things? What if I’m just one big annoying stupid person who is just—
Nevermind. I’m going to bed :c
Rena’s Diary: Entry 3
Today was an awesome day! You don’t know this, but Dapple is always ready to go when I get there but today I got to saddle her up all by myself! First I had to get her, since she was let out into the arena for a while and the instructor wanted me to learn how to ‘catch’ a horse.
That was… not very hard, if I’m being honest, heh. Dapple is a lazy mare, so she just grazed on the very short grass while I clipped the lead rope to her halter but I felt so proud of myself! I caught a horse all by myself! It seems so stupid to be so proud of that but I’ve… I’ve never done anything like this that really makes me happy, know what I mean?
I also got new riding boots! My other ones were a pair I had in my closet because I didn’t have time to buy new ones but today they arrived and I love them! They’re nice and snug and I think they look stylish. Other people probably think they look awful though… nothing I wear ever makes sense. But when I’m in my riding gear, I feel… unstoppable
Rena’s Diary: Entry 4
I went on my first trail ride today! Well, it wasn’t really a trail ride but this area of town is basically in the countryside so my instructor said that I could actually go off the property and explore!
We (we being Dapple and myself, sorry for not clarifying!) started off with a walk until we got off the property and then I let Dapple go into a trot. Her trots are probably smooth by horse standards but my instructor took pity on me. Or so I thought when we got far enough and she looked at me and said, and I quote: “Let’s try galloping!”
Yeah, let that sink in for a bit.
Galloping. I can barely manage a trot but she was telling me how galloping is smoother than trotting so I might do better. She took a picture of me while I was galloping so I cut it out and glued it in.
It’s so.. beautiful. Galloping, not the picture of course. It really is smoother than trotting or walking! I mean, I still have terrible posture but I felt like I wouldn’t fall off as easily, I guess? So glad Dapple slowed down after a bit, I think I would’ve died if I had to keep galloping though.
That’s it for today, goodnight!
It was a quiet evening in Appaloosa Plains. Felipe and Hetty were standing on the sidewalk in front of the Humble house, arguing as usual.
“Shh, wait, do you hear something?”
Felipe murmured and Hetty shrugged exaggeratedly and pulled an awful grimace.
“Who knows, the ol’ Plains have a lot of rodents, could be one of ‘em.”
Little did they know a burglar was invading the Humble household, targeting the empty guest room and stealing one of the paintings off of the wall.
Terry woke first, hearing a soft creak, and dialed 911. The police officer arrived swiftly but luck was on their side as the crook escaped and the police officer could do nothing to help.
The commotion roused Ellen, who wrapped her robe around her body tightly before placing her hand gently on Terry’s shoulder. He glanced back at her and the two exchanged a glance before both went back to bed.
No use in waking up the kids to tell them, might as well wait until morning.
“We have to do something, we can’t just stay here. I feel like our sanctuary, our home was violated! I want to move somewhere safer, for the kids,”
They had been renting the house for about a year, it had never been meant to become a permanent home but they had originally come back to Appaloosa Plains after Ellen’s mother died. They rented the first house they could find that would fit them, a three bedroom house in the middle of a suburban subdivision. It was nice but it was a bit modern for their tastes and they never quite had enough time to get properly settled.
“It might be worth looking into a new house, I agree. Although it might be worth considering Rena when making the move. She’s doing a lot better than she was in Sunset Valley, we might want to consider buying a house with more land to accommodate a barn,”
Terry murmured, glancing at his wife. She pursed her lips in thought, finger touching her lip lightly as she pondered the idea. It would be an ideal situation for all of the family; finding a place that could fit them wouldn’t be hard however finding a place that worked location-wise might be a bit more of a stretch.
Just at that moment, Rena and Dominick exited their shared bedroom, backpacks in hand as the bus honked angrily outside.
“Kids, just a second. How do you feel about moving?”
Ellen asked, her voice almost frantic as she tried to make sure the kids heard her as they raced to catch the bus. Rena waved a hand dismissively, adding a quick ‘I don’t mind’ while Dominick shrugged his shoulders as he put on his trademark wellingtons and the two of them headed off to school.
“I think that was as good an answer as we could have expected, no?”
Terry teased with a grin before grabbing his own jacket as his carpool arrived.
The above lot was made by Breanna @ Riddermark
Rena’s Diary: Entry 5
Hey Diary, I’ve got big news! We’re going to move! Of course you’ll come with me, no question about that. But we had a burglary recently (:c) and so they want to move somewhere else. They said they were considering it before but I secretly, or not-so-secretly now that I’ve told you, think that they want to move so I can buy Dapple.
I hope I don’t jinx it but I went out on another “trail ride” with Dapple and I saw two properties not far from the local Equestrian Centers. One is a huge plot of land with a house and barn on it, and some pastures nearby and I think the sign said around§ 50 000. There was a second property that looked a bit overrun but it had a cute cottage-y house with a barn and a little pond on the lot. It was a bit further from the Equestrian Centers and cost around § 100 000 or so, if I remember correctly.
I took quick photos and not-so-subtly left them on the counter in the kitchen. Do you think they’ll know I took them?
Rena’s Diary: Entry 6
Hey Diar- whoops! let me brush some of that dust off of you! Moving has been chaotic. Everything is in boxes, mostly clothes for me, but I’ve got most of my stuff unpacked. I took a picture to put in here, show what part of my room looks like now. Most of it is horse stuff, of course :3
Everybody else still has to get unpacked and Mum and Dad have been checked furniture stores to order furniture since the old place came with furniture so we didn’t have any. Sometimes it gets a little too crowded or a little too stressful so I usually head out to the stable (it’s across the street now, can you believe it?! ) and take Dapple out for a ride. We went to the beach on evening, it was so relaxing to be completely alone. Well, except for Dapple of course, but I don’t know if she counts. Does she? I guess so.
Oh, Mum is calling us for dinner. Probably pizza or Chinese food. I’ll talk to you later, Diary.
PS. Maybe one day I’ll have a saddle and halter to hang up in my room
“Oh come on, that’s not a smile!”
Terry teased his daughter as he grinned, raising the camera up to snap a picture as she glanced back. Rena frowned, glancing at the reins in her hand. She was still getting used to sitting and looking forward and he wanted her to glance back. She let out a breathe, relenting.
“Okay, okay, I’ll smile. Come over here so I don’t fall off!”
Dapple’s ears flicked back before she shifted to nudge Rena’s hand and that caused a smile to break out on her face. She looked up and gave a little wave with a grin as her father snapped a picture.
And at that moment, everything was perfect.
Rena’s Diary: Entry 7
Sorry I haven’t written for a while, I’ve been busy. School gets in the way of riding and Mum stopped letting me go before I’ve finished my homework after she found out that I was doing late homework in class. That was one lecture I really wish I didn’t have to hear :c
Anyway, I took my dad’s old camera (with his permission, of course!) and wanted to try to take some photos of our new place because it’s really nice and outdoors-y and Dapple didn’t like it that I wasn’t focusing on her, heh. She nipped at my hair and then went to go lie down so I snapped a photo of her.
Dapple is… I mean, she’s the only horse I’ve ever really known or met but I think she’s awesome. She’s a bit lazy and a bit nervous sometimes but she’s… Dapple. She wouldn’t be Dapple without those habits. I’m still really a beginner but Dapple makes me feel like I can do it, like I can really learn how to ride and become better. Nobody else has ever made me feel like that. I mean, my parents tell me that but they’re my parents, they’re supposed to encourage me. Dapple is the only one that can really show me that I can do better.
Goodnight, Diary.
And that's all I've written so far. I have a general storyline planned out for what's to come next but I have yet to execute it, mostly because I'm doing something on the side that is kind of related, haha