Horses always gallop away from their fears, prance about and kick when they are excited because it is their natural wild instinct. On this beautiful morning of spring I was in my paddock by the crystal clear river and somehow doing both of these things at the same time. I galloped flat out up to the far side of our huge paddock, where our big ancient oak tree stands shading our barn, stopped dead, reared then spun around down on my back legs.
Then off I went back down to the river again. I was that fast, I'm sure I could've beaten the sound barrier. As I got nearer the river I started to buck and kick up the slimy mud at Treasure, who was somewhere close behind me. Then off I went again flat out to the top of the field, Daisy by my side and Treasure still hanging on behind as he usually did.
Treasure only had short little legs, so he found Daisy and me hard to gallop with because we were thoroughbreds with long skinny legs and elegant bodies to bomb around with. I have known Treasure and Daisy ever since I came to live with them about a year ago. I was taken away from my mum when I was three and never thought I would be happy ever again until I found my new friends.
Daisy and I get on really well and we both have a lot in common because we were broken in together, are both four and a half years old, with our birthday's being the same day and we both have four white socks and a white star under our fluffy forelocks. The only difference is that Daisy is black and I am a bay just like my mum was. As for Treasure he is a stocky piebald cob who is a year younger than we are but we don't care one bit. We do everything together and will not be separated in a million years.
Oh yes, I'd better tell you what I was talking about, well the mad escapade around the field was in honour of the blacksmith who had just crawled up the drive to our pretty little farm called Penny Lane Farm, in his old banger of a jeep and was now heating his furnace.
We did not normally have a crazy dash around when the blacksmith came, but this time we decided to because, for the first time ever he had not come to shoe the show ponies. He had come to take our freedom away by weighing down Daisy and I with those pointless lumps of metal he wanted to nail to our poor little hooves. Lucky enough for Treasure, it was not his turn today even though he kindly joined us on our strike, being as we would do the same for him.
By this time, Ziggy our owner, who had been stumbling up and down the paddock after us for the last hour with our collars had finally given up and disappeared into the feed room.
"Time for a drink," I whinnied to my gang, as we cantered down to the riverbank. Five long minutes later Ziggy appeared for her second attempt. Only this time with a bucket of feed and it was sugar beet my favourite. "I'm hungry," whinnied Daisy, as soon as she set her big brown eyes on the bucket.
"Right, OK here's the plan," I said. "Treasure, you come with me and circle Ziggy, then she will hopefully put the feed down and try to catch me, then Daisy, this is where you come in. You will have to grab the feed bucket and run like the wind to the oak tree and if all goes to plan we won't be far behind, agreed?" "Yes," kind of mumbled Treasure.
As we crept over to Ziggy the blacksmith appeared from nowhere behind me and in a flash he had me on the end of his lead rope. But if they thought for one minute I was going anywhere without Daisy, well they could think again. I reared and bucked then whinnied to her so she trotted over to Ziggy to surrender and put her head towards Ziggy's head collar.
"Do they do anything alone," questioned the blacksmith, whose real name was Fred, Ziggy just laughed, and at that moment in time I wished I could of talked because I could of told him the answer all right, and it was No! I glanced across to Daisy who had fear dancing in her wide eyes, then I took a last look around for Treasure, to tell him to wish us luck but his greed had got the better of him and he was up by the oak tree munching our favourite food. I was quite angry so I tried to forget about him for the time being. I let out a high whinny that meant, Daisy if you wear shoes then I wear shoes, so she gave me a nod as Ziggy tied her to the opposite end of the barn to me.
Fred knotted my lead rope three times as if I was a wild beast that was going to break away. Well actually I would have put up a fight but I had no energy being as I had galloped a few mad miles around our huge paddock, There was now no going back as Fred walked my way with his tools, it looked like I was his first victim. As I closed my eyes I heard Daisy's high whinny, she had let out to comfort me. I did not want to know what was going on so I let my wild mind slip away into a daydream. As I tried to ignore the smell of the hot metal burning my feet I began to sweat and tremble with fear.
But I don't remember feeling anything; all I remember is waking up and pawing the stony ground with my new shiny shoes on my feet. After watching me being shod, Daisy felt much braver and started to calm down. I could never be as fast as I used to be without shoes but I could still have fun what ever happened.
About half an hour later it was all over and we were back in our beloved paddock with Treasure. "How was it" "Not to bad" "Daisy, what about you?" "Same I suppose" "And Treasure, we won't forget to run off with your sugar beet when your time comes," I said to him sarcastically. "Yea" added Daisy, looking rather sorry for herself.
The next month went really fast, Ziggy started work on breaking in Treasure, which was hilarious to watch because he kept falling over his own feet and doing completely the wrong thing, then refusing to talk to us because we had laughed at him. Also that week, Ziggy had been really busy schooling me at first then Daisy. She also kept babbling on about a show that her and her friend, Cassie, were going to take us to. I didn't have a clue what Ziggy meant by this, so I blanked out the thought, just like Daisy did. But Treasure said, Ziggy meant that she wanted to ride us in the mini cross country show in town, but I was not sure.
I was just more confused than ever. I guess only time would tell. "Twinkle, I think Treasure was right," Daisy suggested. "What do you mean," I questioned. "Well," began Daisy.
"Ziggy has been doing a lot of jumping lately, and I mean, a lot, so she is obviously getting us ready for the show, do you agree?" "Yeah, your right," I whispered giving her a suspicious glance with my odd coloured eyes.
This sunny morning when we awoke from our sweet dreams we had a big surprise because Ziggy and her friend Cassie had parked the horse lorry right outside our paddock gate. And they were on there way over to catch us. They were dressed rather smartly as well, with ties and jackets on. Ziggy led me and Daisy to the barn and Cassie followed with Treasure.
"It must be time for the show," stated Daisy. "Of course," I mumbled back.
I was actually beginning to get a bit excited and began to prance about a bit. Ziggy jolted my head collar then tied me up next to Treasure, then Daisy the other side. I was wondering why Treasure was coming because he had not been properly broken in yet. He did not even have any shoes and he could not jump to save his life. Then I heard Ziggy say, as she slapped on my hoof oil, "Be good for Cassie Twinkle, it's your big day and as for you Treasure, you can come for the ride because it will be good experience for you."
Cassie started putting my tail bandage on whilst Ziggy started on my travel boots. I had not been in the lorry since I came to the farm but this time it was going to be fun because I had my friends right by my side. When we were ready Cassie loaded our tack and Ziggy started to load us. I was first on the lorry and I hated the ramp so when I was half way up it, I got in a panic and reared, then landed on top of Daisy who was waiting patiently behind me. Ziggy knew that if Daisy went up the ramp with me there would be no problem so that's what happened. When we were all safely in the lorry and the ramp was up, we were off.
"I feel sick, I feel sick," gurgled Treasure from behind the back partition of the lorry. "Oh shut up now," snapped Daisy, your making me nervous all ready. "Relax," both of you, I added in a cool sounding voice. Lots of strange questions like, "Will there be any other horses there or will we be the only ones?" You could tell I was starting to get nervous because I was even answering them, "Twinkle you silly thing it's a competition."
Fifteen minutes later we were there and I was so nervous that I started to paw and kick the lorry. Ziggy began to unload us and take our travel kit off. She left Treasure tied to the lorry and began to tack me up for Cassie. As she began to tighten my girth I breathed out so it wouldn't be that tight when I started the course but when I took my next breath she quickly made it tighter, Daisy was pulling the same trick but it did not work for her either, anyway she was the one who taught me it.
Poor little Treasure was looking lonely and left out already but he soon got talking to the dapple-grey colt tied to the horse box next door. Cassie lead us both out to where it was all happening whilst Ziggy went to collect the numbers they had to wear. My heart was beating really fast now and Daisy was jumping about like a mad chicken.
To start with we went over some practice jumps, I managed to over jump the cross bars but nearly hit the parallel because I had never jumped three foot before. "Good jump, but mine was better, "Daisy boasted as she sailed over four foot. Anyway she had she had been jumping longer than I had. A short while later I was spooked because the public address system bellowed out, Number 24 to the cross country course please" "It's you, it's you and I'm next. Good luck," shrieked Daisy.
I had butterflies in my stomach as Cassie urged me to the starting line. First Cassie called out our number then we began trotting and cantering round in circles to get warmed up. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Ziggy on Daisy watching anxiously with hope. Then we were off at the gallop, this was the real thing and I wanted to please my mount, Cassie, As we dashed through the starting posts, I kicked up turf and headed straight for the first jump.
There were 15 jumps all together and this one was a parallel. I felt Cassie clench my main as I glided over and picked up speed for the short stretch before the next one. Now came the hedge jump that I had never done before but tackled with ease and the cross bar with wings that I over jumped, like in practice. I was turned slightly to the right now to get in line with the high parallel and even higher hedge. I felt Cassie urge me on a bit more but I was already going as fast as my little legs could carry me and I wished Daisy could be by my side doing it with me.
The jumps started to get harder from then on starting with the Tiger Trap. I could feel Cassie tapping me with her crop and I could hear my hooves drumming over the ground and we thundered towards a pile of logs stacked sky high. As we got nearer I could tell I was not going to make it and I skidded to a sudden halt nearly unseating my rider. I was now scared and my wild eyes searched for Daisy in the watching crowd. Then there she was, I felt as if she was staring straight into my soul. She let out a high whinny that meant,
"Go on Twinkle you can do it, JUMP!"
I put all my trust in her because I felt that she was suddenly close to me. I reared then used all the strength in my hind legs to push myself up and over the logs. I was amazed and pleased with myself, then I cleared the straw jump. And sailed up the home straight to the double parallel that was waiting to push me to my limit. From the bottom of the hill I was now storming up, they looked twice as big as me. I was freaked out a bit by the first one because it had an old trough underneath it and it was so close to the final jump. I somehow swept over them and cantered through the finish flags.
"A clear round for number 24" bellowed the speakers. I was so proud of myself and I knew Cassie was because she kept patting My neck. The crowd clapped as I finished and Cassie stood me at the sideline after some cooling down exercise to watch Daisy. I hoped she would do as good as me because without Daisy cheering me on I would not have had the courage to tackle the tough jumps. "Go for it Daisy" I whinnied as she began.
Daisy looked amazing as she flew over the jumps, in fact she made me look really awful compared to how she was doing. As she sped towards m the big Tiger Trap, the crowd started shouting, "Loose horse, loose horse."
My eyes scanned the crowd until I caught sight of a huge chestnut about 16 hands high that was storming towards the cross country course. To my horror he had jumped the fence with his reins loose and his stirrup irons flying, he was heading straight towards Daisy who was not aware of what was going on. I couldn't breath as I watched the chestnut collide straight into Daisy's side. Ziggy fell onto the hard ground with a loud thud and the huge chestnut fell on top of Daisy in the water jump like a tonne of bricks.
Ziggy got to her feet straight away and started shouting for a vet. I couldn't see Daisy because she was down in the water and all I could see was the chestnut on top of her. I tried to pull away from Cassie who was gob smacked but she held me firmly. Treasure also knew what was happening but could not break away from the lorry. As soon as the vet arrived by the jump the big screens went up and everyone gasped as an ear piercing gunshot sounded through the air.
When I heard that I reared up and broke free and galloped off to Daisy's rescue but could not get near to her because two ambulances were in the way. A short fat man took me back to our horse lorry whilst Ziggy and Cassie had a long discussion. Later that evening Cassie washed me down, groomed me and gave me my favourite feed before turning me out with Treasure. I could not eat my feed at all, not without Daisy. Treasure was pinning as he lead beneath the old oak tree which was Daisy's favourite place to be on spring evenings when the sun was setting. "Why Daisy" I asked myself in anger.
She was not only my best friend, she was part of me and I could not go on without her. I led down by the river where I was going to stay until I drifted off to the place where Daisy was. Treasure ate and came down to the river for a drink but did not say a word to me because he was still in shock and speechless. Anyway he always plodded to the same spot straight away.
Three days later the vet came to look at me and he told Ziggy, who had come home the day after the accident to take me to the stables to keep a very close eye on me because I was dangerously dehydrated and had no strength that all. I started to eat and drink a little because I felt as if I was being turned inside out and didn't want Treasure to see me that way. Treasure was allowed to come into the stables with me to keep me company.
The other show ponies sables were the other side of the house and our stables just outside our paddock on their own. I was in the middle stable , Treasure was in the one to my right and Daisy's empty one was on my left. I dozed all the next day and didn't notice that when Ziggy had finished mucking out, she made a fresh bed in Daisy's old stable. I thought Ziggy might be buying a new horse but nothing in the whole wide world could replace Daisy.
That night I could not sleep at all being as I kept seeing flashbacks of the accident. I kept needing a drink because my mouth was dry. I knew I was going over the top because I kept waking Treasure up.
"Pull yourself together Twinkle, I've lost her as well and she is never coming back"
That night I cried myself to sleep and slept late into the day to catch up on all the sleep I had lost. I was dreaming that Daisy was saying my name and I woke my sleepy head and pushed myself up onto my weak legs. At that moment I could have jumped out of my stable . I was not dreaming , Daisy was in her stable, all bandaged up and looking well. "I thought you were gone" I screeched with excitement, "Oh, that's nice!" replied Daisy. "What about the gunshot?" questioned Treasure.
Daisy sighed and her eyes filled with tears as she replied, "The chestnut broke both his front legs, so he was shot" "Well you're here now so lets forget everything that happened and be happy" I suggested in a cheery whinny. We were stabled for about a month but walked around the yard every day. Until the first day of summer when Daisy had her bandages taken off. "You all look well enough to return to your beloved paddock now, you terrible trio" said Ziggy with a warm smile of relief. Later that day she turned us out and she laughed as we galloped flat out up and down the field. Our new trick was to jump the river on the way down and Ziggy looked quite impressed.
The sun was setting in the beautiful blue summer sky as I galloped against the breeze that carried the sweet smell of flowers, with my two pals at my side. I was oh so happy , that I bucked with excitement because I had got the other part of me back which meant I had my freedom back as well, so did Treasure. I was happy again.
