“You little shit.” I snickered at my horse. I knew he was just going through a phase, but I really needed to figure out a way to get him to snap out of it before someone actually got hurt. Hunter was a sweetheart for the most part and would never intentionally hurt a person; he just had a bad attitude that needed to be corrected.
As the students walked their horses out, letting Jessup and Cara explain to them what they’d done right and wrong with putting the saddles on, I addressed them. “Today we’re just going to get a feel for the horses, just walking. Keep a good distance between you and the other horses. I am going to lead on my baby here. As you can see, Hunter only has a bridle on. No bit, no saddle. Don’t make me chase a runaway horse like this.” I laughed. “It wouldn’t be pretty. Jess, we ready?”
“Good to go,” he hollered back at me, taking Wilson’s lead.
“Cara, will you text me when Mr. Handover is here?”
“You got it. Have fun.” She waved us off and we started out into the field.
The ride went smoothly with nothing to write home about. The smiles on the students’ faces were electrifying during our short ride.
Looking over my shoulder, I saw Mr. Handover’s truck pulling up to the barn.
“Time to head in. I have a special guest joining us today.”
“Look at you!” Hank laughed as Hunter walked right up to him.
Just as I was going to come up with some snide remark, a familiar frame hopped out of the passenger’s seat of Hank’s truck.
“Waylon?” I asked, glaring at the bartender.
“You two have already met?” Hank asked, scratching his head.
“Yep. I had the pleasure of meeting Annabelle the other night while I was bartending.”
Waylon took a step closer to Hunter and I threw my hand up. “He isn’t too friendly to men,” I warned.
Hank chuckled. “Well, I’ll be. Ain’t it a small world.”
“The smallest,” I agreed with an eyeroll. “What’re you doing here, Waylon?”
“Used to help Uncle Hank during the summers, and he asked if I wanted to tag along while he spoke to your class today.”
Waylon leaned down to a bale of hay, holding a piece out for Hunter.
Hunter, being the traitor he was, walked right up to Waylon. I was shocked when my horse let the new man rub his nose after chomping on the alfalfa.
“Think he likes me,” Waylon stated with a grin.
“We’ll see. Mr. Handover, do you want to set up and I’ll grab Stark for you to start with?”
He saluted me. “Sounds perfect.”
I slid down Hunter’s back, letting him follow me like a dog back to his stall. When he nuzzled my shoulder, it felt like Hunter was trying to apologize for being nice to Waylon.
“It’s all right, bud. You’re allowed to have your own opinion of people, even if it is the wrong one,” I whispered to my horse before heading one stall over to grab Stark.
“Jess, will you round up the students, please?”
“You got it, boss.”
Once everyone was seated, I walked Stark over to Cara so she could take him to Mr. Handover.
“Class, we have a little treat today. This is Mr. Handover, my barn’s farrier. He has been a lifesaver over the years, and I want you all to give him your undivided attention.”
I walked to the side of the barn, leaning against the wood to listen to Mr. Handover’s lecture.
“Does anyone know why we shoe domesticated horses?” Mr. Handover started.