Chapter 1
June 2, 2019
Vanya slipped out through the backdoor to the barn providing shelter for her family's herd of four. The yellow bulbs flickered before lighting the entire structure, brightening the horse's coats with artificial sunlight.
Moondance and Aztec, her parents' horses, whinnied to her as she prepared each equine's meal. River and Casey pawed impatiently as Vanya poured all three mashes into labeled buckets. Red belonged to Aztec, pink to Casey, blue to River and green to Moondance.
"I'm coming, River. Jeez, mare." She scratched the mare's forehead as she poured River's mash into her neon blue feed bucket.
She flashed back to the 4-H meetings she attended last night for the horse program. All of their horses were too broke for it. Could she still do it?
"Vanya! Breakfast's ready." Her mother called through the barn, holding out a plate full of boiling bacon and steaming scrambled eggs which she literally inhaled. "You can go for a ride once the stalls are clean. Your brother got that scholarship, by the way."
"Mom, I've been thinking..." Vanya started. "- what if for the 4-H horse challenge, we go to the auction and buy from there?"
"Vanya, you and I both know your father would disagree on purchasing from the auction. They're all riddled with disease and I don't particularly feel like rehabbing another animal, only for it to pass a year later." Her mom explained, pouring Moondance's mash into her special bucket. "Just like that Dutch Warmblood your brother committed himself to."
She vaguely remembered the sassy, old mare. She was the crankiest in the barn when it came to any version of physical contact. "Kate wasn't that bad," she chuckled, tracing over the fading scar from an unexpected attack from Kate. "She was a good ride when she felt like it."
"Right well, this came for you in the mail yesterday. Not sure what it's about, but I'm sure you'll be able to figure it out." Her mother tosses her an envelope with the Extreme Mustang Makeover initials on it.
She'd forgotten about her spontaneous entry she'd sent in while goofing around with her horse friends, thinking it would be insane for her to be chosen.
She skimmed over the letter, her green-eyed gaze focused on one word: Welcome. Had she made it into the youth division? Or was this all a dream?
Vanya squealed loudly, causing the horses to shoot her a look of disapproval. She'd gotten in. Now who to tell?
"Ready for a ride, Casey?" She scratched the mare's wide blaze and her large cheekbones. "I've got to tell Madison." Vanya groomed the little 14.2hh mare who swished her tail as the girth tightened. The snaffle was frigid between her hands as she coaxed the stubborn piece of metal into the mare's mouth. She opened the front gate and immediately shut it behind the mare. "Let's go." She launched into a springy canter down the driveway. This was going to be fun. She forgot all about the stalls.
