he had a rough birth. A birth that both he and his mother barely survived. And to add to that, his father received excellent care while in the hospital during a serious bout of pneumonia two years before his death. So Garden General got their fair share, an amount so hefty it resulted in the facility's name change.
Nate did okay too. He was an only child and got what was left, well over two million dollars. He made more by downsizing the ranch, selling off every living thing except the horses. Every so often he'd sell a few, then he'd buy a few more. It always stayed about the same, between sixty and one hundred in the herd.
He liked working The Rising Sun around this time of the day. He liked rising with the sun, and working the stables and he enjoyed taming the wild horses. It became a challenge hard to resist.
He yanked a saddle, a saddle blanket, and a bridle from the tack room and carried it by the horn to the corral. Morning Star held down the fort alone while the others gallivanted in the fields. He watched the kitchen window with sharp eyes.
"Don't you ever sleep, Star?" Nate asked as he neared the fence. He had yet to see the horse at rest, very odd.
"Ever see one of these before?" He tossed the saddle onto the top fence post. Morning Star gave it a casual glance before turning his gaze back to the house.
Nate climbed the slats until he straddled the top. He heard the front door of the house open. Dannie and Cindy stepped onto the porch, holding hands. Morning Star let out a loud snort.
"Your buddy's watching you pal. You gonna let her down?"
The horse looked at Dannie, who nodded her head. Morning Star moved away and walked to Nate. The horse stopped parallel to the railing and waited. Nate glanced at Cindy. She shrugged.
"Alright," Nate said and climbed into the corral. He gently placed the blanket on the horse’s back. Now came the hard part. He yanked the saddle off the post and in one swift motion tossed it across the horse's back. He took a step back and watched. Most first timers bucked it off at this juncture and sometimes lashed out at the messenger in anger. Morning Star stood still.
"Alright," Nate said again with a little more emphasis . He reached under the horse and buckled the girth strap and cautiously began the process of cinching up the saddle. To his surprise, he met no resistance. Then he moved to the horse's head, holding the bridle. He petted Morning Star's forehead.
"Good boy," he murmured into the horse's ear.
Nate breathed a sigh of relief when the horse accepted the bit easily, even lowering his head so Nate could place the bridle over it.
He stepped back still not sure if this would work, but growing less apprehensive by the minute.
The horse turned his neck and stared at Nate. Now what? He seemed to be thinking. Nate heard a commotion by the gate before his wife and daughter slipped through.
"Can I ride him now?" Dannie asked in a matter of fact manner.
Nate looked at Cindy and now it was his turn to shrug.
"I'll ride him first and see how he takes to a passenger. We'll go from there. You all better wait outside the corral, just in case."
He approached the horse as they closed the gate behind them. "Easy boy," he said and put a foot in the stirrup. He mounted the horse in one rapid motion and sat perfectly still. When Morning Star didn't move, he took the reins and clicked his heels against the animal's flank.
Morning Star slowly began walking the corral's perimeter. Cindy had lifted Dannie onto the fence. She followed her up and watched the horse and rider walk the fence line.
"Hey Morning Star," Dannie yelled out. "Quit being so easy on him."
Nate had time to give his daughter a dirty look before the horse accelerated into a steady fast gallop. Nate held on tight. He needed to become accustomed to Morning Star's size. Compared to Betsy, this was like riding a freight train.
Nate tested the reins, guiding left then right. The horse followed each
Nate did okay too. He was an only child and got what was left, well over two million dollars. He made more by downsizing the ranch, selling off every living thing except the horses. Every so often he'd sell a few, then he'd buy a few more. It always stayed about the same, between sixty and one hundred in the herd.
He liked working The Rising Sun around this time of the day. He liked rising with the sun, and working the stables and he enjoyed taming the wild horses. It became a challenge hard to resist.
He yanked a saddle, a saddle blanket, and a bridle from the tack room and carried it by the horn to the corral. Morning Star held down the fort alone while the others gallivanted in the fields. He watched the kitchen window with sharp eyes.
"Don't you ever sleep, Star?" Nate asked as he neared the fence. He had yet to see the horse at rest, very odd.
"Ever see one of these before?" He tossed the saddle onto the top fence post. Morning Star gave it a casual glance before turning his gaze back to the house.
Nate climbed the slats until he straddled the top. He heard the front door of the house open. Dannie and Cindy stepped onto the porch, holding hands. Morning Star let out a loud snort.
"Your buddy's watching you pal. You gonna let her down?"
The horse looked at Dannie, who nodded her head. Morning Star moved away and walked to Nate. The horse stopped parallel to the railing and waited. Nate glanced at Cindy. She shrugged.
"Alright," Nate said and climbed into the corral. He gently placed the blanket on the horse’s back. Now came the hard part. He yanked the saddle off the post and in one swift motion tossed it across the horse's back. He took a step back and watched. Most first timers bucked it off at this juncture and sometimes lashed out at the messenger in anger. Morning Star stood still.
"Alright," Nate said again with a little more emphasis . He reached under the horse and buckled the girth strap and cautiously began the process of cinching up the saddle. To his surprise, he met no resistance. Then he moved to the horse's head, holding the bridle. He petted Morning Star's forehead.
"Good boy," he murmured into the horse's ear.
Nate breathed a sigh of relief when the horse accepted the bit easily, even lowering his head so Nate could place the bridle over it.
He stepped back still not sure if this would work, but growing less apprehensive by the minute.
The horse turned his neck and stared at Nate. Now what? He seemed to be thinking. Nate heard a commotion by the gate before his wife and daughter slipped through.
"Can I ride him now?" Dannie asked in a matter of fact manner.
Nate looked at Cindy and now it was his turn to shrug.
"I'll ride him first and see how he takes to a passenger. We'll go from there. You all better wait outside the corral, just in case."
He approached the horse as they closed the gate behind them. "Easy boy," he said and put a foot in the stirrup. He mounted the horse in one rapid motion and sat perfectly still. When Morning Star didn't move, he took the reins and clicked his heels against the animal's flank.
Morning Star slowly began walking the corral's perimeter. Cindy had lifted Dannie onto the fence. She followed her up and watched the horse and rider walk the fence line.
"Hey Morning Star," Dannie yelled out. "Quit being so easy on him."
Nate had time to give his daughter a dirty look before the horse accelerated into a steady fast gallop. Nate held on tight. He needed to become accustomed to Morning Star's size. Compared to Betsy, this was like riding a freight train.
Nate tested the reins, guiding left then right. The horse followed each
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