Read Online Raja, Story of a Racehorse by Anne Hambleton - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Anne Hambleton
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more clover; and watching the tractors next door drive across the big fields, cutting and combing the grass into long rows and dropping neat square bales of hay onto the field.
âAh, The âsummer girlsâ are out of school,â Holzmann observed as more people and horses started arriving at the farm. âOakley had better watch out. They all buzz around him like bees to flowers.â He gestured toward a tall girl, Mary, who was heading toward Oakley.
âOakley, can you help me with this figure eight noseband? Do you want to go swimming with us later?â she asked hopefully. Suntanned, with her long dark hair twisted into a braid that swung from side to side when she rode, Mary liked Oakley.
Oakley always smiled quietly and helped, but he never said much.
âChip...chip...chip,â a sparrow warned. Swallows swooped and soared over the endless timothy and corn fields as Oakley on me and Mary on Legato, her big brown Dutch Warmblood, hacked out one late August day after a lesson. I jigged a little. I was feeling fitter from going up and down the hills surrounding the farm. A red-tailed hawk above us glided effortlessly in an arc as a summer breeze rippled through the hay fields and rattled the tall stalks of corn beside us, now as high as my withers. Mary chatted the entire hack, oblivious to the fact that Oakley was more interested in riding me than listening to her.
Suddenly, we heard a loud CRASH!
Whoa! Whatâs that?
Legato and I both stopped suddenly and stood frozen, hearts pounding. A second later, a six-point buck followed by a doe and fawn burst out in front of us through the corn, bumping into Legatoâs hind quarters. Surprised, Legato took off galloping across the field. Mary, who had been adjusting her stirrup and chatting, fell hard onto the sun-baked ground and lay still.
Sheâs not moving.
âOh my god!â Oakley whispered as he breathed in sharply. Almost as suddenly, he vaulted off. I noticed that his hands were trembling as he tried to wake her.
âIâd better not move her â it could be her back or neck. Mary, are you OK? Speak to me! Wake up!â
The hot sun beat down on us silently as a bot fly buzzed around my belly. I swished my tail and stamped. Legato, the buck and his family were long gone.
Mary still didnât move.
I thought of my mother and how still she had been in the field.
Mary! Wake upâ¦Wake UP.
âRats, where is my cell phone,â Oakley cursed, fumbling in his pockets. Then he jumped back on me. âRaja, we need to get back to the barn to call an ambulance, quickly. Now you can show me your speed.â
My heart started to spark as we galloped.
This was what I had missed.
I hadnât galloped fast since I was racing, over a year ago. We headed to a big post and rail, part of the fence line. Gallop, gallop. Balance, lock on, one, two, three, fly!
Wow, jumping at that speed really feels like flying.
Over another fence, then down a hill to the farm road at the edge of the field next to the barn. Now I was doing a two-minute lick with Oakley crouched over my neck urging me on. I ran, worried for Mary, but secretly happy to go, go, go!
âMaryâs had a fall. Sheâs unconscious. I need to call an ambulance.â Oakley jumped off and handed the reins to Speedy, then leaned over, hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath.
âNo problem.â Speedy took me from him. âIâll send one of the girls to find Legato.â
Within minutes we heard a loud whirring sound in the air above the barn.
âThereâs the helicopter. Those boysâre quick,â remarked Speedy, as he gently toweled me dry after my bath.
âI just talked to the doctor,â Michelle told Oakley later that night as he crouched down, smearing the cool thick clay poultice below my knees, wrapping wet brown paper over the poultice and finishing with a stable bandage.
âShe has a concussion
âAh, The âsummer girlsâ are out of school,â Holzmann observed as more people and horses started arriving at the farm. âOakley had better watch out. They all buzz around him like bees to flowers.â He gestured toward a tall girl, Mary, who was heading toward Oakley.
âOakley, can you help me with this figure eight noseband? Do you want to go swimming with us later?â she asked hopefully. Suntanned, with her long dark hair twisted into a braid that swung from side to side when she rode, Mary liked Oakley.
Oakley always smiled quietly and helped, but he never said much.
âChip...chip...chip,â a sparrow warned. Swallows swooped and soared over the endless timothy and corn fields as Oakley on me and Mary on Legato, her big brown Dutch Warmblood, hacked out one late August day after a lesson. I jigged a little. I was feeling fitter from going up and down the hills surrounding the farm. A red-tailed hawk above us glided effortlessly in an arc as a summer breeze rippled through the hay fields and rattled the tall stalks of corn beside us, now as high as my withers. Mary chatted the entire hack, oblivious to the fact that Oakley was more interested in riding me than listening to her.
Suddenly, we heard a loud CRASH!
Whoa! Whatâs that?
Legato and I both stopped suddenly and stood frozen, hearts pounding. A second later, a six-point buck followed by a doe and fawn burst out in front of us through the corn, bumping into Legatoâs hind quarters. Surprised, Legato took off galloping across the field. Mary, who had been adjusting her stirrup and chatting, fell hard onto the sun-baked ground and lay still.
Sheâs not moving.
âOh my god!â Oakley whispered as he breathed in sharply. Almost as suddenly, he vaulted off. I noticed that his hands were trembling as he tried to wake her.
âIâd better not move her â it could be her back or neck. Mary, are you OK? Speak to me! Wake up!â
The hot sun beat down on us silently as a bot fly buzzed around my belly. I swished my tail and stamped. Legato, the buck and his family were long gone.
Mary still didnât move.
I thought of my mother and how still she had been in the field.
Mary! Wake upâ¦Wake UP.
âRats, where is my cell phone,â Oakley cursed, fumbling in his pockets. Then he jumped back on me. âRaja, we need to get back to the barn to call an ambulance, quickly. Now you can show me your speed.â
My heart started to spark as we galloped.
This was what I had missed.
I hadnât galloped fast since I was racing, over a year ago. We headed to a big post and rail, part of the fence line. Gallop, gallop. Balance, lock on, one, two, three, fly!
Wow, jumping at that speed really feels like flying.
Over another fence, then down a hill to the farm road at the edge of the field next to the barn. Now I was doing a two-minute lick with Oakley crouched over my neck urging me on. I ran, worried for Mary, but secretly happy to go, go, go!
âMaryâs had a fall. Sheâs unconscious. I need to call an ambulance.â Oakley jumped off and handed the reins to Speedy, then leaned over, hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath.
âNo problem.â Speedy took me from him. âIâll send one of the girls to find Legato.â
Within minutes we heard a loud whirring sound in the air above the barn.
âThereâs the helicopter. Those boysâre quick,â remarked Speedy, as he gently toweled me dry after my bath.
âI just talked to the doctor,â Michelle told Oakley later that night as he crouched down, smearing the cool thick clay poultice below my knees, wrapping wet brown paper over the poultice and finishing with a stable bandage.
âShe has a concussion
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