When Max Met Morgan | Teen Ink

When Max Met Morgan

February 8, 2008
By Anonymous

When I got on the horse we started to walk, I stretched like I just woke up, and I smiled because I felt like something good was about to happen.

One Friday I went to the barn early. When I went to go get Georgia , the horse I normally ride, she was not there. When I asked where she was they said that she had gone to the vet.
“Who am I going to ride?” I asked.
“How about Max?” Said Diane, Max’s owner.
“Well, I guess I’ll try him.” I said kind of nervous.
As I hopped on I felt so tall because I’m so use to riding little ponies and Max is defiantly not small. After a great lesson was done, I started to un-tack.
Max is a very playful horse. We played, laughed, talked and I started to fall in love.
When I started to think about it, all the horses before Max I have liked in the past were Diane’s and just when things got good, they would leave and break my heart. I started to get really scared that it would happen again and I would go through the same pain.
After a couple more weeks of great lessons and fun afternoons we became best friends and a great pair.
After a couple of weeks, people coming in and out of the barn would compliment Max and I on how good we were getting along. We did drills and practice show patterns for fun. The only thing was that Max did not canter very well, but we never worked on that. Week after week we just kept getting better and better. Finally someone said that a show was coming up and we should be in the show. I thought to myself, We are getting good just like a new lacrosse team with weeks of practice. Others said that we were just getting better and better.
The next week we signed up for the show but you needed to canter in order to win. So that night after many, many tries he slowly broke into a slow smooth canter. Wind blowing through my hair, a smile on the viewers face, and the moon shinning down on us. As I came to a stop my mom gave me that you-did-it-great-job look. That’s when I knew the horse show would be fun.
The next weekend we spent countless hours getting everything ready for the show. Max and I spent hours cleaning bridals, saddles, stirrups, bits and everything else to get ready. I could taste the hay as I chewed on a strip like an old farmer, smelling the sweet sent of wax and leather, hearing the chains from the lead rope clanking around as max shakes his head, feeling so excited that it was almost time for the show, as I touched the sponge and leather I felt like a real horse owner. As I was getting up to go get my show boots to clean, I slipped and fell on a sponge. Max swung his head as if it was funny. I slowly got up and a smile came onto my face.
After everything was packed in the trailer, Max and I snuck away for a quick Friday ride. As we walked along the stoned path we saw bunnies, deer, foxes and other wild animals. The calm September air ran through my hair. That last ride was unforgettable.
The next morning bright and early, 6:30am, bright and early we loaded the trailer and started off to the show. On the way there, I put on my freshly cleaned breeches and my new pink striped showing shirt. Man, I thought to myself, I look good!
As I stepped out of the truck I could not believe what I saw. Red and white pop up tents next to all the white fenced in arenas. All the blue ribbons were laid out on the table just waiting to be won. Fresh bathed horse and show moms were running around. This is how a show day goes.
When we were backing Max out of the trailer a small creature ran by and spooked him. He jumped and cut his leg on the side of the trailer. We took him to the vet tent, they wrapped him up. When we got back to the trailer I had already missed my first class. As I sat next to the trailer I thought that this could our last show ever because the vet said that he needed to relax for the next couple days after the show but he was fine until next Monday. Overreacting as normal, Max ended up being OK and we headed up going to our next class. I felt so bad about making Max do the show even when he was in pain, so bad that I almost started to cry, so bad that I almost dropped the show to go home so that he could rest, but my mom said he was fine and so I kept going.
When it was time for our second class we got ready and went off.
As we entered the show ring we started a perfect performance. My mom said that we looked like a professional team. During the canter I thought Max was going to fall because he was a little slower than normal,but we knew that we couldn't blame him.
All 4 classes went great. I got 2 first, 1 second, and 1 third. All in all, the day went almost perfect.
As we loaded up the trailer all the bright tents were being pulled down and the jumps and tables were being put away. All the horses were loaded and the headlight were heading toward the highway.
On the way home, I sat in the dark truck listening to the low sound of country music. I started to think about the special bond between me and Max. Some people could only dream of having that kind of bond with their horse. I felt like the luckiest kid in the world. Some kids only dream of getting to take a horse to the show and winning a blue ribbon. Others have no dream of ever dealing with horses so the people that get to deal with horses have a great gift from God. Having that gift is an honor, but sometimes it gets you in trouble. That means so much to me.
After a couple of weeks we got back to our normal ruts. The slow afternoons in the fields and really slow days in the classrooms. When Friday rolls around, Max and I sneak out to the back trail and see the bunnies, deer, foxes and other wild animals. That calm air stills runs through my hair and those long ride are always unforgettable.
After 3 months it was almost Christmas and my mom kept asking me what I wanted for Christmas and I just kept saying I don’t want anything because I have everything I’ve ever needed. The love and trust coming from my best friend who just happens to be a cute furry horse.
Max and I still go on our Friday night rides without the pressure of school, friends, and just normally life. That’s the story of how Max met Morgan and how the oddest couple turn out to be the best pair in the show ring.
Max and I still have our problems, but what good pair doesn’t? Max and I have decided to never do a show again because it is way to stressful and causes lots of problems among others.
One day Max and I will go our different ways but that will take time. We will stick together like glue to paper.


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