Between Friends

Between Friends

Jack stood up, offering Josh a hand. He climbed to his feet after their momentary struggle.

Josh picked up his cowboy hat, which fell to the ground in the tussle. He brushed off the dust and crammed it back on his head.

“You fight like a girl!”

“You dummy! I am a girl!” Jack retorted with a good-natured giggle, adjusting the tractor-cap she wore, held on her head by the strawberry blonde ponytail snugged through the back.

“Oh, right. I always forget that.”

Josh and Jack had been best friends for most of their twelve years. They had always been pretty equal in their stature and play. They thought of each other as equals, not opposite sex friends. This is the first time they had ever had a physical fight, though. And it was over the pretty red-head in the barn.

Josh wiped the drops of blood escaping his nose, with the back of his hand. Jack hadn’t hit him in the face, he was just susceptible to nosebleeds. Jack suffered intense seasonal allergies, so always carried a wad of tissues. She handed an unused one to Josh. He put it to his nose, and they walked to the barn.

Jack went off to lead Ginger, the pretty redhead, from her stall to secure her in the cross-ties. Josh continued to their locker to grab the grooming supplies.

The chestnut filly was their project for the summer to train under saddle for sale in the Fall. Their skirmish had been over who would be first in the saddle. Jack won.

They each curried the mare briskly on either side, flicked the dust and hair from her shiny coat with brushes, then put the saddle and bridle on. The friends stood back to admire the beauty the horse had become since winter. Under their care, her coat bloomed with health, and her musculature was developing to show a well-bred, athletic mare. They were proud of their work with the mare, but sure would miss her after she sold.

“Just look at her!” Jack expressed with admiration.

The horse reached out her nose to nuzzle the girl.

“Girls!” Exclaimed Josh, rolling his eyes in mock exasperation. “Let’s go.”

They led the horse outside to the corral for the training session. After a short refresher of some groundwork to remind Ginger of their previous lessons, Jack then got ready to mount up. She had her left foot in the stirrup, getting ready to add weight. Josh stood, holding the lead rope to keep the mare steady.

“Good. You get on first. Get the bucks out of the way, then I’ll show you how to ride like a real cowboy.”

“Ha ha! Very funny, Josh,” her reply dripping with sarcasm. “Now just shut-up so I can concentrate,” Jack bounced up, settling gracefully into the saddle. The mare hardly moved.

Jack rubbed the calm horse on the wither. She sat on Ginger for a few moments, talking quietly and reassuring the mare that she was doing just fine. She then clucked to the horse, and Josh led them forward for few steps. They stopped, Jack rubbed the mare again, repeating the praise, then stepped down.

“You ride like a girl,” Josh teased.

Jack raised a fist. Josh raised his hands to his face. “No, don’t!” (It did kinda hurt where she punched him in the ribs, though.)

Jack punched him affectionately on the shoulder. “You jerk,” she said with a smile. “Your turn.”

She took the lead rope, and Josh took his turn sitting on the good-natured Ginger. Josh felt the emotion starting to lodge in his throat. He reached down to pat Ginger and praise her good nature, then nudged her forward into a walk with Jack leading so she wouldn’t see him wipe a tear from his eye.

They went forward for a few steps, then Jack stopped her. With another pat of praise for Ginger, Josh dismounted.

“Yeah. She’ll bring a fine sum at auction,” Josh commented, as he rubbed the mare’s muzzle.

Jack just looked at the back of her comrade’s head, amused and with raised eyebrows. Being friends for so long, she knew how attached he had grown to Ginger. She would give him his moment of toughness, but she knew better.