Tricks of the Trade

Chapter Two

   Before anyone could run outside, Will said,"Now, hold up. I know y'all are excited to have a celebrity trick rider here, but keep in mind that Cassandra came here to get out of the spotlight. Just treat her like you would a new student. She's not going to be here very long, and she needed somewhere to board her horse after an incident involving the press at her previous barn. They head back to Montana in a few weeks, but wanted a place to lay low until then. Chloe and Zoey, let's not have a repeat of when Princess Linia came to Horseland, okay?" Chloe and Zoey agreed while remembering how they had thought Alexia, the princess's assistant, had been Princess Linia herself. Will nodded and led the way outside to meet the newcomers. As they were walking outside, the passenger door of the truck opened and a girl jumped out. She was dressed in a black T-shirt and a faded pair of blue jeans, and her shoes were an old pair of Justin Boots. Her wavy black hair was pulled into a low pony tail. As she walked towards the back of the trailer, a man hopped out of the truck and pulled a trunk out of the bed of the truck. The trunk no doubt contained the horse's tack. The girl, most likely Cassandra, opened the trailer doors and lowered the loading ramp before disappearing inside. The teens could hear her murmuring to her horse, soothing it. As she walked down the loading ramp, a large black Thoroughbred followed her. Will could understand why the horse was called The Black Rose. The mare was beautiful, all black with dark blue streaks in her wavy mane and tail. The horses, who had stuck their heads over the stall doors to get a look, were in awe. Not only was this mare beautiful, but she was one of the most famous trick horses alive. "I think I'm in love," Jimber muttered. The girl led the horse over to where Will and the others stood. At that moment, a black and white border collie jumped out of the truck and fell into step with the girl. She reached down to rub the dog's ears while her horse snorted a greeting. When she reached the group, the girl introduced herself. "Hi, I'm Cassandra, this is my horse, Rose, and my dog, Teddy. You can call me Cassie," she said cheerfully. She seems pretty nice, Sarah thought, She and I will probably get along quite well. Will smiled. "Welcome to Horseland, Cassie. We hope you enjoy your stay here, and you're welcome to use one of the round pens for practice if you'd like. In the meantime, let's get you and Rose settled in," he said, as the truck and trailer drove off. Will was about to suggest Bailey grab her trunk and take it to the tack room, when Cassandra dropped Rose's leadrope and picked it up herself. Noticing the looks on everyone's faces, Cassandra simply smiled. "Rose is trained to ground tie. If I drop the leadrope, she just stands still. If I want her to follow me, I just do this," she explained before tossing the leadrope over Rose's neck and walking in a large circle. Sure enough, the mare followed without hesitation. Cassandra walked back to the group, having proved her point. "Now, can someone please show me where to put Rose? She's probably tired from the time spent cooped up in a trailer." Rose whinnied as if in agreement, before grabbing Cassandra's hair in her teeth and pulling. The kids laughed at her antics. "Alright, you're hungry. I get it," Cassandra chuckled. Will, still chuckling, signaled for them to follow him and led the way to the stall Bailey had prepared. A simple hand signal from Cassandra, and Rose entered the stall without a problem. Bailey took Cassandra's trunk to the tack room, while Will gave Cassie a tour of Horseland. Shep, the old farmdog, sat at Rose's stall door and looked up at the mare. "Hello, there. I'm Shep, and this is Scarlett, Aztec, Calypso, Jimber, Button, Chili, Pepper, and Sunburst. The cat is Angora, and the pig's name is Teeny. Who might you be?" he greeted. Rose looked down at the old dog. "I'm Rose, and the dog that came here with me and my owner is Teddy. It's lovely to meet you," she replied. Pepper was the first to speak. "So, what's it like being a famous trick horse?" the grey mare asked. Rose gave an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, but I'm a little tired after the ride here. I'd be happy to answer any questions you have later, but for now, I need to sleep." With that, Rose laid down in her stall and drifted off to sleep.