The Mystery Horse (ages 9-12)

 By Abby L.

One morning,12 year old Andrea Carter woke up and peered out her window. A horse in the corral! Andi jumped out of bed, got dressed in her favorite overalls, and braided her hair into two, dark brown braids. 

Then she slid down the banister instead of taking the stairs.

“Don’t slide down the banister!” Melinda, Andi’s older sister, scolded when she saw Andi.

“Andrea, time for breakfast! Eat before running outside,” Andi’s mother, Elizabeth Carter, called as Andi rushed to the door.

“Okay, but I was excited,” Andi replied while turning back around.

“What were you excited about, little sister?” Chad’s blue eyes were full of wonder.

 Oh, no! How could she tell him about the horse? The horse could be an early birthday gift! Andi sat at the table between Melinda and Mitch. 

“I was excited to go outside and see Taffy,” She hoped Chad wouldn’t ask any more questions.

“Okay, eat breakfast, Andrea. Nila, made chocolate chunk scones,” Elizabeth said before she blessed the food. 

“Yum!” Andi ate her breakfast while her family talked. She asked to be excused because the talk was very dull.

“Yes,” Elizabeth went back to talking with Chad. 

Andi raced outside to pet the mystery horse. The mare stood 15 hands tall. Her coat was white with golden patches. Andi pet her. She feels so silky! Her creamy white mane doesn’t have a single tangle! She looked like a palomino tobiano.

“Wow! You look beautiful!” Andi stroked the mare’s neck. The horse whinnied happily.

Andi darted to the barn to pet Taffy and feed her. She would muck the stalls later. Taffy

whinnied. The palomino tobiano whinnied back.

Shhhh! Andi thought. Chad will think I ruined the surprise! I will ride you sometime soon though! She saddled Taffy and grabbed a halter for the palomino tobiano. As she hopped on Taffy, she thought about how she would put the halter on without being noticed by a ranch hand.

Andi rode closer. “Slowly, slowly, easy girl,” Andi told Taffy.

Then, Andi saw that the mystery horse had a halter on already. Oh! I should have known that you would have a halter. 

Suddenly, Taffy whinnied.

 “Shhh!” Andi’s voice came out as a squeak. The mystery horse whinnied back. “Be quiet!” Andi’s heart pounded like a herd of galloping horses. Taffy and the mystery horse obeyed. 

Taffy walked closer. The mare looked at Taffy with wide eyes. She doesn’t trust Taffy!

The mare stamped her hoof and pinned back her ears as Taffy walked even closer.

“No! Don’t bite me!” Andi stiffened in the saddle and watched the horse gallop over.

Andi nudged Taffy in the direction of the gate. Taffy galloped there and Andi opened the gate. Taffy continued to gallop past the gate, past the barn, and past the ranch house as if her tail was on fire. The mare chased after Taffy. Andi felt like she was flying. The mare caught up. Oh, no! 

Taffy nickered. No! The mare and Taffy nuzzled each other as they slowed down.

“I love you both, pretty girls!” Andi jumped off Taffy and petted the mare. So silky! 

“WHO LEFT THE GATE CORRAL OPEN?!” Chad’s yell pierced the air. Andi shivered and hopped on the mare’s back. Chad came riding at a gallop on Sky, his horse. “DID YOU DO IT?” Sky slowed.

“Yes, I was leaving and I was about to shut it when Taffy bolted out. So I couldn’t shut it in time. I’m so sorry. I—” 

“It’s okay,” Chad interrupted, “I was angry.” 

Andi sighed a sigh of relief, “I didn’t mean to let this mare go out of the corral. Oh, what is her name?”

“She’s not yours or anybody else on the ranch’s horse,” Chad’s eyes turned into chips of blue ice. 

“I thought—”

“I DON’T CARE WHAT YOU THOUGHT! YOU SHOULD HAVE ASKED IF SHE WAS YOURS!”

Andi slid off the mare and jumped up onto Taffy. She urged Taffy into a gallop and galloped further away from the ranch. They heard a panicked neigh coming from the mare. Poor mare. Andi slowed Taffy to a walk and looked around. Trees surrounded the path they were on. Andi didn’t recognize this part of the Circle C ranch. I wonder where I am. Taffy halted.

“Hello!” A friendly voice called. It belonged to a girl with two brown braids like Andi. The girl looked like she was a year older than Andi.

“Who are you?” Andi’s heart pounded in her chest. 

“I’m Isabel. Who are you and what is that beautiful horse’s name?”

“I’m Andi and this is Taffy,” She stroked Taffy’s mane. Taffy whinnied as if saying ‘Yeah, I’m Taffy.’

“I lost my horse. I hope I find her,” Isabel’s eyes turned misty.

“What does she look like? I hope you find her,” Is her horse the horse that was in the corral? Andi wondered. 

“She is a palomino tobiano, golden patches cover her white coat. Her name is Sunny.”

“I have seen her!” Andi jumped in the saddle. Taffy stamped her hoof. “She was in our corral! Chad has her now.”

“I have been looking everywhere! Who is Chad and where is your ranch?”

“I live on the Circle C Ranch. Chad is one of my older brothers.”

“Can we ride double?” Isabel’s eyes looked happy again. Andi nodded. Isabel climbed up behind her. Andi nudged Taffy back in the direction they had come.

NEIGH! Taffy galloped over to the noise.

“Stop, Taffy!” Andi held on tightly and so did Isabel. A buckskin stallion came into view. He had four black stockings on his legs and he was showing off by prancing and shaking out his mane.

“That’s the horse in the newspaper that has been stealing horses from other ranches! He neighs and shows off. The mares like when he shows off and they follow him,” Isabel cried. Andi saw he had a diamond on his head and remembered Chad had been talking about him at breakfast. I should have paid more attention to what they were talking about! 

Taffy walked closer. Wild Buck had some other mares with him that Andi recognized from other ranches. Taffy don’t go with him! Andi tried to turn Taffy the other way, but she wouldn’t listen. Andi lost her grip and fell off Taffy in a heap with Isabel. Taffy galloped away.

“Taffy!” a sob caught in Andi’s throat. Her eyes pricked with tears. She started to shake from her sobs.

“Are you hurt?” Isabel’s soft voice seemed like a whisper.

“I’m fine, but Taffy is gone!” her sobs grew louder. Taffy and Sunny are gone and we’re lost! 

“Hey I see a ranch house over there!” Isabel pointed between two trees to the Circle C Ranch House. Andi stopped sobbing and looked.

“That’s the ranch! Let’s go!”

“What about your horse?” Isabel’s words stabbed her heart.

“Leave her. Let’s go and find Sunny. It’s late and my brothers can find her later,” Andi and Isabel got up and started running towards the ranch house.

Sunny stood in the corral with a rope around her neck. Isabel ran faster and jumped over the fence. She rushed to Sunny and pulled the rope off. Andi watched Isabel hug Sunny and wished Taffy was there.

“Come inside with me. You can sleep in my room,” Andi led Isabel to the back door.

“Go up to my room, the door has my name on it. “GO!” She whispered. Isabel tip-toed up the steps and out of sight. She can have her horse tomorrow.

Andi walked over to the living room where Chad and Mitch were deep in conversation.

“Chad! Please find Taffy, she is with Wild Buck!”

“Okay, go get some sleep. She’ll be back tomorrow,” Mitch promised.

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The next morning, Andi woke up with Isabel. They got ready for the day and ran outside before breakfast to do chores. They went to the barn first.

“Taffy!!!!!!!!!” Andi  ran into her horse's stall as Isabel watched. Mitch had somehow gotten Taffy back from Wild Buck overnight. “Isabel, can you stay and meet my family? I have three older brothers, named Justin, Chad, and Mitch.”

“I would love to stay for today then go back to the Sunshine Road Ranch,” Isabel looked excited.

“Yay! Is that your ranch? Is it close by?” 

“Yes and yes. You can come visit sometime.”

“I think we should go inside and eat breakfast first,” Andi’s stomach growled. They both ran inside to talk to Andi’s family and have breakfast. 

“I didn’t know that you were here! What’s your name? Where exactly do you live?” Elizabeth asked as they rushed inside.

“I am Isabel, and I live on the neighboring ranch, Sunshine Road Ranch.”

“Is that horse in the corral yours, Isabel?” Elizabeth hugged them.

“Yes, that horse is mine. Her name is Sunny. After breakfast can we go on a ride?” 

“Sure, if Andi wants to. Sit at the table and join us Isabel,” Elizabeth sat down at the table and so did the girls. Not only had Andi gotten Taffy back, she had made a new friend too!