The New Farrier

📍 Rosslare Equestrian

🗓️ September 4th, 2024

“.. So I answered, and now she hasn’t texted back.” Mickey rose his eyebrows underneath his helmet and sighed in frustration, as he put his black riding gloves on.

“You should just ask her out,” his sister, Adelyn, answered from beside him. She zipped her boot up, clicked the button in its place and lowered her foot from leaning against the edge of the bench in the tack room. Her curls swished and bounced in their low ponytail underneath the helmet, as she moved to grab Ixi’s bridle.

“I can’t just ask her out!” Mickey exclaimed, grabbing Orin’s bridle and following Adelyn to the saddles.

Adelyn raised her eyebrows and looked at her brother with the ‘Oh really’ -face that was becoming her trademark. Changing the saddle pad for a fresh one, she sighed and asked, “Is the conversation flowing nicely?”

“Yes,” Mickey said, seeming like a helpless child waiting for his sister to be done with the changing so he could get to his saddle.

“Does it feel like it’s going in circles?” The curly-haired brunette grabbed the saddle into her arms, and walked to the door, turning around to wait on her brother.

“Yeah, a little bit,” her brother said frustratedly, not seeming to get the point of these questions. Frustrated not just because of that, but because he was annoyed Adelyn was making sense and making his complaining about dating apps chatting moot. He grabbed Orin’s saddle and followed his sister out, who pushed the door to the stable open with her back.

“Then, ask her out. Otherwise it’ll just die down.”

As the siblings walked past the few stalls to reach the washing boxes to put down the gear, Ixi nickered and pawed the floor, ready to get a move on when she saw the pair arriving.

“Ixi, stop it,” Niamh, the blonde home groom said from the other box, combing Orin’s front mane.

“Niamh, if the conversation is flowing via text and starting to go in circles, that’s your cue to ask the other person out, right?” Adelyn asked, grabbing the saddle pads and walking to her horse to put them on before the saddle. Mickey looked at her pointedly, to which she just smirked.

“Uh, sure, yeah. I mean, you can only get so far in the chat, you only really know when you meet them,” she exited the box and dumped the comb in the bag, shrugging.

Stomping to put down the gear and to grab the saddle pads, Mickey groaned and sighed dramatically. “Ugh, fine. I’ll ask her out.”

“Only if you want to,” Adelyn answered cheerily, which made Mickey sigh yet again.

Looking at his grey horse, he said “My sister can be a pain in the ass when she wants to, can’t she?” To which Orin snorted and shook his head. “See, he agrees!”

Chuckling, Adelyn said while putting her saddle on Ixi and setting it in place, “No, he doesn’t.”

Before the siblings could continue their pointless banter further, they heard voices and steps entering the stable.

“And this is the stable. As you can see, we have water boxes, but I’d say putting the horse between the stalls offers you more space.” Aline explained, stopping just inside with the stranger. A very fine stranger, Adelyn thought, as she took a look from behind Ixi at the dark-haired man standing next her mother. Very tall, very nicely built, and … are those tattoos peeking under his sleeves?

As she forced herself to focus on the task at hand, which was tightening the girth, she took a sideways glance to Orin’s box, and found her brother smirking at her. Feeling a heated blush creeping up her cheeks, she just rolled her eyes and buried her head behind the saddle.

“We have six horses currently, but capacity for nine. I’d suggest we’ll book individual appointments with each horse and their rider so you can see where they’re at and what they might need,” Aline said as she took a few slow steps towards the water boxes.

“Yes, that sounds good. We can agree on a plan for each horse and adjust it to the competition schedules.” And a very nice voice, Adelyn thought when se heard the stranger talk.

Smiling at the young man, Aline looked towards her children, who played pretend at not noticing them. Clearing her throat, she said “And speaking of riders, here’s Mickey, my eldest,” she pointed at Orin. Mickey stepped aside to say hello, as he removed to halter to put the bridle on. “And this is my eldest daughter, Adelyn.”

Adelyn felt like a deer in the headlights, as she was just stepping out of the box to grab Ixi’s bridle from the hook next to the box. Feeling her blush deepen, she just nodded and smiled, saying a quiet ‘Hi’.

“This is Rian Hearn, he’ll be our new farrier,” Aline introduced the new guy. He hello’d both siblings, eyes lingering a second longer on Adelyn. Fuck.

Luckily, Liam stepped into the stable with big strides and energy, stopping beside his wife. “Hello, you must be the new farrier! I’m Liam Keane,” he said and offered his hand to shake, which Rian took.

“Hi, yes. Rian Hearn.”

“I see my wife has shown you around?” Liam said, looking between Aline and Rian.

“Yeah, a very nice grounds,” Rian said, smiling.

“Thank you! It was actually-“ Liam started with that historical spark in his eye, but before he could get further, Aline put her hand on his chest gently.

“Darling, you have time for the history lessons later,” she smiled fondly at her husband. “Now, go get your children for that training session, or we’ll never have lunch.”

Liam rolled his eyes and pecked his wife on the cheek. “Yes, dear. Rian, nice to meet you, we’ll talk properly some time!” He said excitedly, walking towards the siblings.

Rian smiled, before he was getting ushered out of the stable by Aline. “Let’s go to the office and go through the paperwork, shall we? Then you can join us for lunch, if you wish.”

Mother, no! Adelyn though while finishing off Ixi’s bridle, listening in to the pair’s conversation. Rian was very good looking, very much her type, but getting to know him more would be a risk. Mixing work and pleasure was never a good idea. He was — or would be — their employee, after all.

Dangerous waters, to which one should not tip their toe. Right?

GSF24: The next generation

📍 Hanko, Finland

🗓️ August 9th, 2024 / Guldholm Summer Festival

I couldn’t stand still. Even if I tried to control it by crossing my arms or biting my lip, my body wouldn’t just be still from all the nerves. The Finnish late summer weather was quite nice and there was even a nice breeze in the air. That didn’t help me either, when the bell was given for Adelyn to start her course. Anxious, anxious, anxious. Biting my lips, my nails. Until she galloped to the first fence, when I wheezed a breath in and unconsciously grabbed Liam’s arm with my right hand.

Ixi, the beautiful young mare had been with us just over a month. It was Adelyn and Ixi’s second competition, and despite getting a fence down in the previous class, she was cleared for the jump-off in their second, higher class. They were the last to start, with being the fastest in the first round. Adelyn needed to be quick and clear to win.

The anxiousness was all over our group — Liam, Mickey, Pauline and myself. I could hear Liam and Mickey muttering ‘c’mon, c’mon’ over and over again, as Adelyn and Ixi cleared a fence after another. The time was looking very good too, and they had only two fences left. I could feel Liam tense under my grip when the pair had a slight disagreement on one turn, Ixi shaking her head upwards. Adelyn did her best to give her a bit more rein and to urge her to just go on to the last fence, and that’s what they did.

The anticipation was terrible. When they landed after the last fence, all poles untouched and crossed the finish line, I could see Adelyn checking the board for the time, as all of us did. When the quick math came through and told us that Adelyn was the fastest by 0.4 seconds, none of us could hold in our cheers, claps and hooray’s. I let go of Liam’s hand and instead jumped into his arms, cheering, as Adelyn was doing her victory dance with Ixi in the ring.

“Darling, let’s go meet them,” I could hear Liam saying in my ear and patting my back. I laughed with joy, jumping off his arms, taking his hand and pulling him with me, as we jogged behind Mickey and Pauline.

Meeting the excited and happy mare and her rider at the ring exit, Pauline was quick to pull out a few treats and offer them to Ixi, as Mickey high five’d his sister, who was grinning in the saddle.

“And that’s how you do it!!” He cheered, which made Adelyn laugh and pat her mare.

“Oh my god, we did it!” She exclaimed, and when her eyes landed on me, she gasped, “Oh, mum! Don’t cry!”

I was a bit confused and brought by hand to my eyes, realising that I was indeed crying — fortunately, from happiness. “Oh, I didn’t even realise! I’m so proud of you, girls!” I responded with a sniff and a chuckle, squeezing Adelyn by the thigh and patting Ixi behind the saddle after.

“Okay, go jog off before the prize ceremony,” Liam smiled from behind me, gesturing for Adelyn and Ixi to walk back to the warm-up ring with. “You don’t want her to get stiff.”

Rolling her eyes, Adelyn responded playfully, “Yes, sir!”

“Take Mickey with you, so Pauline can get Fila back into gears for the next class,” Liam said, lifting his arm around my shoulders. “And Mickey, is Granit ready? You’re going in the first batch.”

“Yeah, yeah, I already took a slight jog with him before Adelyn’s course. He’s with Eliza in the warm-up!” Mickey said, turning to walk backwards as he tried to catch up with Ixi. Liam just showed him a thumbs up, which made him turn back to the direction he was going.

Shaking my head, I gently poked him in his chest with my left hand, smirking and clicking my tongue. “Such a manager, you are.”

He gasped playfully, and turned slightly so he could look at me, pretending to be exasperated. “Hey, someone has to manage these children, so all the winning won’t go into their heads!”

Chuckling, I rolled my eyes at him and sighed. “They’re not children anymore, Liam.”

The greying man leaned his forehead against my temple and wrapped his arms around me, breathing deeply through his nose. “Oh, don’t I know it. I feel like it wasn’t that long ago when I was the one coming out of the ring, preparing for a prize ceremony.”

Humming, I stroked his left arm that was against my chest. “Do you miss it? The competing.” Still looking after our children, now in the warm-up ring with their grooms and horses, getting ready for yet another class and another opportunity for fame and glory. Liam was right, though — they needed some grounding now and then to keep their feet on the ground through the success. And he, my husband, was the best man I know for the job.

“Sometimes. But I had my time, and now I can live it again through them.” Liam lifted his head, kissing my temple when doing so, which made me look at him. “Let them shine now, it’s their turn.”

At that moment I felt incredibly happy. Happy with our children. Happy with what we had created. Happy with what we had lived through and what we would still live through, together.

Smiling, I whispered a breathy “yeah”, before he kissed me on the lips. Exactly like he used to, when coming out of the ring as a winner all those years ago.