The AutoHorse is an invention owned by Misty's Clear Creek Farm. It helps to clean stalls, saddle and groom horses. The main user of this helpful invention is Christy, the trainer. The grooms, Sam, Tom, Dan, and Chris, also use it. The jockeys, Phillip and Edward sometimes use it to saddle up a horse, but most of the time when they arrive, the horse that they are going to ride is already saddled up. All of the horses that are in training by Christy are stabled at Belmont Park, in an isle belonging to the farm. There are a few training tracks close by and then an actual race track where races are held. Everything that they need from blankets to hot walkers are at Belmont.
Christy Able walked into the barn whistling happily.
"Hello everyone!" She called.
"Hullo Miz Christy." Answered Sam, he was an older man, and always called Christy "Miz Christy."
"Are the other grooms here?" Christy questioned Sam.
"Naw, not yet. I reckon that they’ll be here soon, miz."
"Okay, but while we’re waiting, let’s set the AutoHorse to use!"
They did, and soon it was cleaning the stalls, while Christy groomed Ruffian, a bay filly and Sam groomed Skip Away, a gray colt. Christy looked over Ruffian as her hands busily flew over the filly, bringing her body oil to the top of the coat, making it glisten like satin.
Chris, a young man, one of Christy’s groom soon walked in and apologized for being late.
"Sorry Christy, got stuck in some traffic."
"That’s alright Chris. Okay, I’d like you to get Wanda out and get her ready to be exercised. The jocks should be here soon."
Christy unlocked the tack room door and got one of the racing saddles out. It was old and worn, and smelled wonderfully of leather. It wasn’t one of the nicer saddled that they used for racing, but Christy loved the saddle. She was going to ride Ruffian that day. The jockeys, or jocks, could ride the other horses, but Christy especially loved Ruffian, and took special care of her. The other grooms had gotten there by that time and some were cleaning tack, while others were grooming horses. The AutoHorse was still cleaning the stalls. Just as Christy had cinched up the saddle, Edward and Phillip strode into the barn.
"Hi!" Phillip called, he was a about 25, blonde haired and very cheerful, and loved to tease the grooms, Edward and Christy.
Edward nodded to everyone, he was about 40 and much more sober than Phillip, but he had a way with horses.
"Hello, guys, let’s get going!" Christy called. Sam led Skip Away to Edward and Chris led Wanda to Phillip. Skip Away was extremely high stung and fast, yet quite temperamental. Wanda was a nervous filly, yet wonderfully affectionate and she worked very well for Phillip. Dan and Tom came forward, and boosted the jockeys into the saddles and Sam and Chris hopped onto their stable ponies. Skip Away was prancing nervously, but Chris expertly hooked the shank onto his bit and led him out onto the training track. Dan held Ruffian while Sam boosted Christy into the saddle. Once up on Ruffian’s back, Christy mad sure that her helmet was strapped tightly on and then said,
"Okay, I’m ready."
Christy rode the filly around in small circles, while Dan mounted another stable pony, Bert, and got a hold of Ruffian. They jogged out onto the track and began to trot along the outside of the track, to the right. They were careful to stay on the outside, only horses that were breezing were on the inside of the track. Christy shuddered to remember the time that a rookie that hadn’t known better was jogging on the inside, to the right. A set of horses were breezing a long, and, unable to stop smacked into the horse and rider. The horse that the rookie had been riding was killed, the rookie was severely injured and some of the breezing horses had been cut up. Awakening to reality, Christy looked up. Skip Away was dancing nervously, as Edward tried to get him to trot straight. Wanda was trying to break into a slow gallop with Phillip, but he was doing a good job holding her back without making her mad. Ruffian was tossing her head and snorting.
"Easy girl, easy." Christy crooned to the filly, gently guiding her around the track. As some horses that were being breezed whizzed past, Ruffian shied and began to buck. Christy stood up in the irons, or stirrups and jerked one rein hard, pulling with all of her might, and with the other hand she swatted Ruffian’s shoulder with the whip.
"Quit!" She said firmly, and Ruffian settled down.
"Alright, let’s slow gallop her." Christy told Dan.
Christy stood in the irons and enjoyed the wind as it whipped her face. Her cheeks were flushed and her hair blew behind her. She loved her job a lot. Ruffian suddenly bolted and Dan had a hard time pulling her back, along with Christy. Once Ruffian was warmed up, Dan rode back to the stable and Christy was on her own. She motioned to Edward and Phillip, she wanted to break the horses from the gate and breeze them together. They jogged to the gates and waited their turn. Then they slowed urged their mounts in. There was a starter there to make the doors spring open, just like in a real race, but no one to lead their horses in. Skip Away promptly balked and snorted. When Edward urged him to go forward, he whirled away and bolted down the track. After about a furlong, Edward got him under control again and brought him back. This time he was much more firm. He took his whip in hand and gently tapped the colt on him rump, to encourage him to go forwards. After a few taps, Skip Away settled down and went in. Wanda dancing into her stall and Ruffian walked in with just a tiny bit of urging.
"I want to go ¾ of a mile, full out." Christy told them, then crouched down on Ruffian’s back. The bell rang, the doors sprang open and 3000 pounds of horseflesh flew out of the gate. Ruffian immediately took the lead, and Christy guided her right to the rail, where they stayed. Skip Away was close behind with Wanda right beside him. Christy asked Ruffian for speed and the filly really turned on the speed. They left the other two horses in the dust, about a length behind. Later, when the horses were being hot walked, Christy got the AutoHorse to grooming horses, and they polished tack.
So the days went on, with Christy riding Ruffian, Phillip riding Wanda and Edward riding Skip Away. They were conditioning the horses for racing, for the racing season started soon. The AutoHorse helped greatly when they were running behind or short of hands, it was a great blessing.
Finally the day before Ruffian’s first race ever, Christy rode her and felt that she was ready. Wanda and Skip Away’s races were also on that day. The next day was race day!
Christy was at the barn bright and early the next morning, eager to get moving. She whistled "My Kentucky Home" as she began to clean some tack with an old rag and some Neats Foot Oil. After she had done two saddles she glanced at her watch, Chris, Phillip, Edward, Sam and everyone else should have been there.
"Hmm, I wonder where they are." She mused thoughtfully.
Christy began on a third saddle and then decided to call Chris. She dialed the phone number and waited while the phone rang.
"Hello?" A weak, scratchy voice said over the line, ending in a vicious cough.
"Chris, is that you?" Christy asked very concerned.
"Yup. I got pneumonia, I was out last night and got caught in a drenching, cold down pour. Afraid-" Here Chris broke off coughing and wheezing and then began again,
"Sorry, afraid that I feel pretty bad. I don’t think that I can come today."
"That’s okay Chris, I would never expect you to come to work when you’re sick. I very sorry that you’re feeling badly. The AutoHorse will replace you today!"
"Alright. Bye."
Christy hung up and sighed. Where was everyone? She called dialed Sam’s phone number, and waited.
"Hullo?"
"Sam, why aren’t you here?" Christy queried.
"Miz Christy, don’t git angry, plez, but mah duter is gitting married today. I just found out. I gotta see ‘er married."
When Christy hung up she was decidedly vexed. She called all of the grooms and none of them could come to work. Then she called Edward, he too, could not come and only Phillip was able to come. Christy ticked off all of the things that needed to be done,
"Clean the stalls, exercise the horses, groom the horses, saddle, check the horses, oh my!" She set the AutoHorse right to work cleaning the stalls, while she took Ruffian out and exercised her lightly, to prep her for the race. Phillip had gotten there by that time and he worked Wanda and Skip Away. The AutoHorse had cleaned all of the stalls in an hour and Christy had it grooming Ruffian as she helped Phillip pull on his tight boots for the race. He was riding first Skip Away in the first race, Wanda in the second and Ruffian in the third. The crowds had gathered in the stands and music was playing the background as the horses for the first race were led into the paddock to be saddled. Christy saddled Skip Away and Phillip held him. Skip Away was extremely on edge and had broken out in a sweat as soon as he was in the paddock. Christy made sure that the girth was tight and then boosted Phillip up into the saddle. She led Skip Away out onto the track and gave Phillip his instructions running the race,
"Break him slowly from the gate and be in a middle position. On the stretch urge him hard and even tap him if he needs it to remind him of his business."
With that, Christy let go of Skip Away and hurried to get a good view. The horses loaded and the bell rang. Skip Away broke very slowly and settled down at the end of the pack. Christy was disappointed that he had broken that slowly, but she knew that it couldn’t be helped. Skip Away remained last until the stretch, then she saw Phillip start to urge him. His heels prodded Skip Away’s sides, and he swatted him gently with the whip once. Skip Away ran hard and fast, but he wasn’t able to catch the winner, and was 5th. Christy had had the AutoHorse saddle Wanda, so she was ready to go and Christy led her with Phillip on out onto the track.
"Try to keep her close to the front," Christy told Phillip,
"She likes to be in the front, or close."
Wanda broke fast and was in the lead for almost all of the race. At the stretch Christy saw Phillip ask Wanda for more speed, but she was quickly tiring and didn’t have the courage of a champion. She placed third.
"Let’s hope that Ruffian does better than these two." Christy commented to Phillip.
The AutoHorse had saddled up Ruffian, too, so she was ready to go. She pranced and danced to the post and Christy told Phillip,
"Let her run. Break her fast and get her way in front of the field. Go for it!"
Ruffian broke like greased lightening and flew into the front. Out in front she steadily increased her margin over the field and then Phillip eased her up a bit, two lengths in front of the field. But there was another horse who had speed and talent and he was intent upon catching Ruffian. Gradually he inched up and then he was even with her there was a quarter of a mile to go and Ruffian was snorting with the love of running. As soon as Phillip would let her, she accelerated, but so did the colt. Ruffian’s legs pounded the ground, she stretched out and fought back with every ounce of her strength that she had. The colt was no match for her determination and Ruffian won the race.
Back at the barn, Christy and Phillip cooled the horses out and then left for the day. It had been a long, long day.
The next morning Christy was out at the barn as usual. Phillip was the only one who showed up, so Christy put the AutoHorse to work. She was very thankful that she had it. She knew that it would have been impossible to survive the race day without it. Christy groomed Ruffian and rubbed liniment on her legs. Racing was hard strain on horse’s legs and they could swell up and get hot very easily. Christy knew that if they did, she couldn’t work her and Ruffian would get out of shape. Phillip worked on Wanda and said,
"So, are we working them today?"
"Yes, but easily. I want them all to go 2 miles at a jog, then a 1 mile slow, easy gallop. We have the owners of the stables coming out tomorrow, so I need to be able to clean up around here."
Phillip worked the three horses, while Christy had the AutoHorse clean all of the stalls, then she got to work polishing tack and sweep the isles. Soon the barn was sparkling clean and Phillip was back with the horses. They cooled them out and then left for the day.
Phillip strode into the barn to the sound of a "swoosh, swoosh." Christy was sweeping the barn isle again.
"Christy, calm down!" He called out to her.
"These people aren’t coming to judge how clean the barn, tack and horses are!"
"I know, but I just want it to look good. Please get the AutoHorse out and have it groom Ruffian, you start grooming Wanda. In just a minute I’ll get Skip Away."
Phillip sighed and got the AutoHorse started on Ruffian, then began brushing on Wanda.
"What time are they supposed to be here?" He queried.
"They said...um...let me think...11:00 a.m." Christy said.
"It’s 10:30 now."
When the horses were all gleaming like satin, Christy was satisfied. She went into the tack room and began to arrange her hair carefully, while Phillip tapped his toe with impatience.
The owners arrived shortly and were very pleased with what they saw. Christy, Phillip and them chatted for a while, then Christy brought up the subject of the AutoHorse.
"Oh yes, it was been so, so helpful! I don’t know what I would have done without it on the race day. You know that only Phillip was here to help me, and I just had to clean the stalls. The AutoHorse helped greatly with that and many other small tasks. Thanks to it I was able to give the attention to the horses that I needed to be able to give! Thank you so much for investing in it for me."
One man, a small stout one, said in a pompous squeak,
"Oh yes, of course my dear. We want our stables to run very smoothly."
"Yes, yes indeed." Agreed another.
"Well, thank you very much," Christy said. "And I hope that I have a wonderful career with you all!"