Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

Romeo

M y aunt has booked to have Diamond's feet done, whatever that means. We are just pulling into the yard when I see Lou leading a horse to the block where the indoor area is.

I climb out slowly; the weather is grey and miserable, a bit like my mood today. The type of drizzling rain that soaks you to the skin. There is a van there that I haven't seen before backed up entrance way and I see a man in jeans and a t-shirt strapping what looks like cowboy chaps on his legs. In my mind I shiver for him because, surely, he is going to be freezing in this weather.

"You go inside and hang out just inside while I go grab Diamond. I will only be five minutes and Lou already has Harlequin in there."

"Okay."

I walk around the van and see the back of it is wide open and is packed with tools, and a fire ? Lou has the horse tied up, and I watch fascinated as the man runs his hand down the horse's leg before lifting up the foot, resting it against his knee, and taking a knife to it.

"Hi Romeo, this is Shawn, our farrier. I don't think you've met before." Lou smiles as she introduces me.

"Hi, no, we haven't met. Does it hurt them?"

"No. I promise they don't feel anything most of the time, and if they are in pain, it's because of something I'm here to try to fix. This bit right now is like you cutting your nails."

Shawn doesn't look up at me as he speaks. He continues to see to the horse, swiftly moving onto the next foot. I watch in fascination as he works while holding a conversation with Lou about other people in the horse community.

"I hope Romeo here hasn't been getting in the way?" My aunt approached leading Diamond.

I'm finally starting to feel less nervous up close to the horses. The first time she ever brought me here and made me go to the stable with her I admit I was terrified. I have seen the videos online of what horses can do if they kick off, but so far, I have never seen any act crazy here.

As she walks closer Diamond walks quietly alongside her. I have to say I am starting to understand why she loves these creatures so much, not that I'm going to tell her that. They come to a stop next to me. My aunt on the far side and the horse stood between us. I reach up and stroke his neck, he turns his head to me, lowering it so we look into each other's eyes.

"He doesn't want to admit it, but I think he is coming around to the horses." My aunt is speaking to Lou, gentle laughter accompanying her words.

"You don't like horses?" Shawn looks at me with interest.

"It's not that I don't like them. I just never thought about them. They're not something that was part of my life before I moved here. I think they're beautiful creatures and I respect them; I mean who wouldn't. Even the little ones could kill you with one kick. But that also makes me wary of them." I don't like admitting it, but I don't want to lie to these people either.

"Come over here, you can watch me put a shoe on this one then, if you want, I will talk you through what I do as I trim their feet and why. That's if you are interested of course."

"Are you sure? I don't want to get in your way." But even as I asked, I was walking forward to stand where he was.

"You won't be in the way. You might even be able to give me a hand, if you want to."

"Yeah, that would be cool."

I could feel my aunt's gaze burning into the back of my head. She has been so desperate to see me show interest in something that I know she will be beaming right now.

Time passes quickly as Shawn shows me first how the shoe a horse then, how to approach a horse and be confident. He switches to Diamond and then talks me through each step as he trims each foot. He shows me each part of the foot and explains what he needs to look for. I handle some of the hoof he has trimmed off and listen intently.

He has me pick up one of Diamond's feet. This is the first time I have ever touched a horse's hoof. He has me pick out the hoof with a pick and explains everything that can go wrong and what to look for. I am hooked.

As I talk to him, I realise this is a job I could do. This is a job I want to do. I ask him questions about his qualifications, and he tells me what I need to know to go away and look up the courses I need to apply to if I am serious about doing this. Then my heart almost bursts out of my chest when he tells me that if I am really serious then he would consider taking me on as an apprentice.

I make arrangements for him to collect me next week and take me out with him to some of his appointment. He says it will give me an idea of what the job entails alongside the actual hoof trimming. I help him to pack up his van and stand grinning as he drives away to his next job.

"Are you sure this is something you are interested in?" My aunt is strangely subdued as she asks.

"Georgia, leave the boy alone. Of course he is interested, I think he will make a fine farrier if he decides to go for it. Just look how well he handled Diamond. You would never know he had never touched a horse's foot before." Lou comes to my defence.

"I just don't want him feeling he has to do this because he wants to make me happy."

"I promise Auntie Georgia, I really want to find out more about it. I'm not saying that this will definitely be the job for me, not one hundred percent. I need to find out more about it. I think once I have been out with Shawn a few times I will know for certain. And I know that not all horses will be as easy as Diamond, but I think I can learn to be more confident with them."

"Well, if you are sure you want to go out with Shawn and find out more that's great. I'm proud of you, not just that you are thinking about a job but the way you're considering it sensibly." My aunt throws an arm around me and pulls me in for a half hug.