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NINE
Cole
It was an ungodly long week.
Not just because of constantly butting heads with Raya. Though that was definitely part of it.
It mostly came from the fact she really meant it when she said I wasn’t going to be allowed the alone time I was looking for with the horses. It wasn’t a dealbreaker. I would be able to do my job even without being with the horses one on one, but it was annoying not to have the freedom to do what I wanted to do with the animals I was being paid to work with.
The fact of the matter was that I was the professional here.
She came to me with the need for my help, and she agreed to pay me to do it. I was sure that meant that she was writing the check to hand me the reins – and I was going to take over and make sure the horses were trained. It seemed straightforward and simple, but Raya wasn’t exactly one to keep things straightforward or simple, it seemed.
In fact, she seemed to enjoy arguing with me and getting her point across. Enjoying the fact that at the end of the day, they were her animals and I had to ultimately follow what she wanted to do with them. I could give my recommendations and tell her what did and didn’t work with other horses in the past, but she ultimately was the one who got to call the shots on everything that happened with Romeo and any other horse that was in this stable.
But, that was the downside of having any kind of job like this. I preferred it when clients were willing to drop their animal off at my stable and let me be the one to do the work with them for as long as was needed, then send the horse back to the owner with a new outlook on life. I was able to connect much better with horses when I wasn’t feeling the pressure of the stares of the owners watching how the interaction went.
It was frustrating, but I could deal with it. We were one week into this training so far, and I was happy with the response I was getting from Romeo. He seemed eager to please, just uncertain about himself and too anxious to try. It was something not many people understood about animals, but they experienced anxiety and worry just like the rest of us.
Romeo struck me as a horse that had a nervous temperament, and he probably already dealt with people who weren’t patient enough with him to realize he was trying to do his best, but it wasn’t always good enough. He overthought what was being asked of him, and he wound up working himself into a frenzy because of it.
He viewed people as the cause of this discomfort in his own mind, and as a result, he fought against people any time they tried to come to him for anything. It was bad enough trying to put a harness on him, let alone getting close enough to him to do anything else. I couldn’t imagine at this point someone wanting to use him for therapeutic reasons.
But that wasn’t to say he wasn’t capable. It was just a matter of getting through to him. I knew that, and I hoped I would be able to sooner rather than later. He was happy to respond, that was for sure, and it really did help when there were other horses around who were also interacting with me. It was something that showed him I was someone to be trusted. He didn’t have to be scared. I wasn’t going to do him any harm.
And neither was anyone else.
Still, I wanted to get through to Raya that her hovering wasn’t the best option for his peace of mind. I had a feeling that wouldn’t go over well, considering she was already fighting me on most anything I suggested. I’d put up with it as best I could throughout the week, but now I was more than ready to get back to my own farm, my own facility, and my own way of doing things.
“Hey,” Raya said as she stepped into the stable. “I thought you’d left already. Don’t you have a couple hours’ drive to get back to your place?”
“Depends on how fast I’m driving,” I told her. “I was just finishing up with feeding the horses, then I was going to lock up my space and let you know I was heading out for the weekend.”
“I can finish up with the chores here if you want to get going,” she said. “I know it’s Friday and I’m sure you want to get that drive out of the way.”
“You sure?” I asked. I fairly leapt at the suggestion.
“I don’t have nearly as far to get home as you do, so go for it,” she said.
“Thanks,” I replied. “I’ll see you Monday.”
“See you then.”
I left the stable and hurried back to the little room where I was staying, and after grabbing my things, I locked the door. I’d take the key with me since I still had some of my things inside. I was sure Raya wouldn’t mind. If she did, she had my number to call me back. But, if I was going to be back in a couple days anyway, I was sure she would wait to tell me if it was a problem then.
I tossed my things in the back of the truck and gave a few people a wave on my way out the gate. I had met a few of the other staff members I liked well enough, but I was almost relieved to not see Raya as I drove away. There was something about her that was both infuriating and captivating.
I tried to push her out of my mind when I pulled up to my place.
Ham was there, and I was glad to see him. We gave each other a bro hug when I stepped out of my truck, and he immediately asked me how things were going with Raya and the other facility.
“How much time do you have?” I asked. “The horse is a project, no denying that, but that woman. I’m telling you, I’ve never had anyone challenge me on anything – let alone everything – the way she does. It’s like she thinks she’s the boss of the place and can make me do anything she wants.”
“When it comes to the horse, she kind of is the boss,” Ham said with a laugh. “But what are you talking about? What is it she’s doing that has you so agitated? I don’t see you worked up this much very often, especially after you’ve had a couple hours to yourself to think about it.”
“I guess the two-hour drive got me stewing on her more than anything,” I admitted. “But from the moment I got out of the truck she was on me about everything, and I just wanted to tell her to shut up and get out of the stable and let me do my job. I’m the one who knows what I’m doing when it comes to this sort of thing, so if she didn’t mind taking a step to the side and letting me do what I’d come to do, things would be so different.”
“Understandable,” Ham said. “But it sounds like you’re doing your job despite the fact she’s more hands on than you prefer.”
