"Beau! Get your butt in this office right this moment!"

I cringed and slid off Phoebe's back as my mom's sharp voice pierce the morning air at Lemon Creek Stables. I ground tied the buckskin mare and she immediately started grazing outside of the Lemon Creek office.

I stepped inside the steamy room and plopped down in a chair, fiddling with my braid. "Yes?" I asked nervously.

Mom and Mandy were behind the desk, mom looking very stern and Mandy just staring blankly at her.

Mandy and my mom were the co-owners of Lemon Creek. Mandy had founded it 19 years ago, and mom joined her a year later when things were getting tight. Then I popped into the picture a few months after.

"Why didn't you tell me you applied for LRRA?" Mom demanded, slamming her palms on the desk. I blinked, trying to process what she was talking about, before it hit me.

"Oh!" I started. "You mean Lilly Ridge Riding Academy? I didn't tell you because I knew I wasn't going to get in, so I didn't want to get your hopes up." I shrugged, as if it were no big deal.

Mandy handed an envelope to me before mom could explode again. "I got a letter from LRRA, addressed to you."

My eyes widened. "What."

I ripped the letter open, and scanned the page.

"Dear Ms. Selli,

We are happy to inform you that you will start your new year at Lilly Ridge Riding Academy on September 3rd; make sure to have this letter with you when you come, and please send us an email confirming you got this letter."

I shook with excitement and thrust the letter to my mom. "I got in!" I shouted. Mom and Mandy hugged me, squeezing way too tight. A soft nicker came from the doorway, and I saw Phoebe standing there, one hoof on the wooden floorboards.

"You better get your foot out of her," She warned the horse, and as though the buckskin understood her she backed up, until it was just her head sticking in. Mom rolled her eyes at the horse while Mandy just sighed. I grinned and flung myself at the mare, who bobbed her head.

"We're going to LRRA, Phoebe!"

The night before I left, mom sat me down after I was done packing.

"Listen," she started. "I know you've been driving since you were 12. But that doesn't mean you can drive recklessly, especially with horses and a trailer."

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes and say "I know, mom. I'll be careful, I promise."

Mom smiles gently and ruffles my red hair and allows me to go across the street to Lemon Creek.

It was a bittersweet night. Yeah, I was going to the school of my dreams, but I was also saying goodbye to my childhood. Philippe, my eventing stallion, and Phoebe, my barrel racer, were coming with me, but I had to bid farewell to my retired trail horse, Howdy.

I walked up to Howdy's paddock, clucking my tongue and watched as the bay 26 year old moved his way up to the gate. He stuck his head over the metal railing and huffed into my hands. I dug out a few treats from my pocket and let him take them from my fingers.

"I'm going to miss you, big boy," I whispered. Howdy nuzzled my hand again before returning to his hay, and I walked back into the barn.

Earlier that day I had given Phoebe and Philippe bathes, making sure they were squeaky clean for their new home tomorrow. Thankfully, Phoebe was already dry and laying down; the most chill mare I had ever met.

Philippe, however, was staring at a mare in heat on the other side of the property, snorting like a dragon and tail raised. I had put a snuggy hood on him to keep him clean, as he loved to roll in the muddiest spots in his paddock.

Philippe wasn't your stereotypical stallion; yes, mares gained his attention frequently, but when doing his job he focused well. The palomino arabian was also gentle and kind but sassy, sharing his opinion when he disagreed.

I finished cleaning my tack after I checked on the horses and double checked everything was in order. My "fancy" hackamore was mildewy, as it has been at least a year since last time I showed. But I knew there would be competitive shows at LRRA so I decided to clean it. My other hack was fine, I rode in it every other day but I still gave it a wipe down.

I only used a neck rope on Phoebe though. When she was a yearling, she was trained in a Tom Thumb gag twisted wire bit, which created damage to her mouth, and to have a very sensitive poll. We've tried a bridleless bit, but Phoebe despised the strap under the chin. So, neck rope it was.

I wiped off my bareback pad with a damp towel and put it in my tack trunk for safe keeping along with my sport boots, tendon boots, brush boots, and about a dozen pairs of bell boots in different colors. And yes, my horses have better gear than me. I glanced over my saddles real quick before setting them next to the tack trunk to go into the trailer tomorrow morning.

I yawned, ready to go to bed. It was around 9:30 pm, and I had to get up at the break of dawn to get to LRRA before noon.

I packed up all my cleaning stuff and double checked everything again before turning out the lights, checking on the horses once more, and heading back home.

When I got inside, mom and Mandy were talking about the barn gossip at Lemon Creek along with the new potential boarders now that Philippe and Phoebe's stalls would be vacant.

I get ready for bed and climb in, ready for the day ahead.

5 am. That's when I got up, trudging into the kitchen with a craving for coffee, which Mandy thankfully already had ready. She was way too perky for the buttcrack of dawn.

After waking up a bit, I got ready. Today was going to be a hot day of 37*c and I wasn't taking any chances of heatstroke and threw on a tank top and jean shorts along with my ratty paddock boots. I put my long hair into a french braid, to be out of the way when I evidently start sweating the moment I walk outside. I clip back my bangs before eating breakfast and taking all my crap out to the truck.

Mom and Mandy accompanied me to the barn of course, doing the usual morning chores while I packed all my stable stuff into my truck and the trailer's tack room. Mom came over to help with hooking up the trailer while I went to go lunge and sedate the horses.

As expected, Phoebe was spicy and kicked up a storm in the arena while lunging, but chilled out after 10 minutes. Philippe was just happy to be out of his stall.

Both horses were antsy on trailers, and this was going to be a 4 hour trip. I sedate them both mildly, just to make them sleepy and calm.

Loading both were easy, keeping a full barrier between the mare and stallion. While I trusted both of them, I wasn't taking any chances.

Mandy squeezed me tightly as she whispered in my ear, "make us proud, Beau."

Mom did the same and then, I was on my way.

I started up the truck and rolled down the gravel driveway of Lemon Creek, saying goodbye to the place I grew up, at least for the next few months and to my new home away from home; Lilly Ridge Riding Academy.