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  Julia Jones’ Diary

  Dream Pony Frenzy

  Katrina Kahler

  Copyright © KC Global Enterprises

  All Rights Reserved

  Contents

  Was it a dream or was it real?…

  Can she be saved?…

  The verdict…

  Together with Cassie again…

  Riding Bailey…

  Feeling unsure…

  Meeting the new girls…

  Upset…

  My dream picture…

  Just like we used to be…

  Totally unexpected…

  Best friends forever…

  Dream Pony Frenzy

  Was it a dream or was it real?…

  As I tossed and turned, my sheets became a tangled mess. Then finally falling into a troubled sleep, visions of my darling Bella raced through my mind.

  We were galloping across a beautiful paddock, the sound of her hooves music to my ears. The feeling of freedom as the wind whipped by, filled me with joy. I was so grateful right then, to be the owner of such a beautiful creature.

  Slowing to a canter, I spotted Cassie, my best friend, waiting for me to catch up to her. In the distance, I could see her waving as if beckoning me to hurry. Smiling in acknowledgement, I urged Bella on, increasing her speed once more. But then abruptly and without warning, the sky suddenly darkened and glancing skywards, I could see that low rumbling clouds had appeared as if from nowhere.

  Looking towards my friend yet again, I was gripped with an intense dread, realizing that her waves had become frantic as she stood, rooted to the spot desperately urging me to reach her.

  I knew in my heart that something was wrong. She began calling out to me, but her screams were silent whispers carried away by the howling wind. As I drew closer, her image seemed to fade further into the distance. On and on, Bella galloped but with each step, Cassie only seemed to move further from our reach.

  My heart hammered like the beat of a steady drum. “Boom! Boom! Boom!” the noise loud in my ears as on and on we raced, Bella’s hooves pounding the hard earth in perfect time.

  But the loud cracking sound drowned out all others and chilled to the bone, I looked on, horrified but unable to stop the motion of the scene ahead of me.

  “Bellaaa!!!!” the voice inside my head pierced the stillness of the night as suddenly, I was awake sitting bolt upright in bed, beads of sweat dripping onto my already soaking pillow.

  Although the vivid image had felt so real, for a moment I allowed myself to believe that I had been dreaming. Then, as I became more alert, I realized with sinking dismay that the horrifying nightmare was not just a bad dream at all and the following morning, I would know one way or another, the outcome of the most heart wrenching trauma I had ever experienced.

  Can she be saved?…

  Gently stroking her tangled mane, I sat cross-legged by her side and whispered softly in her ear. “I’m here, Bella! Everything is going to be ok. It just has to be!”

  The silent prayers had been foremost in my mind and as I waited anxiously for the vet to arrive, I thought back to those horrifying moments just 2 nights earlier.

  The crashing of the tree branch had left me standing frozen to the spot, completely oblivious to the pelting rain and fierce howling wind. Unable to move, I had feared the worst and it wasn’t until the sound of a heavy clap of thunder that seemed to vibrate right through to my very soul, that I was shaken into motion.

  Racing frantically towards the spot where she had been standing, I felt my way in the darkness, tree branches and debris lying across my path. Then as if in answer to my prayer, another bolt of lightning lit the sky and I saw her on the ground, eyes wild with fear.

  Ignoring all thoughts of my own safety, I rushed to her side desperate to be near her and suddenly, a flash of light shone through the darkness. Blinded, I turned in its direction, unable to comprehend the reality of the miracle in front of me.

  “Dad!” I screamed. “Over here!”

  As if out of thin air, he and Matt had appeared in our 4 wheel drive just when I needed them most. Sobbing with relief at the sight of them, I returned my attention to Bella, lying helpless on the sodden ground.

  “We have to move these tree branches,” I yelled, trying to be heard over the pounding rain. My poor baby had been pinned down and I had no idea to what extent she’d been injured. All I knew was that she was desperately trying to get to her feet, but the tangle of branches on top of her made it impossible. I hoped and prayed that the heavy part of the tree had missed her and she would be able to stand, if only we could remove the debris.

  In the light of the car’s high beam, Dad and Matt struggled to drag the heavy tree branch away, while I tried to keep Bella as calm as possible. I was worried that she would injure herself further if she didn’t lie still. However, I could see that they were not making any progress at all and jumped up to help them. But it was just too heavy for us and I looked helplessly at my dad, begging him to do something.

  Abruptly, he raced back to the car and returned with some thick rope which he tied securely around the tree branch. By this time, the rain had become much less intense and it seemed that the worst of the storm might be over. He quickly climbed into the car to reverse it closer, while Matt tied the rope to the tow bar. Then slipping and sliding in the deep mud, Dad engaged the four wheel drive and I watched anxiously as the car slowly started to move forwards.

  I held onto Bella, as she tried frantically to get to her feet, then in the blink of an eye, she was up. The whinny that came from her must have been from the sheer relief that she felt, to be freed from the clutches of the tree branches and able to stand once more.

  Tears of joy filled my eyes and mingled with the raindrops still dripping down my cheeks. With a silent prayer of gratitude for the miracle I was witnessing, I searched wildly for the halter and lead rope that I had been carrying. “Where did I leave it?” My mind raced with apprehension as I scoured the darkness around me, trying to find what I needed so as to lead her back to safety.

  However, it was nowhere to be found and then I gasped with dismay as I spotted the deep gashes on her hindquarters and rear legs. Although I had nothing to worry about as far as her taking off was concerned because her limp was quite obvious. It seemed that she was having trouble putting weight on one of her back legs and she stood there shaking her head in distress.

  Even though the rain had finally stopped, it was clear that I would not be walking her back to our barn. Dad shone a torch on her wounds and I caught his worried frown before he turned away saying that he would drive back and get the trailer. I just hoped that I could get her to walk on.

  As I stood by her side, dripping wet and shaking with cold, I was grateful for the blankets that Dad had stored in the back of his car and I draped one over Bella and another around myself. Hugging her tightly, I buried my face in her wet mane and whispered soothing words in her ear. Even through her pain and anguish, she still nickered gently and nudged me in the affectionate way that I had come to know and love. Once more, I prayed quietly that she would be ok. “The vet will come and she will be healed,” I said to myself with as much conviction as I could muster. “We’ve been through too much Bella! You have to pull through this!”

  And it was with anxious re
lief that I sat in the back seat of the four wheel drive a little while later, Bella safely loaded onto the trailer. She’d been very reluctant at first, but had managed to make her way up the ramp, her limp becoming more pronounced with every step.

  The vet was already waiting for us, when we pulled up in front of the barn. Mom had called him and the urgency in her voice had convinced him to come immediately. Although, he said that we were very lucky as he’d been about to head out on another call, but as it was not as serious, he had decided to come and check on Bella first.

  After treating her wounds and injecting antibiotics and pain relief medication, Bella had laid down in her stall where I spent the entire night right by her side. Mom and Dad had tried to coax me into the house, but there was no way that I was leaving her and I was still there when the vet arrived early the next morning.

  Rest and time is what is needed, the vet had said. That and lots of medicine and tender loving care. Well, I was able to do that for her, but he said that another twenty four hours were necessary to tell whether she would pull through or not.

  “Pull through or not?” I had asked, feeling a rising hysteria in the pit of my stomach. “What do you mean by that? Of course she’s going to pull through.”

  “Julia,” he had explained gently. “I need to prepare you for the worst. I’ve seen cases like this before where the horse has become permanently lame or the worst scenario is where they are unable to stand at all. And if that happens, well…”

  He was unable to continue but I knew what he meant. If a horse can’t stand then they can’t live. It was as simple as that. But Bella was going to be ok. I knew in my heart that she had to be ok. We were inseparable and I could not imagine my life without her. I would be riding her again and she would be completely healed. That was the only outcome I allowed myself to think of. And once more, like on so many other occasions, I forced myself to have positive thoughts.

  “Focus on the image you want to have happen, Julia,” I whispered to myself. “And believe that it’s possible!” I knew deep down that anything was possible. I had proved it many times over, but the secret was to keep that positive image first and foremost in my mind and really believe that it was going to happen.

  Now, two days later, I waited once more for the vet to arrive. I had cleaned her stall around her, adding fresh, sweet smelling hay and hand feeding her. All the while, Bailey stood in his stall next to hers, and I knew that his quiet nickers were as much a comfort to her as my soothing presence. They were the best of friends, and I was sure that he would help her to recover.

  The verdict…

  Finally, I heard the vet’s deep voice talking with Mom as they entered the barn. Jumping to my feet in anticipation I anxiously stood by as, stepping tentatively into Bella’s stall, he put down his bag and approached her.

  Her ears twitched at his comforting tone and I looked on while he gently tended to her wounds and checked her temperature. “It’s much lower than it was yesterday,” he said, a note of optimism obvious in his voice. “That’s a very good sign, Julia. Now we need to try to get her on her feet. It’s really important that she’s standing as soon as possible.”

  To our huge surprise, it took little encouragement to get Bella up. The vet applied a trick that I’d never heard of before. He used his fingers and gently pinched her nostrils closed just enough to block the air flow. Her immediate reaction was to stand.

  I looked on in amazement and then held my breath, waiting for his response as he carefully checked her back legs. She was not putting much weight on one of them, but he seemed very pleased with her improvement so far. And then as if to reassure us, she shook her head and started feasting on the biscuit of hay that I had added to her hay net earlier that morning in the hopes that it might actually entice her to her feet.

  “Now that is definitely a good sign,” he laughed and with relief I allowed myself to breathe again.

  “I’ll come back again this afternoon,” he said. “Then I’d like to try and walk her a little and see how she goes. She must have some gentle exercise to increase her circulation. This will help her to heal much more quickly. I’m also going to do an ultra sound, just to be sure that there are no fractures.” he explained further.

  I smiled at him gratefully, feeling overwhelmed with relief that Bella might actually be ok after all. Then I reminded myself of the result I wanted and pictured her galloping across the paddock once more. “She will be more than ok,” I told myself silently. “She is going to make a complete recovery and be better than ever!”

  Keeping that image in my mind, I gently combed her mane as she munched away at her breakfast.

  “I am so lucky!” I thought to myself, remembering the sight of my father and brother miraculously appearing in the thick of the storm and the biggest crisis I had ever faced. I didn’t know what would have happened if they hadn’t decided to return early from their weekend away. They’d camped in bad weather before and just suffered through it, sometimes sleeping in the back of the car. But this time Dad said that he’d had a strange feeling he needed to go home.

  Apparently he had almost ignored his instincts as Matt had not been keen to pack up and leave, but Dad had insisted.

  “Trust your intuition, Julia.” That was something that he had always told us and I was eternally grateful that Dad had listened to his intuition that night.

  Now mine was telling me that Bella was going to be alright, and I didn’t doubt it for one second! I felt sooo happy!!

  Together with Cassie again…

  When Cassie’s concerned face appeared over the door of Bella’s stable a few days later, I couldn’t have been happier.

  It felt like forever since I had seen my best friend and the whole drama of that horrendous storm seemed like it had happened so long ago.

  Totally overcome with excitement at seeing her, I almost leapt out of the stall, startling poor Bella in the process.

  “It’s ok, girl!” I soothed softly, “Look, Cassie’s here!!”

  Cassie hadn’t seen her horse, Bailey for nearly a week, but her first concern was to give me a huge hug. I felt so warm inside, knowing that I really did have a best friend who cared. And unable to prevent them, tears of happiness suddenly sprang from my eyes.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked, “What’s happened?”

  “Nothing!” I laughed, “Nothing at all! Bella’s getting better and I’m just so happy to see you!”

  We hugged each other once more, our friendship genuine and caring. Then Cassie pulled a banana and a carrot from her bag. The banana was of course for Bella, which she eagerly took from Cassie’s hand, all the while smacking her lips with pleasure at the delicious taste. And then Cassie handed the big juicy carrot to her baby, Bailey, who was looking a little neglected in the stall next door.

  I stood by Cassie’s side and helped her to groom her pony, as he munched on the hay that was stuffed into his net. I hadn’t realized how much I had missed Cassie; it felt so good to be spending time with her again. And I was so pleased that she was able to have a sleep over so that we could really catch up on everything that had been going on over the past week.

  “I was so worried about you!” I said, my tone becoming serious. “When you didn’t show up last Saturday, I just knew that something must be wrong. I couldn’t work out why I hadn’t heard from you. I tried calling every number I could think of, but there was no answer.”

  I recalled the events of that terrible day which I think will be forever etched in my memory. Although Cassie and I had had several phone calls back and forth since then, I had not seen her in person. And with the shock of everything still quite fresh, I really needed to talk it all through with her, knowing she would understand how terrified I had been at the thought of losing Bella.

  Having a best friend to share my passion for horses with just makes the experience so much more special, particularly because Cassie feels exactly the same way as I do. Horses are our life and we would be lost without t
hem.

  “I’m so sorry about your grandmother, Cassie!” I said sincerely. Suddenly remembering the reason why I hadn’t been able to get hold of her on the day of the storm. “Is she going to be ok?”

  “Well, she’s still in the intensive care ward of the hospital,” Cassie explained quietly. “I’ve been there with Mom almost every night. And we’re not sure if she will fully recover from the stroke she had. She still can’t talk properly and has no feeling down one whole side of her body.”

  I looked at Cassie with genuine sympathy. I knew that she was very close to her grandmother and would be finding it extremely difficult to see her in such a bad way. Apparently she’d been found lying unconscious on the floor of her apartment and had been rushed to the hospital in an ambulance. That was the reason Cassie hadn’t shown up at my house on the day of the storm, and wasn’t able to be contacted. They had spent the entire day in the emergency ward of the hospital.

  At the very same time I had been frantic with worry over my darling pony, Cassie had been at her grandmother’s bedside, unsure as to whether she was actually going to live.

  I looked at my friend sympathetically, knowing exactly what she was going through and said a silent prayer hoping that her grandmother would recover from the stroke and be ok.

  I had been so blessed with Bella though. The vet had been to visit her again earlier in the day and was very pleased with her progress. Actually, he was quite astounded with the progress she was making. I had been following his instructions all week and giving her gentle exercise in the arena a couple of times daily then returning her to her stall for rest. That, along with all her medicine and some natural healing formulas that had been recommended to speed the process, seemed to be doing the trick.