Alex Part IV
A New Home
I would like to thank TRCIII for his help. Sarah continues an unorthodox glimpse into the world of bondage. This story could have been placed into BDSM as easily as it is in Romance. This is a journey for Sarah. Please enjoy the journey.
I awoke to Alex shaking me before the sun had come up. "We need to get an early start. There are storms moving in this afternoon and I want Jezzy to get a good walk around the farm," he said to me, kissing my forehead. "Here. I also had my student buy you a few more items of clothing yesterday. We will go shopping this afternoon for more clothes." He handed me the new clothing that seemed to be the right size...although pink was not exactly my color. At least they were clean, I thought, as I finished getting dressed. Alex had already packed everything up in the room including my stuff.
When we arrived at the barn a big semi was there. Alex's groom, Miguel, was helping the students prepare their horses for shipping. Shipping boots and stable sheets were everywhere. I hobbled over to Jezzy, who seemed content and happy. I gently rubbed her neck telling her that she was going to enjoy her new temporary home, which had a lake she could look out upon and a very gifted rider that was going to ride. She gently nuzzled up against me; I think it was her way of saying, 'if you think it is okay then so do I.'
I hoped for her sake and mine that this was all going to be okay. Jess, one of Alex's long-time students who was probably in her mid-twenties came up to me. "Where is Jezzy's stuff? Alex told me to get her ready to ship. Are there any quirks she has with being loaded onto a trailer?" she asked, in a scratchy high-pitched voice. She was as tall as Alex and nearly as flat-chested. The short black hair framed her porcelain face.
"I am usually by myself and she walks right onto my trailer without any problems." I pointed to my tack trunk. "Everything she needs is in there. I really appreciate this."
"Not a problem. I enjoy my job and have learned so much from Alex." We carried on normal small talk as I astutely watched her wrap Jezzy's legs and blanket her. She was thorough and proficient. I knew Jezzy was in capable hands. "Chain over her nose to load her, or not?"
"I never use the chain; it's there for decoration only. She is usually very well-behaved," I said, in a comforting tone. Very rarely was it that Jezzy would act up, unless a stallion was around that tickled her fancy.
It was Jezzy's turn to walk up the ramp into the large ten-horse trailer. She had never been near one, let alone on one, in her life. I had no idea how she was going to react. I should have told Jess to put the chain over her nose. She planted her feet and refused to move. Alex came over to see what the problem was.
"As stubborn as her owner! I should have guessed as much. Jess put the chain over her nose and tap her on the rump with the lounge whip," Alex commanded. Jess did as she was told but Jezzy still would not budge.
I hobbled over to Jezzy. I took the lead from Jess and undid the chain over her poor nose. "Come on Jezzy; I don't have the time or the strength to argue with you. Really, it is okay; just have faith," I said, in a very low, soothing voice. I placed the end of the lead rope in my right hand, held on to the crutch and started hobbling up the ramp. To everyone's surprise, with slack in the lead, Jezzy walked right up the ramp as slowly as I hobbled up the ramp. When we both got to the top Alex led her into her spot. "See? That wasn't so hard. She just needs to learn to trust you." And so do I, I wanted to add, but did not.
"As does her owner. I really am not a sick freak like you both think I am," Alex said, with a smile on his face. He kissed me on the forehead and helped me back down the ramp. "If it is okay with you I am going to have Jess drive your truck and trailer home and you will ride with me."
"Okay and thanks for everything. Please let me be there when Jezzy is unloaded." I kissed him on the cheek and hobbled over to the car. I could hear Jezzy whinnying up a storm on the trailer. I hope she will settle down, I thought to myself.
I thought Alex lived closer to the show grounds. The ride to his farm was a good hour. As we pulled up to the scalloped wrought iron gate I was speechless. The outside perimeter was evergreen trees that were so thick that you could not get a glimpse of the complex. As we passed through the gate a long two-lane paved road led you past twenty or thirty one-acre pastures all encased in white synthetic wood fencing. The gentle slope to the landscape made for a Norman Rockwall painting. Every paddock had lush green grass and automatic waters. The run-in shelters were large and very well maintained and painted a different color.
I was looking around with such enthusiasm that I did not hear Alex. "Every pasture is color coded so that there is no misunderstanding as to which horses are to be turned out where. Every thing around here is either color or number coded so that way confusion is minimized. I have many Mexican and Puerto Rican workers around here. And no it is not because they are cheap; for some reason they relate better to the horses than most Caucasians do. Plus they are very loyal and trustworthy."
"How many acres and how many horses do you have? Are all horses kept separate or are they allowed being in herds like they should be?" I was a firm believer that no matter the value of the horse, a horse should be allowed to be outside with a herd. It was natural for them and not natural to be caged in a stall twenty-three hours a day because they were deemed too valuable to get hurt.
"All of my horses are turned out in groups of four to five. I have boarders that refuse to have their horses turned out. I have twenty brood mares of all different bloodlines, five breeding stallions and twenty to thirty colts and fillies waiting to be trained and/or sold. I then have my ten personal horses in direct training with me, and another twenty-five boarder horses.
"Then my students combined have filled up their stable with their thirty horses. I only have ten students at a time. I am a sucker for a gorgeous animal with promise. I have a separate section strictly for the spring and fall breeding seasons, where clients bring in their mares to be bred to my stallions and that is usually good for another twenty or so horses. As you can see I have a very large facility that takes a lot of my time and effort. Thankfully, I have several great people who work for me that can pretty much run everything but the finances. He gave his resignation three weeks ago and I have not found anyone to fill his position, yet. Are you interested? I know you are a CPA."
"There are over one hundred horses here? That is a lot; I thought at most maybe thirty or forty. As far as finances are concerned, let me think about that. This place is spectacular. The land must go on forever. I cannot get over how green the grass is. With that many horses I would picture dry dirt paddocks." I could not hold back the excitement in my voice.
"I have over four hundred acres, of which half is reserved for hay fields. I hate buying hay. All of the horses are rotated weekly to let the paddocks rest and rejuvenate. I have around one hundred paddocks so there is always more than half not in use. There are over twenty miles of mixed terrain trails, a cross-country course; a stadium-sized jumping field and six Dressage regulation rings. Additionally, I have two indoor rings that measure 180' x 300' and three stables that hold thirty horses in 15' x 15' box stalls and another two barns that have twenty-five 12' x 12' box stalls. Then there are the boarder and student barns that each hold another thirty 12' x 12' stalls. When foaling season comes around, we are cramped for space. I have removable walls so the mares are offered a 12'x24' stall to birth in and it is kept that way until it is weaning time.
"All of the barns are equipped with closed-circuit televisions that are monitored 24 hours a day. All of the barns have a heated tack room with running hot and cold water and bathrooms. The two main barns have laundry facilities along with shower facilities. I have all of the live-in workers and students in an apartment complex that has 10 apartments each with three bedrooms. Anything else you want to know?"
"Where did you come up with the money to build this type of place? The price tag has to be approaching nine figures. I did not know you were rich; you don't flaunt it," I said, star-struck.
"I hate rich people who flaunt money and I hate the gold-diggers that are close to their feet. My family is very wealthy in Russia; my Uncle and Brother gave me the money to buy the land. I have, over the last ten years, built it into this amazing complex that was just appraised at $100 million." He said all of this with a flat instructive tone, no hint of emotion.
We finally arrived at the top of the slope greeting us were five massive white barns that created an expansive half-circle around the wide driveway. Each doorframe was painted a separate color. Off to the right was an old farmhouse that was restored to its original glory. Off to the left was a stone and brick town-house looking complex that must have housed the workers and students. Between the two barns closes to the house was the lake. I was expecting a pond, but no--it was definitely a lake. A deep crystal blue that was almost hypnotizing. The land leveled out behind the barns revealing more paddocks and the training areas. On the close horizon, you could see the Catskill Mountains.
The truck pulled in behind us, it was time to see if Jezzy had survived her trip. I could hear her mouth going a mile a minute. In addition, Rubi was answering her. Oh what a pair, I thought. As soon as the truck stopped, Hispanic men and women descended on the courtyard. The tack was quickly unloaded and replaced to its rightful locations. The horses were led off one by one. Jezzy was so happy to be out of the trailer that she let Jess lead her off, without any problems.
I hobbled behind Jess and Jezzy to see her new home. Much to my surprise, she was led into Alex's barn with the large box stalls. Her stall was the fourth one down on the backside. Each stall was separated with the same scalloped wrought iron. The horses could see each other, but could not nip at each other. The Dutch doors in the back of her stall opened up to a large paddock that she would share with other horses in the barn. She spun around a few times in her stall and snorted; then she saw the hay and went to eating and not worrying about what was going on around her. At least she settled down quickly.
