Angela Dorsey’s Blog

I’ve been packing and writing and selling horses and keeping up with dentist appointments, riding lessons, and all that stuff - and its been a LOT of stuff to do! I can’t wait until we get moved into our new house.

But wait! Then I’ll just have to unpack. Then I’ll just have to set up all the activities in the new town. And I still have a book to finish. And Christmas is coming up! Maybe I won’t be able to relax until January. 

In the meantime, I need to get organized. But I think I packed my head away in one of the boxes…

The first time I saw Orion, she was two months old and standing by her dam, who was as black as she is now. Orion saw us and trotted nearer, then slowly and carefully approached my daughter, Charity. Charity was the one we were horse shopping for and she immediately fell head-over-heels in love.

Orion came to live with us just a couple of months later and the first thing she did was fall out of the trailer! We were so freaked out - but she scrambled upright and was fine. We had her at home and pampered her and taught her all the basics for about six months and then we had to move. Orion went to live with my sister, and she stayed there for three years, until we moved again and were able to bring our horses to live with us. She was four years old then, and what a beauty! We did lots of trail riding and just hung out together for the next three years. She was (and still is) my favourite horse to ride.

So why am I giving you all of Orion’s history? Because a new chapter is starting in my beauty’s life. She is going to a new home. It’s not a sad change though, because I can tell already that she loves her new family and especially her new girl. She’s still here at home with me right now, because they need to build her a paddock, but Orion’s new girl comes every day to visit her and I can tell that Orion looks forward to her visits already.

I’m going to miss my sweetheart, but I know she’ll be happier at her new house. She’s been really lonely lately and I don’t have enough time to spend with her. Also, with us moving again, she would have to get used to go to a new place anyway. Instead, she’s going to a new girl and a new family too. There are other horses there as well, so she’ll have equine friends too. I’m happy that she’s going to be happy. And her new owners don’t mind if I come visit her now and then, which is really nice!

Good luck to you, Orion!

This is Dasher, the new addition to our family. Actually, she has been in our family for a long time, but she lived with one of my older daughters for years. Now she is living with us, much to our youngest daughter’s joy! She adores Dasher, as do we all!

This photo is after she went to visit Roberta, the dog groomer. Isn’t she a cutie?

So what are you doing for Halloween? What are you dressing up as?

Today, I’m going to a pumpkin lighting ceremony, then trick-or-treating tonight with my youngest daughter. She’s dressing up as a fairy princess.

I hope it doesn’t rain too much. It supposed to be pouring out!

It looks like I got everything fixed on the blog, so you should all be able to leave messages again now. Don’t forget about our new story!

I just got back from a great writer’s conference. What fun! One of the things I did there was talk to a new publisher about writing a NEW BOOK! What would you guys like to read about???? Not counting Freedom, or Horse Guardian, or anything like that, of course.

Many thanks to Gabrielle for this fantastic new story start.

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“But I didn’t do it!” Brandy yelled.

“Go to your room, Brandy!” Jean, the babysitter, said. “If you can’t share your horse and have to push your little sister around, then you won’t ride at all!”

Brandy stomped up the stairs to her room, burning with anger. She hadn’t pushed Olivia and she couldn’t believe her little sister had lied like that. If Olivia hadn’t been yelling at Brandy, then her beautiful chestnut mare Sagitta wouldn’t have gotten scared, and she wouldn’t have shied away and then Olivia - who shouldn’t have been leaning on Sagitta in the first place - wouldn’t have fallen.

Brandy felt the injustice of everything welling up in her again and she tried to drown it out by listening to music.

A few minutes had gone by when Brandy heard Sagitta’s terrified whinny. It was followed barely a second later by a high-pitched scream. Olivia!

She ran down the stairs and nearly ran into Jean. The two of them ran out the back door and hurried towards the barn. What Brandy saw stopped her dead in her tracks. Sagitta was saddled and bridled, despite having been undressed in her stall earlier. Olivia was lying in a mud puddle with her arm twisted underneath her.

“Why were you riding my horse?” Brandy cried, as Jean yelled, ”Olivia, your arm! Brandy, call your parents right now!”

“I’m fine,” Olivia said angrily. She swiped at her tears and got mud all over her face. “That dumb horse threw me off.”

“You scratched her leg!” Brandy accused. She could see a scrape on one of Sagitta’s long, red legs. Kneeling beside the high-strung mare, Brandy examined the tender skin. “Why were you riding her?”

Olivia started to cry. “She hurt me! I think my wrist is sprained.”

“I thought you were fine,” Brandy retorted. She knew Olivia was just trying to get sympathy so she wouldn’t get in trouble. “You know you’re not allowed to ride Sagitta if I’m not there. You could have hurt her! You’re never riding my horse again!”

“You’ll be sorry,” Olivia said ominously, as Jean helped her to her feet.

“I will not,” Brandy shot back, but she couldn’t help a little shiver at Olivia’s angry glance towards Sagitta.

“That horse has to go! Olivia could have been seriously hurt!” Brandy’s mom, Molly, was pacing through the living room. “I’m sorry Brandy but Sagitta is obviously too dangerous to keep here. Olivia’s wrist is badly sprained and it’s a wonder there wasn’t any more damage.”

“But Mom, it was Olivia’s fault!” Brandy said insistently. Sagitta wouldn’t hurt a fly.”

“Obviously that’s not true,” Brandy’s dad Jack returned. “We simply cannot keep a dangerous horse. Next time it might be you getting hurt. It’s just a good thing Jean was here keeping an eye on you.

I’ve always thought Sagitta was too nervous for a child’s horse. She’s dangerous. I wouldn’t feel right selling her to another person.”

“You mean…?” Brandy couldn’t say the rest of the words that screamed through her head.

“Yes, Brandy,” Molly said. “I’m afraid we’re going to have to put her down. We’ll drive her over to the vet tonight and have it done with.”

Olivia’s pleased face was too much for Brandy to bear. She jumped out of her seat and flew out of the room.

The trailer was rocking hard in the storm. Brandy could hear Sagitta crashing around inside, whinnying in fear. “It was Olivia’s fault,” Brandy said for the hundredth time. Jack kept his eyes on the road, barely visible through all the rain.

“Brandy, I’m really sorry, but this has to be done. We’re lucky Dr. Tubman would take us on such short notice.”

“Lucky?” Brandy muttered.

Suddenly, a huge flash of lightening blinded them. Thunder cracked like a whip. Inside the trailer, Sagitta screamed and flung her head up, throwing her forelegs forward in a desperate rear.

Back in the cab, Brandy screamed. The trailer rocked, teetered on two wheels, and fell over. It rolled down a slope, tumbling, twisting, and finally stopped - right side up - in a deep gulch filled with water.

It was over so quickly, she barely knew what had happened. “Dad, are you okay?” she cried.

“I’m fine, Brandy. How about you?” Jack said faintly.

“Sagitta!” Brandy pushed open her door and leaped out of the truck, running around to the back. The trailer door was wide open and Sagitta was nowhere to be seen.

So what happens next?

So Orion is doing better, though one cut hasn’t quite healed still. She’s almost good enough to ride again though. And maybe after this weekend, I’ll have time to ride again. I sure hope so. I got home tonight after yet another trip and I am SO TIRED!!! Time for sleep and then, hopefully tomorrow, some catch up. And I still have a third of a book to write this month. Gulp! How am I going to get it all done??? :(   But don’t worry, guys. I somehow always do manage to do everything… Winter of the Crystal Dances will be finished on time - somehow!

When you write about winter, do you feel colder? I do!

Winter of the Crystal Dances is coming along wonderfully. It feels so great to be working on a new series!

Well, the new book is begun and I’ve already written more than 4000 words - yay! So far, Evy and her adventures with Smokey (I may change his name - in fact, I’m positive I’ll change his name) are fun and cool and very different!

I haven’t been on the blog much or done much with the website for a while, as you’ve probably noticed, but I know you guys would rather I be writing books for you instead of updating the website. Thanks for your wonderful patience!

On Monday, Orion had a bad fall while we were out riding and cut up her legs, plus banged one leg up so that its all swollen. I must admit that I was just glad that she walked away from the accident without more injuries! I didn’t even mind the long walk home, because I was so glad that she was walking beside me. She’s healing up amazingly fast and her cuts are half the size they were two days ago, plus much of the swelling has gone down. She still has some healing to do though. Send loving thoughts her way!

This is the place to send your poems, if you want others to read them. No super long poems, please.

I’m looking forward to reading your creations!