Saraya's Bet - Chapter 2

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Saraya's Bet Part 2
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Saraya was not a happy girl. She had not been allowed to back out of her lost bet.

Miguel had dismounted, pulled her to her feet and led her out of the paddock; most of the guys who had watched now followed, suggesting all sorts of wild ideas from bridles and saddles to curb-bits to keep her in order, as well as more rude and lascivious ideas! To Saraya's horror Miguel had bantered along with them, even making suggestions of his own as he marched her to the stables!

She hissed in Miguel's ear as they reached the stables. "You are joking, right?? There is no way I can carry you through a parade! You cannot hold me to this!!"
Miguel had just looked at her and grinned. "You seem plenty strong enough to me, darlin', and we had a bet..."

They went to the big tack room where all of the tack and show gear for the Cavalo Preto horses was kept. As well as Miguel and a few other guys, there was one seventeen year old girl, Yasmin, who had always been  one of the most popular and flirtatious - and bitchy - girls at school. Now, Yasmin was laughing just as much as the men at the idea of Saraya being humiliated like this.
Also one of the older women from the homestead came in and stood in a corner of the room, watching, perhaps making sure that things did not get too wild.

Saraya stood mute and statue-like and very grumpy indeed as the others, including the boisterous younger girl, laughed and bantered about what to do with her. The idea seemed to be that Miguel would ride her piggyback style so that everyone would be able to see them. Saddles and bridles were discussed but it was clear that all of the horse things would be far too big for her.
"Put a strap round her waist and hang the stirrup leathers from that," said Yasmin wickedly. "And put a bit in her mouth and just buckle a strap around her neck."
Saraya glared at the other girl. Yasmin just smiled mockingly back at her and then turned to Miguel. "Can't have her misbehaving!" she chirped. "Oh, this is so funny."

"Mm, not a bad idea," Miguel said. And in the end, that was what happened, although it took more than a few minutes to make it work.

The bit was perhaps the worst thing. They used one for smaller ponies. Saraya had to open her mouth and let it in, which she refused to do, tossing her head away; one of the men had to use his fingers to make her open up. Once the bit was in her mouth, held there by a makeshift strap that went around the back of her neck and under her long black hair, Saraya could not talk. Just like a horse. Reins were attatched to the rings at the sides of the bit; one of the men tugged the left rein and her head turned without her even meaning it to. She tried to protest, but all that came out of her mouth was a muffled, garbled noise. The men and Yasmin all laughed.

Ten minutes later, Miguel led a very embarrassed and humiliated Saraya out of the stables. Stirrups dangled from a heavy belt around her waist; a padded saddlebag had been attatched to the belt at the base of her back to stop her "rider" sliding off.  She was bundled unceremoniously into the back of a pickup truck, and told to hold tight. And off to the parade they went, some of the men on their horses, everyone else either in pickup trucks or cars.

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