Sure her balance will be worse, but so what? You told me she was a good rider. And anyway, if she falls off now, she wouldn’t be hurt any worse than if she fell off with two legs.”
Emily paused for breath. “I hate it when peopletreat disabled people like they’re made of glass. I mean, okay, kids with stuff like spina bifida have to be really careful—they could get hurt badly by an easy fall—but
all
disabled people don’t need to be coddled. I don’t need to be coddled, and neither does Monica. She
ought
to ride.” She started walking again, her mouth set in a firm line. Lisa could see that her eyes were full of tears.
“Em, Em,” she said soothingly. “She will. Everything’s still so new for her. Give her time.”
Emily drew a shaky breath. “I will. I know. I’m sorry, I don’t mean to get upset. It’s just one of those things that really gets to me. Her parents shouldn’t be setting up rules about what she can’t do.” They walked into the barn and Emily went straight to Spot’s stall. She put her arms around him.
Kate looked thoughtful. “I agree that’s what it seemed like Monica’s parents were doing,” she said, “but I’m not convinced it’s true. Remember, I know them better than you guys do. If Monica were insisting that she wanted to ride, they would let her. I bet they’re just trying to make her feel like she doesn’t have to ride if she doesn’t want to.”
“I hope so,” Emily said.
“I’m sure of it,” Kate said. “Monica will ride if she decides she wants to.”
“I still think we ought to do something about that,” Stevie said. “Last night I thought of this great plan—”
“No!” the rest of them shouted in chorus. “Stevie,” Lisa continued, in a practical tone of voice, “you know we can never make you do anything. Why should Monica be any different from you?”
Stevie sighed. “I know you’re right, I just want to help her so badly.”
“We’ll keep asking her to ride,” Kate said. “Every day we’ll ask her.”
T HEY BEGAN THEIR ride feeling somewhat subdued, but soon the sheer joy of riding good horses through gorgeous countryside on a beautiful day filled them all. Since they were already hungry, they rode straight for Pulpit Rock and ate their lunches there. Before they were finished, Christine and Dude joined them.
Afterward, Emily said she wanted to gallop again. Kate obligingly led them to an open stretch of prairie.
“Yippee-ki-yi-yay!” Emily shouted, sending Spot forward in a burst of speed.
“Yippee-ki-yi-
what
?” Stevie yelled. She pushed Stewball even with Spot. “What did you say?”
“Yippee-ki-yi-yay!” Emily repeated. “Isn’t that what the cowboys say?”
Stevie shook her head. The wind blew her ponytail across her face, and she shook her head again to toss it back. “I’ve never heard a cowboy say that,” she said at last. “Must be a dude thing.”
“A
what
thing?” Emily yelled above the sound of galloping hoofbeats.
“Dude!” Stevie shouted, as she pulled Stewball up. Christine’s dog came running. Stevie began to laugh. “A
dude
is a city person who tries to act like a cowboy,” she explained to Emily, who had slowed Spot and turned him back toward Stewball. “Christine named Dude after us, because she didn’t consider us cowboys when we first got here.”
“Oh.” Emily grinned. “I guess I’m still a dude after all. But by the end of the week, I’ll be a cowboy.”
“Watch this!” Kate called to them. She gatheredMoonglow’s reins lightly in her hands, and before they knew it, Moonglow was prancing across the prairie in the light, cadenced movement of a collected dressage trot. Kate sent Moonglow into a half-pass, taking her diagonally into a stand of sagebrush, and then turned and brought her back toward the others in a flashy, athletic extended trot.
“Pretty good,” Lisa admitted. “But watch this!” She shot Chocolate into a fast lope, then brought the reins up
Emily paused for breath. “I hate it when peopletreat disabled people like they’re made of glass. I mean, okay, kids with stuff like spina bifida have to be really careful—they could get hurt badly by an easy fall—but
all
disabled people don’t need to be coddled. I don’t need to be coddled, and neither does Monica. She
ought
to ride.” She started walking again, her mouth set in a firm line. Lisa could see that her eyes were full of tears.
“Em, Em,” she said soothingly. “She will. Everything’s still so new for her. Give her time.”
Emily drew a shaky breath. “I will. I know. I’m sorry, I don’t mean to get upset. It’s just one of those things that really gets to me. Her parents shouldn’t be setting up rules about what she can’t do.” They walked into the barn and Emily went straight to Spot’s stall. She put her arms around him.
Kate looked thoughtful. “I agree that’s what it seemed like Monica’s parents were doing,” she said, “but I’m not convinced it’s true. Remember, I know them better than you guys do. If Monica were insisting that she wanted to ride, they would let her. I bet they’re just trying to make her feel like she doesn’t have to ride if she doesn’t want to.”
“I hope so,” Emily said.
“I’m sure of it,” Kate said. “Monica will ride if she decides she wants to.”
“I still think we ought to do something about that,” Stevie said. “Last night I thought of this great plan—”
“No!” the rest of them shouted in chorus. “Stevie,” Lisa continued, in a practical tone of voice, “you know we can never make you do anything. Why should Monica be any different from you?”
Stevie sighed. “I know you’re right, I just want to help her so badly.”
“We’ll keep asking her to ride,” Kate said. “Every day we’ll ask her.”
T HEY BEGAN THEIR ride feeling somewhat subdued, but soon the sheer joy of riding good horses through gorgeous countryside on a beautiful day filled them all. Since they were already hungry, they rode straight for Pulpit Rock and ate their lunches there. Before they were finished, Christine and Dude joined them.
Afterward, Emily said she wanted to gallop again. Kate obligingly led them to an open stretch of prairie.
“Yippee-ki-yi-yay!” Emily shouted, sending Spot forward in a burst of speed.
“Yippee-ki-yi-
what
?” Stevie yelled. She pushed Stewball even with Spot. “What did you say?”
“Yippee-ki-yi-yay!” Emily repeated. “Isn’t that what the cowboys say?”
Stevie shook her head. The wind blew her ponytail across her face, and she shook her head again to toss it back. “I’ve never heard a cowboy say that,” she said at last. “Must be a dude thing.”
“A
what
thing?” Emily yelled above the sound of galloping hoofbeats.
“Dude!” Stevie shouted, as she pulled Stewball up. Christine’s dog came running. Stevie began to laugh. “A
dude
is a city person who tries to act like a cowboy,” she explained to Emily, who had slowed Spot and turned him back toward Stewball. “Christine named Dude after us, because she didn’t consider us cowboys when we first got here.”
“Oh.” Emily grinned. “I guess I’m still a dude after all. But by the end of the week, I’ll be a cowboy.”
“Watch this!” Kate called to them. She gatheredMoonglow’s reins lightly in her hands, and before they knew it, Moonglow was prancing across the prairie in the light, cadenced movement of a collected dressage trot. Kate sent Moonglow into a half-pass, taking her diagonally into a stand of sagebrush, and then turned and brought her back toward the others in a flashy, athletic extended trot.
“Pretty good,” Lisa admitted. “But watch this!” She shot Chocolate into a fast lope, then brought the reins up
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