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Authors: Bonnie Bryant
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okay, and that’s the important thing.”
“I’m really proud of you,” Carole told her as they set offon the final leg of the ride. “That’s the first time I’ve seen you beat Phil at anything and not gloat about it for days. You were really gracious, Stevie.”
“Oh well,” Stevie said modestly. “Why rub it in? It’s enough to know that this time I was absolutely, positively, one hundred percent right.”
Carole and Lisa laughed. They exchanged looks they both understood. Stevie would never, ever change.
A S THEY RODE along, Lisa realized that while she might have found peaceful ground with Chloe, Carole and especially Stevie had not. Stevie was giving in to her tendency to brag, and Chloe didn’t seem impressed.
“Yeah, as I told Phil, you’ve really got to get your horse in shape for an endurance ride,” Stevie said. “I’m really glad we learned so much, Carole. It’s helped a lot. Look how fresh Belle looks.”
Lisa had begun to suspect that The Saddle Club still didn’t know that much about endurance riding, even though she felt that she personally knew a whole lot morenow than she had that morning. But she didn’t say anything. She was too tired to speak.
“I think it’s good you guys worked hard to condition your horses before the ride,” Chloe said politely. Since Stevie had started talking, Chloe had become quieter, and her remarks had taken on a slight edge.
“Yes,” Stevie said happily. “I’m sure you must spend some time working with your horse, too.”
“Of course I do,” Chloe replied. “But there is a little more to it than that. Your boyfriend’s horse looked like a quarter horse—”
“Purebred,” Stevie confirmed.
“Well, that’s usually a stocky sort of horse. I was telling Lisa and Carole how conformation can have a real effect on a horse’s endurance capabilities. Quarter horses are sturdy, but sometimes they heat up more quickly than other breeds. Lisa said your mare was a Saddlebred–Arab cross. I’d expect her to be better at endurance riding. It’s more what she’s built for. I don’t think it’s entirely training.”
Stevie took a long, deep breath. She felt sorry for Carole and Lisa, that they’d had to endure the whole ride with Chloe. “Belle’s a pretty special horse,” she began, but then she didn’t know what to say. She couldn’t say that Belle wasn’t built for endurance riding: In the first place, she probably was, and in the second place, Stevie never likedto admit that Belle wasn’t fabulous at everything. But she certainly didn’t appreciate Chloe’s input. At least her friends let her talk without argument.
“That’s a nature-versus-nurture question, and I don’t think the answer matters,” Max said gently. “As long as Teddy was stopped when he needed to be, and taken care of, and all our horses are still comfortable, that’s what important.”
“You’re right, Max,” Stevie admitted. She was glad that Belle seemed comfortable, because that made one of them. Stevie was incredibly uncomfortable.
“You keep wincing, Stevie. Why?” Lisa looked sympathetic.
“The inside seam of my blue jeans is rubbing holes in the sides of my knees,” Stevie said. “It hurts.”
“My ankles are killing me and Carole’s got blisters on her calves,” Lisa countered. “And Max has discovered that Barq’s saddle doesn’t fit his seat. You’re looking kind of sunburned, too.”
“It’s sunny,” Stevie replied.
“Chloe’s got sunscreen,” Lisa said. “She gave me some.”
“Here,” Chloe offered, taking it out and handing it to Stevie.
“No thanks,” Stevie said. “I’m glad to have the chance to work on my tan.”
“Are you guys really hurting that much?” Chloe asked in amazement. Carole nodded. She was riding with her feet pointed out much more than normal to take the pressure off her blisters. All that seemed to be doing was giving her blisters in new places. “Wow,” Chloe said. “That’s
“I’m really proud of you,” Carole told her as they set offon the final leg of the ride. “That’s the first time I’ve seen you beat Phil at anything and not gloat about it for days. You were really gracious, Stevie.”
“Oh well,” Stevie said modestly. “Why rub it in? It’s enough to know that this time I was absolutely, positively, one hundred percent right.”
Carole and Lisa laughed. They exchanged looks they both understood. Stevie would never, ever change.
A S THEY RODE along, Lisa realized that while she might have found peaceful ground with Chloe, Carole and especially Stevie had not. Stevie was giving in to her tendency to brag, and Chloe didn’t seem impressed.
“Yeah, as I told Phil, you’ve really got to get your horse in shape for an endurance ride,” Stevie said. “I’m really glad we learned so much, Carole. It’s helped a lot. Look how fresh Belle looks.”
Lisa had begun to suspect that The Saddle Club still didn’t know that much about endurance riding, even though she felt that she personally knew a whole lot morenow than she had that morning. But she didn’t say anything. She was too tired to speak.
“I think it’s good you guys worked hard to condition your horses before the ride,” Chloe said politely. Since Stevie had started talking, Chloe had become quieter, and her remarks had taken on a slight edge.
“Yes,” Stevie said happily. “I’m sure you must spend some time working with your horse, too.”
“Of course I do,” Chloe replied. “But there is a little more to it than that. Your boyfriend’s horse looked like a quarter horse—”
“Purebred,” Stevie confirmed.
“Well, that’s usually a stocky sort of horse. I was telling Lisa and Carole how conformation can have a real effect on a horse’s endurance capabilities. Quarter horses are sturdy, but sometimes they heat up more quickly than other breeds. Lisa said your mare was a Saddlebred–Arab cross. I’d expect her to be better at endurance riding. It’s more what she’s built for. I don’t think it’s entirely training.”
Stevie took a long, deep breath. She felt sorry for Carole and Lisa, that they’d had to endure the whole ride with Chloe. “Belle’s a pretty special horse,” she began, but then she didn’t know what to say. She couldn’t say that Belle wasn’t built for endurance riding: In the first place, she probably was, and in the second place, Stevie never likedto admit that Belle wasn’t fabulous at everything. But she certainly didn’t appreciate Chloe’s input. At least her friends let her talk without argument.
“That’s a nature-versus-nurture question, and I don’t think the answer matters,” Max said gently. “As long as Teddy was stopped when he needed to be, and taken care of, and all our horses are still comfortable, that’s what important.”
“You’re right, Max,” Stevie admitted. She was glad that Belle seemed comfortable, because that made one of them. Stevie was incredibly uncomfortable.
“You keep wincing, Stevie. Why?” Lisa looked sympathetic.
“The inside seam of my blue jeans is rubbing holes in the sides of my knees,” Stevie said. “It hurts.”
“My ankles are killing me and Carole’s got blisters on her calves,” Lisa countered. “And Max has discovered that Barq’s saddle doesn’t fit his seat. You’re looking kind of sunburned, too.”
“It’s sunny,” Stevie replied.
“Chloe’s got sunscreen,” Lisa said. “She gave me some.”
“Here,” Chloe offered, taking it out and handing it to Stevie.
“No thanks,” Stevie said. “I’m glad to have the chance to work on my tan.”
“Are you guys really hurting that much?” Chloe asked in amazement. Carole nodded. She was riding with her feet pointed out much more than normal to take the pressure off her blisters. All that seemed to be doing was giving her blisters in new places. “Wow,” Chloe said. “That’s
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