Read Online Hercules: A Matter of Trust by Heather Brooks - Free Book Online Page B

Moondance’s girth, then tightened it another notch while Emily adjusted her jacket. “My mom will meet you outside the gate with your number. Then your class with Sapphire will be right after, so ride Moondance straight over to the other ring, and I’ll meet you there with him.”
    Emily nodded. “You’ll get him ready?”
    â€œYep.” Alison patted her knee. “Now, go!”
    Go. Emily grabbed Moondance’s reins and spun the horse toward the ring, nudging the big gray mare into a trot while Emily frantically tried to organize her grip on the reins. Moondance’s head was up, and her tail was frisky, swishing around with excitement as they rode past numerous vans and horses, blankets flapping, dogs racing around, everyone shouting and laughing and getting ready.
    Moondance shied to the left as a girl came runningdown a ramp just as they were passing a van, and Emily nearly lost her seat in the move. “Okay, girl, calm down.” Emily patted the mare’s neck as she looked ahead and saw a bunch of horses entering the ring closest to her. Her class was starting without her! “Shoot!”
    She kicked Moondance into a canter, and winced at the sound of Les’s voice in her mind screaming at her for not doing a proper warm-up. As if she had time! Moondance’s gait was lumbering and bouncing on the grass, especially since she wasn’t at all balanced, and Emily rose into a half-seat, perching above the saddle to make the canter more comfortable. She’d have to sit at the canter once the class started, but for now—
    â€œEmily!”
    Emily hauled Moondance to a stop as Aunt Debby raced toward her waving a white cardboard number. “Here!” She tossed it up at Emily. “We don’t have time to tie it on. Just use the clip to hook it to the back of your collar.”
    Emily quickly hooked the cardboard number to her jacket as Aunt Debby tightened her girth once more. “Okay, Emily, take a deep breath and calm down. Once you go in the ring, you have all the time in the world, okay?”
    Emily nodded, watching the horses in the ringmoving, walking and trotting as they all warmed up. “I have to go.”
    â€œYou’ll be fine. Your flat work is outstanding.” Aunt Debby stepped back. “Relax!”
    Relax. Ha! Emily kicked Moondance into a trot, and they jogged straight into the ring as the judge called out for everyone to walk.
    Emily let out a quivering sigh of relief as she convinced a jittery Moondance back to a walk.
    They’d made it.

10
    E mily adjusted her grip on her reins and eased to a deep seat in the saddle as she tried to collect Moondance. She sank into her heels and began to drive Moondance forward with her seat and her calves, trying to get the mare balanced and collected.
    But before she could even begin to get organized, the judge called for a posting trot. Already?
    Emily nudged Moondance into a trot, and the mare lurched forward, vibrating with energy from the frantic flight from the van. Emily whispered to Moondance under her breath, attempting to calm the mare as she tried to concentrate on her own form.
    She and Moondance were right in front of the judgewhen a kid on a small pony cut right in front of them. Moondance threw her head up in surprise and Emily hauled back on the reins to keep from running over the pony. She lost a beat on the trot and had to sit for a stride to get back in rhythm again.
    Gritting her teeth, Emily settled again, trying to keep an eye on the crazy pony up ahead, and she managed not to get cut off again for the duration of the trot.
    When the judge called for a walk, Emily was back under control—or she was until she found herself suddenly surrounded by a mass of horses whose riders had taken longer to pull their horses back to a walk than Emily and had run up on her.
    Moondance jigged sideways, not pleased to be penned in, and then the judge called for a