make a figure eight.”
This was easy. It was something even the younger riders could do. Within seconds all the horses hadcompleted figure eights and were back to their starting spots.
“Excellent,” Max said. “Take four steps forward.”
Veronica diAngelo, who had probably been thinking about her perfect fingernails, Stevie decided, shook the reins and let Garnet take four steps forward.
“Maximillian didn’t mandate,” Amie yelled.
“So?” Veronica sniffed. “Who cares?”
“You’re out of the game, Veronica,” Max said. “Move to the sidelines.”
Veronica rode Garnet to the edge of the field.
“Maximillian mandates four steps to the rear,” Max said.
Horses dislike walking backward even more than they hate moving sideways, so there was a lot of persuading of horses, but finally all the horses moved back.
“Who can be first to gallop around the rocks?” Max said, pointing to a group of rocks that looked like sheep feeding in the grass.
Phil’s horse Teddy took off toward the rocks. Phil hadn’t signaled him to do that—Stevie could tell from the look of annoyance on Phil’s face—but four other horses followed.
The only riders left now were Stevie, Lisa, and Carole, plus Amie, Jackie, and Peter Allman.
“Show me how good your communication is with your horse,” Max said. “Get your horse to canter without using your reins or your heels.”
“Easy,” Amie said, and she was off with Jackie and Peter after her.
But Maximillian hadn’t mandated, so they were out of the game.
Now there was no one left but the three girls in The Saddle Club. Lisa looked at Carole and Stevie. Usually the three of them would be having fun. But today Carole and Stevie were acting cold and unfriendly.
“Maximillian mandates do the Piaffe,” Max said.
This was one of the hardest of all movements. It meant that the horse had to trot in one place. If horses hate to move sideways, or backward, they really hate trotting without getting anywhere.
Carole had recently been working on the Piaffe, so she walked Starlight, then urged him into a trot, and then slowed him to the Piaffe, making it look easy.
“Max may mandate, but can I do it?” Stevie muttered to herself. Topside could do the Piaffe because he was a show horse. The problem wasn’t Topside; it was Stevie’s timing, knowing when to give him the command. Stevie moved Topside into a trot and thenslowed him. Topside was almost there, but then he couldn’t stand the frustration and jumped forward.
Stevie was out of the game.
When Lisa tried to slow Comanche into a Piaffe, he tossed his head, as if to say that she must be kidding, and came to an abrupt halt. The game was over.
“Carole wins,” Max said, “and by the way, Carole, that was an excellent Piaffe.”
Carole’s cheeks were glowing.
The next game was Horse Professor. Every time someone answered a question about horses correctly, the rider and his or her horse got to take a giant step forward.
“Can we place bets on the winner?” Phil grinned. “Because if we can, I’m betting on Carole.”
“That’s right.” Amie nodded vigorously. “Carole is the best.”
“Why bother to compete?” Veronica said. “It’s not worth the trouble.”
“Wrong!” Max said. “Carole is not going to be the winner, because she is going to ask the questions.”
A groan went up from the riders. “We’ll be here all night answering Carole’s stupid questions,” Veronica muttered. “Frankly, I’m not into it.” She turned Garnet away from the other riders.
“That’s fine,” Max said evenly. “Good luck to the rest of you riders.”
The riders lined up facing Carole and Starlight. Carole gritted her teeth. This was not exactly the job she wanted, but she didn’t want to let Max down. “Okay,” she began, “why do foals graze with their knees bent?”
“So they can moonwalk,” Stevie said, and everyone giggled.
“Very funny,” Max remarked. “Does anybody know the
This was easy. It was something even the younger riders could do. Within seconds all the horses hadcompleted figure eights and were back to their starting spots.
“Excellent,” Max said. “Take four steps forward.”
Veronica diAngelo, who had probably been thinking about her perfect fingernails, Stevie decided, shook the reins and let Garnet take four steps forward.
“Maximillian didn’t mandate,” Amie yelled.
“So?” Veronica sniffed. “Who cares?”
“You’re out of the game, Veronica,” Max said. “Move to the sidelines.”
Veronica rode Garnet to the edge of the field.
“Maximillian mandates four steps to the rear,” Max said.
Horses dislike walking backward even more than they hate moving sideways, so there was a lot of persuading of horses, but finally all the horses moved back.
“Who can be first to gallop around the rocks?” Max said, pointing to a group of rocks that looked like sheep feeding in the grass.
Phil’s horse Teddy took off toward the rocks. Phil hadn’t signaled him to do that—Stevie could tell from the look of annoyance on Phil’s face—but four other horses followed.
The only riders left now were Stevie, Lisa, and Carole, plus Amie, Jackie, and Peter Allman.
“Show me how good your communication is with your horse,” Max said. “Get your horse to canter without using your reins or your heels.”
“Easy,” Amie said, and she was off with Jackie and Peter after her.
But Maximillian hadn’t mandated, so they were out of the game.
Now there was no one left but the three girls in The Saddle Club. Lisa looked at Carole and Stevie. Usually the three of them would be having fun. But today Carole and Stevie were acting cold and unfriendly.
“Maximillian mandates do the Piaffe,” Max said.
This was one of the hardest of all movements. It meant that the horse had to trot in one place. If horses hate to move sideways, or backward, they really hate trotting without getting anywhere.
Carole had recently been working on the Piaffe, so she walked Starlight, then urged him into a trot, and then slowed him to the Piaffe, making it look easy.
“Max may mandate, but can I do it?” Stevie muttered to herself. Topside could do the Piaffe because he was a show horse. The problem wasn’t Topside; it was Stevie’s timing, knowing when to give him the command. Stevie moved Topside into a trot and thenslowed him. Topside was almost there, but then he couldn’t stand the frustration and jumped forward.
Stevie was out of the game.
When Lisa tried to slow Comanche into a Piaffe, he tossed his head, as if to say that she must be kidding, and came to an abrupt halt. The game was over.
“Carole wins,” Max said, “and by the way, Carole, that was an excellent Piaffe.”
Carole’s cheeks were glowing.
The next game was Horse Professor. Every time someone answered a question about horses correctly, the rider and his or her horse got to take a giant step forward.
“Can we place bets on the winner?” Phil grinned. “Because if we can, I’m betting on Carole.”
“That’s right.” Amie nodded vigorously. “Carole is the best.”
“Why bother to compete?” Veronica said. “It’s not worth the trouble.”
“Wrong!” Max said. “Carole is not going to be the winner, because she is going to ask the questions.”
A groan went up from the riders. “We’ll be here all night answering Carole’s stupid questions,” Veronica muttered. “Frankly, I’m not into it.” She turned Garnet away from the other riders.
“That’s fine,” Max said evenly. “Good luck to the rest of you riders.”
The riders lined up facing Carole and Starlight. Carole gritted her teeth. This was not exactly the job she wanted, but she didn’t want to let Max down. “Okay,” she began, “why do foals graze with their knees bent?”
“So they can moonwalk,” Stevie said, and everyone giggled.
“Very funny,” Max remarked. “Does anybody know the
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