see if she can come!”
C AROLE FOLLOWED THE horse and rider with her eyes. They were going at a trot. The horse was moving well; the rider rose naturally in the saddle. “Nice job, Pat!” she called. “Why don’t you try a canter?”
“Great!”
Carole saw Pat sit down to ask for the transition. Sheleaned forward slightly and Starlight broke into a canter. Pat’s face lit up. “Gosh, he’s well-behaved!”
“Knock on wood!” Carole joked.
Twenty minutes later Pat rode into the center of the ring, her face still ecstatic. “You’ve trained him so well!” she exclaimed. “He’s perfect!”
Carole smiled. “I don’t know about perfect,” she said, “but thanks.”
“Say, would you mind if I tried a jump?” Pat asked.
“Not at all,” Carole replied readily. It would be good for Starlight to hop over a few fences. “I’ll drag that cross rail and vertical into place.”
While she set up two low jumps, Carole saw Pat rubbing Starlight’s neck and praising him. Starlight pranced along happily. It was strange, but for a moment, watching them, Carole felt left out. A twinge of sadness passed through her. Pat’s enthusiasm reminded her of how she used to feel about Starlight. Lately she couldn’t seem to make him do anything right. What had changed?
Jumping Starlight only made Pat more enthusiastic. She trotted the cross rail and cantered over the vertical a number of times. “I just can’t get over how great this horse is,” she gushed, pulling up and dismounting. “Are you going to ride now? I’d love to see what he can really do.”
Carole hesitated. She was tired; she’d had a fitfulnight’s sleep and didn’t feel much like riding. But what could she do, say no? To riding her own horse?
That
would look strange. And Carole wanted to explain her mood even less than she wanted to ride. Reluctantly she traded places with Pat.
From the moment she gathered up the reins, Carole realized her mistake. She should have trusted her instincts. Starlight could sense what kind of mood she was in. It was almost as if he
wanted
to make her look bad in front of Pat. He wouldn’t walk, he wouldn’t halt, he hedged away from one corner of the indoor ring—every time they passed it. “Would you behave?” Carole muttered through clenched teeth. As she drew near the door, she saw Mrs. Reg standing with Pat, watching her intently.
Having Max’s mother there annoyed Carole. It made her nervous, though normally she wouldn’t have cared.
I’ll show them
, she thought. She turned Starlight toward the vertical. As they approached, the wind whistled through the rafters of the roof. Starlight shied violently and ducked out of line. He got the bit between his teeth and bolted.
Carole was so stunned she couldn’t react right away. Her champion jumper had
run out
before a fence! That was one of the worst faults there was. At last she sat back in the saddle and reined him in. She brought him back toa trot and made a circle. Her face burning with shame, Carole reapproached the jump. Starlight ran out again.
The third time, Carole was ready. She opened her outside rein and used her inside leg. She made Starlight go forward. He dodged right and left. Finally he got in under the fence and popped it. The awkward jump unseated Carole. She managed to hang on, but barely. When she had recovered herself, she was embarrassed beyond belief. She didn’t want to ride anymore. She also didn’t want to ride over to Pat and Mrs. Reg.
“I’d better call it a day!” she yelled.
“All right!” Pat called anxiously. “I hope I didn’t mess him up!”
“No—oh, no; you didn’t do anything wrong!” Carole assured her, her voice choked with shame.
As she slowed to a walk, she heard Mrs. Reg asking Pat if she would like to ride Barq and Pat saying she would. The two women left the side of the ring together.
Only then did Carole dare dismount. She halted right away and got off. How could she have made such a fool
C AROLE FOLLOWED THE horse and rider with her eyes. They were going at a trot. The horse was moving well; the rider rose naturally in the saddle. “Nice job, Pat!” she called. “Why don’t you try a canter?”
“Great!”
Carole saw Pat sit down to ask for the transition. Sheleaned forward slightly and Starlight broke into a canter. Pat’s face lit up. “Gosh, he’s well-behaved!”
“Knock on wood!” Carole joked.
Twenty minutes later Pat rode into the center of the ring, her face still ecstatic. “You’ve trained him so well!” she exclaimed. “He’s perfect!”
Carole smiled. “I don’t know about perfect,” she said, “but thanks.”
“Say, would you mind if I tried a jump?” Pat asked.
“Not at all,” Carole replied readily. It would be good for Starlight to hop over a few fences. “I’ll drag that cross rail and vertical into place.”
While she set up two low jumps, Carole saw Pat rubbing Starlight’s neck and praising him. Starlight pranced along happily. It was strange, but for a moment, watching them, Carole felt left out. A twinge of sadness passed through her. Pat’s enthusiasm reminded her of how she used to feel about Starlight. Lately she couldn’t seem to make him do anything right. What had changed?
Jumping Starlight only made Pat more enthusiastic. She trotted the cross rail and cantered over the vertical a number of times. “I just can’t get over how great this horse is,” she gushed, pulling up and dismounting. “Are you going to ride now? I’d love to see what he can really do.”
Carole hesitated. She was tired; she’d had a fitfulnight’s sleep and didn’t feel much like riding. But what could she do, say no? To riding her own horse?
That
would look strange. And Carole wanted to explain her mood even less than she wanted to ride. Reluctantly she traded places with Pat.
From the moment she gathered up the reins, Carole realized her mistake. She should have trusted her instincts. Starlight could sense what kind of mood she was in. It was almost as if he
wanted
to make her look bad in front of Pat. He wouldn’t walk, he wouldn’t halt, he hedged away from one corner of the indoor ring—every time they passed it. “Would you behave?” Carole muttered through clenched teeth. As she drew near the door, she saw Mrs. Reg standing with Pat, watching her intently.
Having Max’s mother there annoyed Carole. It made her nervous, though normally she wouldn’t have cared.
I’ll show them
, she thought. She turned Starlight toward the vertical. As they approached, the wind whistled through the rafters of the roof. Starlight shied violently and ducked out of line. He got the bit between his teeth and bolted.
Carole was so stunned she couldn’t react right away. Her champion jumper had
run out
before a fence! That was one of the worst faults there was. At last she sat back in the saddle and reined him in. She brought him back toa trot and made a circle. Her face burning with shame, Carole reapproached the jump. Starlight ran out again.
The third time, Carole was ready. She opened her outside rein and used her inside leg. She made Starlight go forward. He dodged right and left. Finally he got in under the fence and popped it. The awkward jump unseated Carole. She managed to hang on, but barely. When she had recovered herself, she was embarrassed beyond belief. She didn’t want to ride anymore. She also didn’t want to ride over to Pat and Mrs. Reg.
“I’d better call it a day!” she yelled.
“All right!” Pat called anxiously. “I hope I didn’t mess him up!”
“No—oh, no; you didn’t do anything wrong!” Carole assured her, her voice choked with shame.
As she slowed to a walk, she heard Mrs. Reg asking Pat if she would like to ride Barq and Pat saying she would. The two women left the side of the ring together.
Only then did Carole dare dismount. She halted right away and got off. How could she have made such a fool
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