that counts. We got a lot wetter than Starlight did, plus you backed up and fell in a whole tub of water.”
“Well, okay. He’s had two complete groomings and half a shampoo. Between that and exercising him twice, we’ve kept our promise to Carole.” Stevie handed Starlight’s dandy brush to Lisa and backed out of the stall. “I don’t know about you, but I’m exhausted.”
“Me too. My head is spinning so, I can barely remember what all we’ve done today.”
Stevie picked up Starlight’s grooming supplies and walked toward the tack room. “Well, first we mucked out about a million stalls. Then Denise came and we had to help her out at the front desk because she had laryngitis and couldn’t talk on the telephone.”
“Then we had to tack up Patch for that little girl who’d put his saddle on backwards,” Lisa added with a laugh.
“Right. Then we exercised Danny for an hour, since Red didn’t have time to do it.” Stevie flipped the tack room light on and put Starlight’s gear in the proper place. “But thanks to us, Danny’s lookinggreat. Veronica should be amazed when she gets back from her shopping trip.”
“She won’t be, though,” said Lisa. “Shell just find something else wrong with him.”
“Oh, probably.” Stevie turned the light off and closed the door. She rubbed the back of her legs. “Those exercises we did with Starlight today were really hard. I’m sore.”
“I know. I had no idea Carole was putting him through such an intense dressage drill.”
Stevie laughed. “I had no idea Carole would be putting
us
through such an intense dressage drill.”
The girls walked through the empty stable toward the hayloft, their boots echoing in the stillness. They heard an occasional chomping of hay as they passed, and once in a while a horse would pop its head out to see who was going by, but for the most part the stable was getting ready to bed down for the night.
“Don’t forget we’ve got that picnic supper my mom brought us,” said Lisa.
“I know,” yawned Stevie. “I’ve been looking forward to it all afternoon.
They paused at Prancer’s stall. “Hi, girl,” Lisa said softly, leaning over and rubbing the bay mare’s neck. “I’m sorry I haven’t been able to pay as much attention to you as usual—it’s just that I’ve had to pay so much attention to everybody else!”
Lisa looked at Stevie. “Every time I’ve gone by heretoday, Prancer’s just poked her head out of the stall and given me the saddest look!”
“She misses you like Belle misses me. But all this will be over Monday. Then we can take them on a nice ride and give them some extra attention.”
Lisa gave Prancer a final pat, and she and Stevie began to head for the hayloft. “Just a minute,” Stevie said as they neared Belle’s stall. “I want to check that bruise on Belle’s shoulder.”
Lisa watched as Stevie went inside Belle’s stall. The mare flinched when Stevie ran her fingers over the lump at the top of her withers.
“That must still hurt,” Stevie said, frowning. “I’d better put some liniment on it tomorrow. That’ll make her feel better.”
They said good night to Belle, then slowly climbed the ladder. The hayloft looked like a cozy retreat, complete with Mrs. Atwood’s picnic basket waiting for them on a bale of hay.
“Arrrggghhh!” Stevie flopped down on her sleeping bag. “I don’t think I’ve ever been this tired before in my entire life.”
“Me neither,” said Lisa. “Let’s just eat something fast and go to sleep.”
“Good idea. What did your mom bring?”
Lisa opened the basket and looked inside. “Cold fried chicken, corn chips, carrot sticks, some bottled water, and some little pecan pies.”
“Hmmm,” said Stevie, extending her arm without moving the rest of her body. “Just Put something in this hand and I’ll eat it while I doze.”
Lisa frowned. “What do you want?”
“Anything,” moaned Stevie. “At this point it doesn’t
“Well, okay. He’s had two complete groomings and half a shampoo. Between that and exercising him twice, we’ve kept our promise to Carole.” Stevie handed Starlight’s dandy brush to Lisa and backed out of the stall. “I don’t know about you, but I’m exhausted.”
“Me too. My head is spinning so, I can barely remember what all we’ve done today.”
Stevie picked up Starlight’s grooming supplies and walked toward the tack room. “Well, first we mucked out about a million stalls. Then Denise came and we had to help her out at the front desk because she had laryngitis and couldn’t talk on the telephone.”
“Then we had to tack up Patch for that little girl who’d put his saddle on backwards,” Lisa added with a laugh.
“Right. Then we exercised Danny for an hour, since Red didn’t have time to do it.” Stevie flipped the tack room light on and put Starlight’s gear in the proper place. “But thanks to us, Danny’s lookinggreat. Veronica should be amazed when she gets back from her shopping trip.”
“She won’t be, though,” said Lisa. “Shell just find something else wrong with him.”
“Oh, probably.” Stevie turned the light off and closed the door. She rubbed the back of her legs. “Those exercises we did with Starlight today were really hard. I’m sore.”
“I know. I had no idea Carole was putting him through such an intense dressage drill.”
Stevie laughed. “I had no idea Carole would be putting
us
through such an intense dressage drill.”
The girls walked through the empty stable toward the hayloft, their boots echoing in the stillness. They heard an occasional chomping of hay as they passed, and once in a while a horse would pop its head out to see who was going by, but for the most part the stable was getting ready to bed down for the night.
“Don’t forget we’ve got that picnic supper my mom brought us,” said Lisa.
“I know,” yawned Stevie. “I’ve been looking forward to it all afternoon.
They paused at Prancer’s stall. “Hi, girl,” Lisa said softly, leaning over and rubbing the bay mare’s neck. “I’m sorry I haven’t been able to pay as much attention to you as usual—it’s just that I’ve had to pay so much attention to everybody else!”
Lisa looked at Stevie. “Every time I’ve gone by heretoday, Prancer’s just poked her head out of the stall and given me the saddest look!”
“She misses you like Belle misses me. But all this will be over Monday. Then we can take them on a nice ride and give them some extra attention.”
Lisa gave Prancer a final pat, and she and Stevie began to head for the hayloft. “Just a minute,” Stevie said as they neared Belle’s stall. “I want to check that bruise on Belle’s shoulder.”
Lisa watched as Stevie went inside Belle’s stall. The mare flinched when Stevie ran her fingers over the lump at the top of her withers.
“That must still hurt,” Stevie said, frowning. “I’d better put some liniment on it tomorrow. That’ll make her feel better.”
They said good night to Belle, then slowly climbed the ladder. The hayloft looked like a cozy retreat, complete with Mrs. Atwood’s picnic basket waiting for them on a bale of hay.
“Arrrggghhh!” Stevie flopped down on her sleeping bag. “I don’t think I’ve ever been this tired before in my entire life.”
“Me neither,” said Lisa. “Let’s just eat something fast and go to sleep.”
“Good idea. What did your mom bring?”
Lisa opened the basket and looked inside. “Cold fried chicken, corn chips, carrot sticks, some bottled water, and some little pecan pies.”
“Hmmm,” said Stevie, extending her arm without moving the rest of her body. “Just Put something in this hand and I’ll eat it while I doze.”
Lisa frowned. “What do you want?”
“Anything,” moaned Stevie. “At this point it doesn’t
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