my jockey will be glad you’re there, too. He’ll be pleased to know that somebody Prancer likes so much will be around. She’ll race better.”
“She will?”
“Oh, I don’t know for certain,” Mr. McLeod said. “I just know that a happy horse is usually a fast horse. This horse is happy with you.”
“And I’m happy around her,” Carole replied.
“I CAN ’ T EVEN tell you what it was like,” Carole whispered to Lisa the following Tuesday at their Horse Wise meeting. Stevie craned her neck to listen, too. “I think we were going a thousand miles an hour—”
“I don’t think racehorses go more than about fifty,” Lisa said sensibly.
“You know what I mean,” Carole said.
“No, perhaps you’ll tell us,” Max said pointedly. They were having an unmounted meeting and were sitting in Max’s office at Pine Hollow supposedly talking about horse parasites. All Carole wanted to talk about, however, was the incredible ride she’d had on Prancer and how she was actually going to be at the racetrack to watch the filly run. However, she didn’t want to talk about those things in the middle of a Pony Club meeting.
“Sorry, Max,” she said sheepishly, noticing that everybody, including Horse Wise’s newest member, May, was staring at her. Carole blushed.
Max cleared his throat authoritatively and resumed the meeting. “Now, who can tell me about parasite control in stable horses?” Max asked. May’s hand shot up.
Racehorses were out; parasites were in—at least until The Saddle Club had a chance to get to TD’s after the meeting.
The minute Horse Wise was finished, the three girls made a dash for TD’s, slid into booths at the ice cream shop, and ordered their treats. Then Carole told her friends absolutely everything about riding Prancer and how wonderful it had been. Even if Stevie and Lisa had wanted to get a word in edgewise, they wouldn’t have been able to. Carole was just too excited.
“The only thing that will be missing on Saturday when I’ll be at the racetrack with Judy and Mr. McLeod and”—she sighed before uttering the name—“Prancer, is that you guys can’t be there with me. You’ve got to meet her, though. She’s some horse!”
Stevie winked at Lisa. Carole never even noticed.
C AROLE HAD NEVER seen anything quite like the racetrack. It was an entire world designed for horses. Near the track itself were a few small stalls where the horses were walked and saddled before each race, but that was only for the few horses participating in each race. Beyond that, out of the public’s view, was an enormous collection of stables where all of the horses racing at each meet were stabled. The larger racing farms could have as many as sixty horses racing at a meet. The two horses Mr. McLeod had racing that day were housed in temporary stabling next to one another. Prancer and Hold Fast both seemed comfortable in their new quarters.
All around them, in the stable, owners, stable hands, trainers, riders, vets, and assistants to everybody bustled busily, tending to the horses. All of the talk was abouthorses and money. The owners and trainers each wanted their horse to do well in the races so the horses could win money and become more valuable. Carole was still amazed at this new side of horseback riding, but Judy didn’t seem surprised at all. Carole didn’t say anything. She just stood in the stable and looked around.
“First time at a track?” a voice asked her. She turned and found herself facing a man about her size. “I’m Stephen,” he said, offering his hand. “I’m a jockey and I’m riding for Mr. McLeod.”
“Oh, hello,” Carole said, taking the young man’s hand. She introduced herself and admitted that she never had been to a track before.
“Mr. McLeod told me about the ride you took on Prancer the other day. He said you were really good.”
“Me?”
“It was you, wasn’t it?” Stephen asked.
Carole blushed. “Yes, it was me,” she said.
“She will?”
“Oh, I don’t know for certain,” Mr. McLeod said. “I just know that a happy horse is usually a fast horse. This horse is happy with you.”
“And I’m happy around her,” Carole replied.
“I CAN ’ T EVEN tell you what it was like,” Carole whispered to Lisa the following Tuesday at their Horse Wise meeting. Stevie craned her neck to listen, too. “I think we were going a thousand miles an hour—”
“I don’t think racehorses go more than about fifty,” Lisa said sensibly.
“You know what I mean,” Carole said.
“No, perhaps you’ll tell us,” Max said pointedly. They were having an unmounted meeting and were sitting in Max’s office at Pine Hollow supposedly talking about horse parasites. All Carole wanted to talk about, however, was the incredible ride she’d had on Prancer and how she was actually going to be at the racetrack to watch the filly run. However, she didn’t want to talk about those things in the middle of a Pony Club meeting.
“Sorry, Max,” she said sheepishly, noticing that everybody, including Horse Wise’s newest member, May, was staring at her. Carole blushed.
Max cleared his throat authoritatively and resumed the meeting. “Now, who can tell me about parasite control in stable horses?” Max asked. May’s hand shot up.
Racehorses were out; parasites were in—at least until The Saddle Club had a chance to get to TD’s after the meeting.
The minute Horse Wise was finished, the three girls made a dash for TD’s, slid into booths at the ice cream shop, and ordered their treats. Then Carole told her friends absolutely everything about riding Prancer and how wonderful it had been. Even if Stevie and Lisa had wanted to get a word in edgewise, they wouldn’t have been able to. Carole was just too excited.
“The only thing that will be missing on Saturday when I’ll be at the racetrack with Judy and Mr. McLeod and”—she sighed before uttering the name—“Prancer, is that you guys can’t be there with me. You’ve got to meet her, though. She’s some horse!”
Stevie winked at Lisa. Carole never even noticed.
C AROLE HAD NEVER seen anything quite like the racetrack. It was an entire world designed for horses. Near the track itself were a few small stalls where the horses were walked and saddled before each race, but that was only for the few horses participating in each race. Beyond that, out of the public’s view, was an enormous collection of stables where all of the horses racing at each meet were stabled. The larger racing farms could have as many as sixty horses racing at a meet. The two horses Mr. McLeod had racing that day were housed in temporary stabling next to one another. Prancer and Hold Fast both seemed comfortable in their new quarters.
All around them, in the stable, owners, stable hands, trainers, riders, vets, and assistants to everybody bustled busily, tending to the horses. All of the talk was abouthorses and money. The owners and trainers each wanted their horse to do well in the races so the horses could win money and become more valuable. Carole was still amazed at this new side of horseback riding, but Judy didn’t seem surprised at all. Carole didn’t say anything. She just stood in the stable and looked around.
“First time at a track?” a voice asked her. She turned and found herself facing a man about her size. “I’m Stephen,” he said, offering his hand. “I’m a jockey and I’m riding for Mr. McLeod.”
“Oh, hello,” Carole said, taking the young man’s hand. She introduced herself and admitted that she never had been to a track before.
“Mr. McLeod told me about the ride you took on Prancer the other day. He said you were really good.”
“Me?”
“It was you, wasn’t it?” Stephen asked.
Carole blushed. “Yes, it was me,” she said.
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