and back just the way she’d seen John do on their first day. She spun her weight around, and to her delight Chocolate did just what Lisa hoped: a fast rollback. They galloped back.
“Wow, I’m impressed,” Carole said. Lisa grinned. She was still the least experienced member of The Saddle Club, and it was fun sometimes to try something the others couldn’t already do.
“I know it was rough, not elegant like John’s,” Lisa said.
“Still, we could tell it was a rollback,” Stevie said. “Let me try.” Her rollback, though also recognizable, wasn’t quite as good as Lisa’s. Her version of a stop, however, was impressive. Stewballnearly sat down, and Stevie came perilously close to flying over his ears. She threw her arms around his neck and pushed herself back into the saddle.
“Nice,” Lisa said. “But aren’t there supposed to be skid marks?”
“Stewball is so cool he doesn’t need to skid,” Stevie replied, unruffled.
After that Carole made Berry jump a fallen log, and then they all had to follow her. Kate tried to teach Emily dressage collection, but Spot, in his Western bridle, refused to learn. Emily gave up, laughing, and took him for another gallop. Stevie tried to make Stewball cut Lisa’s horse out of the crowd. “I’m not a cow!” Lisa protested. “Neither is Chocolate.”
Between the noise of the wind and their laughter, they didn’t notice Mr. Brightstar’s pickup until it was very close to them. “Look, Kate,” Carole whispered. They all halted and turned their horses to face the truck. Inside, they could just see Monica sitting between her mother and Mr. Brightstar. They couldn’t tell whether or not she was looking at them.
Kate waved, tentatively, and then they all did. Mr. Brightstar stuck his hand out the window towave back. Monica might have waved, but they couldn’t really tell. The truck drove on.
Carole felt an unreasonable surge of guilt. It wasn’t her fault Monica wasn’t riding, but it seemed a shame that the other girl couldn’t enjoy the same fun they were having.
“It was her choice,” Kate said, almost bitterly. Carole knew Kate was thinking the same thing. “We asked her to come with us.”
“I think I’m ready to go back,” Lisa said quietly.
“Me too,” Stevie said.
“All of us,” said Emily.
“Yeah,” said Kate. “This stinks!” Carole couldn’t tell exactly what Kate meant, but she thought that whatever it was, she agreed. It stunk that they were riding and Monica was not.
“L OOK !” K ATE SAID , as they drew close to the ranch buildings. “There’s Dad’s trailer! He’s home!”
Frank Devine’s big stock trailer was parked near the gate of one of the middle-sized outdoor paddocks. The girls quickly turned their horses out for the evening, put their tack away, and went to see if they could help.
“Stand back, girls!” he told them. Mr. Brightstar and John were there already, and as the girls watched they set up tall pieces of plywood to make a chute leading into the pasture. Caroleclimbed up on the fence to get a closer look. Inside the trailer, the horses moved nervously.
“Okay—careful!” Colonel Devine swung open the back of the trailer. John and Mr. Brightstar reached through the vent windows and unsnapped the lead ropes that tied the first two horses in place. As soon as their heads were free, the horses backed out of the trailer, whirled, and galloped into the pasture. They squealed and tossed their heads.
“You’ll have your hands full with this bunch, John,” Kate said with a grin.
“Oh yeah? Aren’t you helping?” he asked back.
Carole felt a sudden pang of envy for these two, already living full-time around horses. Of course, she did get to spend a lot of time with her own horse, Starlight. Still, to live right next to your horses would be something. She’d love to be able to look out her bedroom window and see Starlight grazing.
The new horses, a buckskin, two pintos, two sorrels, and a
“Wow, I’m impressed,” Carole said. Lisa grinned. She was still the least experienced member of The Saddle Club, and it was fun sometimes to try something the others couldn’t already do.
“I know it was rough, not elegant like John’s,” Lisa said.
“Still, we could tell it was a rollback,” Stevie said. “Let me try.” Her rollback, though also recognizable, wasn’t quite as good as Lisa’s. Her version of a stop, however, was impressive. Stewballnearly sat down, and Stevie came perilously close to flying over his ears. She threw her arms around his neck and pushed herself back into the saddle.
“Nice,” Lisa said. “But aren’t there supposed to be skid marks?”
“Stewball is so cool he doesn’t need to skid,” Stevie replied, unruffled.
After that Carole made Berry jump a fallen log, and then they all had to follow her. Kate tried to teach Emily dressage collection, but Spot, in his Western bridle, refused to learn. Emily gave up, laughing, and took him for another gallop. Stevie tried to make Stewball cut Lisa’s horse out of the crowd. “I’m not a cow!” Lisa protested. “Neither is Chocolate.”
Between the noise of the wind and their laughter, they didn’t notice Mr. Brightstar’s pickup until it was very close to them. “Look, Kate,” Carole whispered. They all halted and turned their horses to face the truck. Inside, they could just see Monica sitting between her mother and Mr. Brightstar. They couldn’t tell whether or not she was looking at them.
Kate waved, tentatively, and then they all did. Mr. Brightstar stuck his hand out the window towave back. Monica might have waved, but they couldn’t really tell. The truck drove on.
Carole felt an unreasonable surge of guilt. It wasn’t her fault Monica wasn’t riding, but it seemed a shame that the other girl couldn’t enjoy the same fun they were having.
“It was her choice,” Kate said, almost bitterly. Carole knew Kate was thinking the same thing. “We asked her to come with us.”
“I think I’m ready to go back,” Lisa said quietly.
“Me too,” Stevie said.
“All of us,” said Emily.
“Yeah,” said Kate. “This stinks!” Carole couldn’t tell exactly what Kate meant, but she thought that whatever it was, she agreed. It stunk that they were riding and Monica was not.
“L OOK !” K ATE SAID , as they drew close to the ranch buildings. “There’s Dad’s trailer! He’s home!”
Frank Devine’s big stock trailer was parked near the gate of one of the middle-sized outdoor paddocks. The girls quickly turned their horses out for the evening, put their tack away, and went to see if they could help.
“Stand back, girls!” he told them. Mr. Brightstar and John were there already, and as the girls watched they set up tall pieces of plywood to make a chute leading into the pasture. Caroleclimbed up on the fence to get a closer look. Inside the trailer, the horses moved nervously.
“Okay—careful!” Colonel Devine swung open the back of the trailer. John and Mr. Brightstar reached through the vent windows and unsnapped the lead ropes that tied the first two horses in place. As soon as their heads were free, the horses backed out of the trailer, whirled, and galloped into the pasture. They squealed and tossed their heads.
“You’ll have your hands full with this bunch, John,” Kate said with a grin.
“Oh yeah? Aren’t you helping?” he asked back.
Carole felt a sudden pang of envy for these two, already living full-time around horses. Of course, she did get to spend a lot of time with her own horse, Starlight. Still, to live right next to your horses would be something. She’d love to be able to look out her bedroom window and see Starlight grazing.
The new horses, a buckskin, two pintos, two sorrels, and a
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