head that he wanted to use Cobweb for driving. I guess he thought he would make a very pretty sight pulling a little cart.” Mrs. Reg’s eyes had a faraway look. “Cobweb, on the other hand, had other thoughts on the matter. He made it very clear that he wanted nothing to do with the whole thing. In fact, when he saw anyone coming at him with that tack, he’d snort and paw and lay his ears back so hard it looked like he didn’t have any.”
Carole laughed at the idea of such a beautiful, gentle pony trying to act so fierce. Kind of like an angry kitten.
“When it came to his training, Cobweb was slow tolearn, but Max knew it wasn’t because he was stupid, it was that he simply didn’t enjoy that part of being a pony. Of course, if you had known my husband at all, you’d know that if he thought something was for the best, he couldn’t be deterred.”
Mrs. Reg seemed to have come to the end of the story as abruptly as she had started it. While this didn’t surprise Carole, she couldn’t resist asking one question. “So did Cobweb become a great driving pony in spite of how he felt at the beginning?”
“Oh no, dear. He was pretty good at it, but you could tell he never really enjoyed it. Still, he learned what he needed to know.” She looked at her watch. “Oh my, I really must go.”
Mrs. Reg was on her way back to her office before Carole could even say good-bye. As usual she had no idea what to make of the story or why Mrs. Reg had told it to her.
Since it was fairly obvious she wasn’t going to accomplish anything by hanging around the stable, Carole headed out for the bus stop. Maybe tomorrow something would shake loose.
F RIDAY AFTER SCHOOL , Lisa was hard at work with Jasmine. She took out a pencil and book and presented them to the girl.
Jasmine examined the book curiously. It was dark blue with a white unicorn on the front, and inside were lined white pages, waiting to be filled. “It’s so pretty!” she exclaimed, running her hand over the cover. “But what’s it for?”
Lisa sat on a bale of hay and patted the space next to her. “One of your jobs as Outlaw’s rider is to keep track of his records. Visits to the vet, when he had his shoes fixed last, how much he eats, that kind of thing,” she explained. “You could jot it down on any old pieceof paper, but I thought you might like something a little more special.”
Jasmine’s eyes were shining. “Oh, thank you! I’ll take real good care of it.”
“I know you will,” Lisa said, smiling at the girl’s enthusiasm. “Now,” she said, reaching into her shirt pocket and extracting a folded piece of paper, which she handed to Jasmine, “even though the show skills rally will take place here at Pine Hollow, we want to treat it like the under-twelve show. I want you to make a checklist. On one side write down all the things you think Outlaw may need to have with him for the show, and on the other side write down everything you’re going to need yourself that day.”
Jasmine promptly began to scribble. “This is going to be easy.”
Lisa said nothing. She knew it sounded simple enough, but in the excitement of competition, young riders frequently forgot important items. By having Jasmine make this list early, Lisa intended to make sure that no essential piece of equipment would be overlooked on show day.
“Hi, Jasmine. Hi, Lisa,” called Corey, skipping across the stable yard toward them.
Lisa was surprised to see her. She hadn’t anticipatedthat Corey and Stevie might want to put in some work that day as well.
Jasmine looked up from her paper. “Hi, Corey. You still want to meet for a soda after class?”
“Of course, and let’s ask May, too.” Corey turned to Lisa. “Do you know where Stevie is?”
“Have you tried inside?” Lisa asked.
“Not yet. I thought you might have come together, you being best friends and all.”
Her words made Lisa cringe. Not only had she not seen Stevie or Carole since
Carole laughed at the idea of such a beautiful, gentle pony trying to act so fierce. Kind of like an angry kitten.
“When it came to his training, Cobweb was slow tolearn, but Max knew it wasn’t because he was stupid, it was that he simply didn’t enjoy that part of being a pony. Of course, if you had known my husband at all, you’d know that if he thought something was for the best, he couldn’t be deterred.”
Mrs. Reg seemed to have come to the end of the story as abruptly as she had started it. While this didn’t surprise Carole, she couldn’t resist asking one question. “So did Cobweb become a great driving pony in spite of how he felt at the beginning?”
“Oh no, dear. He was pretty good at it, but you could tell he never really enjoyed it. Still, he learned what he needed to know.” She looked at her watch. “Oh my, I really must go.”
Mrs. Reg was on her way back to her office before Carole could even say good-bye. As usual she had no idea what to make of the story or why Mrs. Reg had told it to her.
Since it was fairly obvious she wasn’t going to accomplish anything by hanging around the stable, Carole headed out for the bus stop. Maybe tomorrow something would shake loose.
F RIDAY AFTER SCHOOL , Lisa was hard at work with Jasmine. She took out a pencil and book and presented them to the girl.
Jasmine examined the book curiously. It was dark blue with a white unicorn on the front, and inside were lined white pages, waiting to be filled. “It’s so pretty!” she exclaimed, running her hand over the cover. “But what’s it for?”
Lisa sat on a bale of hay and patted the space next to her. “One of your jobs as Outlaw’s rider is to keep track of his records. Visits to the vet, when he had his shoes fixed last, how much he eats, that kind of thing,” she explained. “You could jot it down on any old pieceof paper, but I thought you might like something a little more special.”
Jasmine’s eyes were shining. “Oh, thank you! I’ll take real good care of it.”
“I know you will,” Lisa said, smiling at the girl’s enthusiasm. “Now,” she said, reaching into her shirt pocket and extracting a folded piece of paper, which she handed to Jasmine, “even though the show skills rally will take place here at Pine Hollow, we want to treat it like the under-twelve show. I want you to make a checklist. On one side write down all the things you think Outlaw may need to have with him for the show, and on the other side write down everything you’re going to need yourself that day.”
Jasmine promptly began to scribble. “This is going to be easy.”
Lisa said nothing. She knew it sounded simple enough, but in the excitement of competition, young riders frequently forgot important items. By having Jasmine make this list early, Lisa intended to make sure that no essential piece of equipment would be overlooked on show day.
“Hi, Jasmine. Hi, Lisa,” called Corey, skipping across the stable yard toward them.
Lisa was surprised to see her. She hadn’t anticipatedthat Corey and Stevie might want to put in some work that day as well.
Jasmine looked up from her paper. “Hi, Corey. You still want to meet for a soda after class?”
“Of course, and let’s ask May, too.” Corey turned to Lisa. “Do you know where Stevie is?”
“Have you tried inside?” Lisa asked.
“Not yet. I thought you might have come together, you being best friends and all.”
Her words made Lisa cringe. Not only had she not seen Stevie or Carole since
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