New Rider Read online

  Carole rested her chin on her arms as she leaned on the stall door. “That’s true, but we could have given him a lot more pointers if he hadn’t been so impatient to get in the saddle.”

  Stevie put the finishing touches to Belle and stroked her horse’s long nose thoughtfully. “Maybe his blood was up. I know some days all I want to do is hit the trail and not bother with all the other stuff.”

  “I know how that feels,” Carole admitted, “but the difference is that we do the other stuff no matter how eager we are to get going.”

  Stevie shrugged. “I wouldn’t worry about it yet. I’m sure he’ll settle down. We did.” She led her horse out of the stall. “Now, let’s go see how he rides.”

  AS THE GIRLS guided their horses toward the stable exit, Zach, leading Barq, fell into step with them.

  “Looks like Barq is raring to go,” Lisa remarked, observing the prancing horse.

  “That makes two of us,” Zach said, smiling with undisguised enthusiasm.

  Out of habit Carole found herself scanning his mount for any problems. One became immediately apparent. “Zach, you know you’re going to have to tighten up Barq’s girth again before you mount, right?”

  “I already did that when I tacked him up.”

  The group came to a halt.

  “Barq is trying to pull a fast one on you,” Lisa told him. She gestured toward the horse’s belly.

  Zach was clearly puzzled. “Looks okay to me.”

  Stevie stepped forward. “Here, I’ll hold Barq while you give the girth a tug.”

  Zach did as she suggested, and the leather slid a few inches tighter. “Hey! I know I pulled this as tight as I could the first time.”

  The girls all chuckled.

  “Barq took a big breath of air and held it just as you pulled, then he let it out when you were done,” Lisa told him. “It’s an old horse trick. A lot of animals do it, so it’s something you have to check for every time you saddle up.”

  “Otherwise when you put your weight in the stirrup to mount, you’ll find yourself sitting on the ground and your saddle under his belly,” Carole warned him.

  “If you pull it as tight as you can, then walk him around for a minute, he’ll have to exhale. When you hear him do that, you quickly make it tighter,” Stevie added.

  “I didn’t think horses were that smart,” Zach said.

  Carole shared a knowing look with her friends. “Boy, are you in for some surprises!”

  Sunset poked her head over her door to see what was going on.

  “Hey, girl.” Zach reached out to stroke her. “Why the long face?”

  Stevie immediately broke into laughter. “Why the long face! That’s funny.”

  “Oh, I get it,” Carole said after a moment and chuckled.

  “Of course! All horses have long faces,” Lisa giggled, catching on.

  Sunset avoided Zach’s touch by moving deeper into her stall.

  “Not very friendly, is she?” he remarked. “And, wow, does someone need to go on a diet, big time!”

  Carole rushed to the mare’s defense. “She’s not fat, Zach. She’s pregnant.”

  Zach made a face. “Pregnant and a half from the look of her.”

  “For your information, she’s due to give birth sometime in the next three weeks,” Carole told him. “Then they’ll breed her with Geronimo. I really want to be here for the birth!”

  “Me too,” agreed Stevie.

  “Me three!” Lisa cried.

  “Well, count me out,” Zach said.

  The girls all looked at each other with astonishment. Why would anyone pass up the chance to see a foal born?

  “Maybe if you knew a little more about it, you wouldn’t feel uncomfortable,” Carole suggested.

  Zach held up a hand. “I took biology. I know the drill.”

  “Then you know it’s a perfectly natural process,” Lisa said.

  “So is vomiting,” he pointed out. “That doesn’t mean I want to watch it happen. Besides, all I want to do is ride.”

  Carole could hardly believe her ears. “There’s a lot more to riding than just”—she foundered for a moment—“riding.”

  Stevie looked at Lisa and rolled her eyes. They knew what was coming next; they’d heard it before. Carole was about to launch into her “Horse Care as a Critical Piece of the Riding Experience” talk. A lecture guaranteed to frighten away any new rider. Something had to be done, and quick.

  “When you ride these animals you take on certain obligations,” Carole started, oblivious to her friends’ imploring looks. “They’re trusting you with their health, their very lives. In return for that, you assume certain responsibilities. In order to know when your horse is sick, it’s important to know how it looks and behaves when it’s well. They rely on you for food and shelter, so you have to know how and when and what to feed them—What the …?” She was startled out of her passionate speech by the feel of Stevie’s finger poking in her ear. “What are you doing?” she cried, swatting the hand away.

  “You seemed to be having a brain hemorrhage,” Stevie said. “I was applying direct pressure.”

  Zach burst out laughing.

  Carole glared at Stevie. She had been about to impart some very important information to a new rider, and she didn’t think it was nice of her to interrupt.

  “Hey, C,” Zach said to Carole, “you really had me. For a minute there I was about to run screaming from the stable and never get in the saddle again. I know riding means responsibility, but right now I just want to ride.”

  Carole suddenly realized what Stevie had been trying to tell her. She had almost driven Zach away by loading him up with too much information too fast and too soon. “Oh, well … ha ha,” she chuckled weakly. “Gotcha.”

  Lisa smacked her lightly on the back. “Yep, our Carole is quite the kidder.”

  “Don’t you think we should get going?” asked Zach, looking longingly toward the exit. “I don’t want to miss anything.” Without waiting, he started for the stable door.

  Lisa hurried after him. “Zach, don’t forget to touch the horseshoe before you mount up!”

  He paused, waiting for her. “Why would I do that?”

  “It’s tradition. No rider who touches it has ever been seriously hurt.”

  As Lisa and Zach left the stable, Stevie cornered Carole. “What were you thinking?”

  “Guess I got carried away,” Carole admitted sheepishly.

  Stevie shrugged and smiled. “You had good intentions, anyway.”

  “I hear the road to Hades is paved with those,” Carole replied.

  “And that it leads directly to Veronica diAngelo’s house,” quipped Stevie.

  They both laughed and followed the others outside.

  STEVIE ON BELLE and Carole on Starlight drew up next to Lisa and Zach in the outdoor ring. Max cleared his throat and everyone immediately fell silent. “As many of you know, the original purpose for gymkhana was to perfect a rider’s skill with mounted weapons and to train horses in combat tactics and absolute obedience. Of course, in modern times we’ve changed that a bit. Skill and obedience are still the main focus, but now fun and good sportsmanship are also encouraged. Hopefully you will all have a chance to experience that today.”

  “What? No more battle-axes?” Zach whispered with a smile.

  “Sorry, Veronica’s the only one we have left,” Stevie mumbled back.

  Max drew their attention to the ring. “I’ve set up a barrel race for our first competition. Each team has four members, but only the top three scores will count. The fastest combined times will win the event. You have two minutes to decide who rides in what position for your team. Good luck.”

  “Have you ever ridden in a barrel race before?” Lisa asked Zach as Max walked away.

  “Not barrels, no,” he admitted. “But we did something similar when I was in Texas, and I have seen it at a rodeo.”

  “Here’s what I suggest,” Carole said, taking charge. “Stevie will
lead off, which should get us off to a good start. Lisa, you go next, then me, and then Zach.” She turned to the boy. “That way with three good scores in already, you won’t be under any pressure.”

  Zach smiled and gave her a thumbs-up. “Whatever you guys decide is fine by me. After all, I am the amateur here.”

  “Rank amateur,” gloated Veronica diAngelo from the group next to them. “We’re going to wipe you guys off the map.”

  “Ignore her and focus on what we have to do,” Lisa advised.

  They all nodded agreement.

  Stevie, who was first out for their team, didn’t let them down. From the minute she left the starting line, her ride was smooth as silk. She and Belle negotiated each turn cleanly and sailed home at a gallop with a fine time.

  Lisa was next. Knowing her friend tended to get nervous about competition, Carole had made sure to give her a reassuring word before she took off. There was no way to be sure if that’s what did the trick, but Lisa and Prancer also turned in a more-than-respectable time.

  Carole felt her pulse begin to race with excitement as she prepared herself for her turn. Although they already had two good scores, Veronica diAngelo’s team was also doing well. As much as she liked Zach, she had to be realistic. This was his first try, and they couldn’t count on him. It was up to her to cement their victory.

  Starlight broke from the line fast and straight, Carole thrilling to the power of the horse beneath her. They rounded the first barrel at a good clip and aimed for the second one. Whoosh! They took that one even closer and faster. With the blood singing in her ears, she took aim at the last one. Anticipating the turn of Starlight’s body around the barrel, Carole leaned in as she had been taught. Unfortunately, at that moment she felt her horse stumble and almost go down. Although Starlight managed to catch himself, her foot struck the barrel with enough force to knock it over. They were disqualified!

  Carole guided her horse back to the finish line, flushing with embarrassment.

  Her teammates hurried over to console her.

  “Sorry, guys,” she mumbled. “Guess I blew it.”

  “That was a bad break, that’s all,” Stevie said sympathetically.

  Lisa put a consoling hand on her shoulder. “I really thought you had it for a minute.”

  Zach, on the other hand, seemed all revved up. “You were totally smoking, C!” he raved.

  Carole was taken aback. Didn’t he realize because of her mistake they had lost the competition?

  “That was an excellent try. I can’t wait for my turn.”

  Carole was about to give him some advice about how to negotiate the turns when she thought better of it. After all, she had blown it completely. “Guess you’re about to get your chance. I’m sure you’ll do fine.” She gave a rueful grin. “You can’t do worse than I did.”

  Zach gave them a thumbs-up and maneuvered Barq to the starting line, where the restless animal pranced and fretted. His rider seemed to barely have him under control.

  The starting bell rang.

  Zach and Barq left the line almost in sync with the sound, and from there on out it was all flying elbows, flapping knees, and galloping horse. The duo flew around the barrels, Barq’s flashing hooves sending showers of dirt into the air as they negotiated the turns at hair-raising speed.

  Carole was certain they would knock over at least one barrel, if not all of them. How could they not, with that out-of-control style? She continued to watch in amazement. Not only did the barrels stay up, but the dynamic duo flashed across the finish line with the best time of the meet!

  The Saddle Club rushed over to Zach as he and Barq skidded to a stop. Zach’s legs were way out of position and he almost came out of the saddle, but he managed to hang on with the help of a handful of mane.

  “Yahoo!” Stevie shouted.

  “That was amazing!” Lisa raved.

  “Why didn’t you tell us you could do that?” Carole asked.

  Zach shrugged modestly. “I told you I’ve never been in a barrel race before, but my cousin taught me to do the same thing around cactus back in Texas.”

  “Guess you’d think twice before knocking over one of those,” Lisa laughed.

  “Especially if you know what’s good for your horse,” Carole mumbled to herself.

  Max called the class together. “I am pleased to announce the winner of the barrel racing competition … Group Three.”

  Carole felt her heart leap. They had done it! They had beaten Veronica and her team! She turned to the others and her spirits dropped a bit. Lisa, Stevie, and Zach were already celebrating their victory. In all fairness, she had to admit that she hadn’t been of any help.

  “One more announcement before we set up for the next event,” continued Max. “Zach Simpson has set the fastest barrel racing time of any Horse Wise member ever.”

  All the riders went over to congratulate him.

  “Nice job, Zach,” Carole called over the mob. In her mind she was thinking, Beginner’s luck.

  The next event was a flag relay race. Unlike the first game, all the teams would compete at the same time. At the bell the riders would run to their horses, mount, gallop as fast as they could to the other end of the arena, snatch a red flag out of a cone on the ground, return to the starting point, dismount, and tag the next member, who could then begin.

  The Saddle Club team agreed to keep the same order as before.

  At the start of the race, Stevie dashed over to Belle and mounted her in one fluid, graceful motion. It set the tone for the rest of her round—fast, smooth, and elegant, resulting in a small lead for their team.

  As Stevie slapped Lisa’s hand, the other girl yelled, “Thanks!” grateful for the head start.

  Because she had been so instrumental in Lisa’s training, Carole watched her compete with all the pleasure of a mother duck watching her beloved duckling excel at swimming—proud of the way Prancer’s and Lisa’s movements were so coordinated. The trust between horse and rider was rewarded, and they managed to hang on to the lead Stevie and Belle had gained.

  Carole gathered herself for her chance, determined to do better this time. The moment Lisa slipped off Prancer’s back and high-fived her, she raced to Starlight’s side, who stood stock-still as she had taught him to do. Then, at her urging, Starlight took off like a shot. Not wanting to overrun the flags, Carole reined her horse in slightly and managed to grab one. Again she cued her horse into a fast gallop, heading back to the starting point. Pulling to a halt, Carole slid smoothly out of the saddle and promptly tripped over her own feet. To her horror she felt the flag fly from her hand as she landed on her hands and knees. Arena dust filled her eyes, temporarily blinding her. Desperately she felt around on the ground for it.

  “To your right!” Stevie yelled. “It’s on your right, Carole!”

  She felt her fingers close around the cloth and, stomach churning and eyes watering, managed to stumble to the finish line where Zach was waiting for his turn.

  “Sorry,” she gasped as they touched hands.

  Zach said nothing. He was already on his way to the prancing Barq.

  “Oh no!” Lisa cried. “Barq’s overexcited. Zach will never be able to mount him!”

  Once again they had underestimated their teammate. Instead of approaching his horse from the left, Zach ran straight at Barq’s rump. With a cry of “Yeehaw!” he leaped into the air and, using the animal’s hindquarters as a vault, landed spectacularly in the saddle.

  Carole’s gasp of astonishment was echoed by everyone.

  Without even securing his feet in the stirrups, Zach kicked Barq to a mad gallop and the horse responded for all it was worth. In a flash he managed to make up all the distance that Carole’s fall had cost them. Traveling at what Carole felt was a foolhardy speed, he leaned down to grab a flag, then shot forward to pull even with Veronica, who was in the lead. It was a race to the finish! The two of them reached the starting point at the same time, but while Veronica dismounted the traditional
way, Zach reined Barq to a screeching halt and propelled himself from the saddle, hitting the ground running and crossing the finish line before Veronica’s expensive boots even touched the ground.

  The three girls nearly turned themselves inside out with joy.

  “We won again!” crowed Stevie, bouncing up and down.

  Lisa playfully punched a flushed Zach in the arm. “You rock!”

  “Zach, that was fantastic,” Carole admitted. Actually she was a little concerned about the possible injury to Barq’s ankles from the sliding stop, but she didn’t want to belittle the boy’s amazing performance. After all, if it hadn’t been for him, they wouldn’t have won.

  “Where did you learn to mount a horse like that?” Stevie gasped.

  Zach shrugged. “That’s how all the cool kids did it in Texas, so I did, too.”

  “You have got to teach me that,” Stevie insisted. “It is so hot.”

  “A little unnerving for the horse,” Carole ventured.

  “Not if you’ve prepared him,” Stevie countered.

  I doubt Barq knew what was coming, Carole thought, but before she could respond, the other riders rushed up to congratulate Zach. She found herself bumped out of the way by his crowd of newfound admirers.

  Veronica diAngelo wormed her way to the center of the throng. “It looks like we have a virtuoso on our hands,” she purred. “Maybe I misjudged you, Zachary.”

  “Don’t worry, Veronica, I’ll make sure he doesn’t do the same to you,” Stevie told her with a grin.

  The last event of the afternoon was a paper chase. This event was a test of a rider’s seat and the smoothness of a horse’s gaits. After removing their saddles, the riders were to sit on a piece of paper. With Max calling out changes in gaits and directions, the one who could keep the paper in place the longest would get the most points.

  Everybody was fine at the walk, but as soon as Max called for a trot, many of the younger, inexperienced riders started to drop out. Unfortunately for The Saddle Club, Zach was among the first dismissed, due to his undisciplined seat and his difficulty controlling a now overexcited Barq.