their boots.”
“I wouldn’t ride a mile in her custom-made boots even if I could!” cried Stevie. “They’d probably cut off my circulation!”
“Well, you two work it out.” Max patted Stevie on the shoulder and walked back to his office.
“I’ll do my best,” Stevie whispered as she led the horses back to the center of the paddock.
She fit the bridle and blinders on Belle first, then worked on Danny. He was as cooperative as his owner was uncooperative. Just as Stevie made the final adjustments on his tack, Veronica walked back into the paddock.
“Hi,” Stevie began. “I gave Danny the better bit, and Belle the better—”
Veronica wasn’t listening. She walked directly over to Danny and wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face in his dapple gray coat and giving him a long, affectionate hug.
Stevie’s mouth fell open. She’d never seen Veronica display any kind of affection toward any animal, ever. She almost turned away, embarrassed, but then Veronica let go of Danny and looked at Stevie. Again Stevie’s jaw dropped. She could have sworn she saw actual tears in Veronica’s eyes. She shook her head.
You must be dreaming
, she told herself.
You got up way too early this morning and you’re still dreaming. Only people who have hearts cry, and all Veronica has inside her chest is some kind of weird pump made of eighteen-carat gold
.
Still, they looked like real tears glistening in her eyes. “Veronica?” Stevie asked softly.
“Let’s get to work.” Veronica briskly turned her backto Stevie. “Danny’s very smart. He gets bored just standing around doing nothing.”
“Okay,” agreed Stevie. “Let’s see if they’ll longe together.”
“Only if Danny can be on the left,” insisted Veronica.
“Fine.” Stevie gave up and clipped the right end of the checkrein to Belle’s bridle.
Being upset enough to cry sure doesn’t make her easier to get along with
, she thought as Veronica fumbled with the longe line.
Finally they got the line sorted out and walked to the center of the paddock. “Here,” Veronica said. “Give the line to me. I want to drive first.”
Stevie handed the longe line to Veronica and stood back to watch. Veronica cracked the long driving whip loudly and clucked to both horses. Belle started out at a trot, but Danny immediately leaped into a canter. They bumped halfway around the paddock, knocking into each other at both turns.
“Slow them down, Veronica,” warned Stevie. “Or at least get them both in the same gait.”
“I know what I’m doing,” Veronica said. “This is the way Danny likes to get started.”
“But Belle doesn’t know what to do,” cried Stevie.
“Well, that’s obvious. Belle’s certainly not the horse Danny is. I wonder if she’s even fit to pull a wagon with him.” Veronica cracked the whip again.
“She’s every bit the horse Danny is,” Stevie retorted. “Maybe even more.”
The horses continued around the paddock. Veronica’s constant cracking of the whip made Belle shift to a canter. That gave Danny the idea that they were racing. As Belle cantered past, he dipped his head and nipped at her shoulder. Belle gave a high whinny of pain and reared back, pawing at Danny with her front hooves.
“Veronica!” Stevie cried. “Stop them!”
“I can’t!” Veronica screamed, dropping the longe line completely.
Now both horses were out of control. Belle reared up again, trying to hit Danny with her hooves. Danny’s head darted low as he snapped at Belle’s legs. Finally he twisted the longe line and wedged himself sideways behind Belle and started kicking at the paddock fence with his powerful back legs.
“Stop it, Danny! Stop it!” Veronica shrieked. “You’re going to get killed!”
Stevie didn’t know what to do. She knew it was dangerous to get between two angry, out-of-control horses, but if she didn’t do something fast they were both going to get badly hurt. She ran across the paddock and
“I wouldn’t ride a mile in her custom-made boots even if I could!” cried Stevie. “They’d probably cut off my circulation!”
“Well, you two work it out.” Max patted Stevie on the shoulder and walked back to his office.
“I’ll do my best,” Stevie whispered as she led the horses back to the center of the paddock.
She fit the bridle and blinders on Belle first, then worked on Danny. He was as cooperative as his owner was uncooperative. Just as Stevie made the final adjustments on his tack, Veronica walked back into the paddock.
“Hi,” Stevie began. “I gave Danny the better bit, and Belle the better—”
Veronica wasn’t listening. She walked directly over to Danny and wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face in his dapple gray coat and giving him a long, affectionate hug.
Stevie’s mouth fell open. She’d never seen Veronica display any kind of affection toward any animal, ever. She almost turned away, embarrassed, but then Veronica let go of Danny and looked at Stevie. Again Stevie’s jaw dropped. She could have sworn she saw actual tears in Veronica’s eyes. She shook her head.
You must be dreaming
, she told herself.
You got up way too early this morning and you’re still dreaming. Only people who have hearts cry, and all Veronica has inside her chest is some kind of weird pump made of eighteen-carat gold
.
Still, they looked like real tears glistening in her eyes. “Veronica?” Stevie asked softly.
“Let’s get to work.” Veronica briskly turned her backto Stevie. “Danny’s very smart. He gets bored just standing around doing nothing.”
“Okay,” agreed Stevie. “Let’s see if they’ll longe together.”
“Only if Danny can be on the left,” insisted Veronica.
“Fine.” Stevie gave up and clipped the right end of the checkrein to Belle’s bridle.
Being upset enough to cry sure doesn’t make her easier to get along with
, she thought as Veronica fumbled with the longe line.
Finally they got the line sorted out and walked to the center of the paddock. “Here,” Veronica said. “Give the line to me. I want to drive first.”
Stevie handed the longe line to Veronica and stood back to watch. Veronica cracked the long driving whip loudly and clucked to both horses. Belle started out at a trot, but Danny immediately leaped into a canter. They bumped halfway around the paddock, knocking into each other at both turns.
“Slow them down, Veronica,” warned Stevie. “Or at least get them both in the same gait.”
“I know what I’m doing,” Veronica said. “This is the way Danny likes to get started.”
“But Belle doesn’t know what to do,” cried Stevie.
“Well, that’s obvious. Belle’s certainly not the horse Danny is. I wonder if she’s even fit to pull a wagon with him.” Veronica cracked the whip again.
“She’s every bit the horse Danny is,” Stevie retorted. “Maybe even more.”
The horses continued around the paddock. Veronica’s constant cracking of the whip made Belle shift to a canter. That gave Danny the idea that they were racing. As Belle cantered past, he dipped his head and nipped at her shoulder. Belle gave a high whinny of pain and reared back, pawing at Danny with her front hooves.
“Veronica!” Stevie cried. “Stop them!”
“I can’t!” Veronica screamed, dropping the longe line completely.
Now both horses were out of control. Belle reared up again, trying to hit Danny with her hooves. Danny’s head darted low as he snapped at Belle’s legs. Finally he twisted the longe line and wedged himself sideways behind Belle and started kicking at the paddock fence with his powerful back legs.
“Stop it, Danny! Stop it!” Veronica shrieked. “You’re going to get killed!”
Stevie didn’t know what to do. She knew it was dangerous to get between two angry, out-of-control horses, but if she didn’t do something fast they were both going to get badly hurt. She ran across the paddock and
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