down a row of buckets.
She dismounted and led him toward the hay bale. His ears pricked forward when he saw it, and he started to turn aside to go around it. Stevie corrected him quickly, and he responded just as quickly, stepping forward straight toward the hay bale. Stevie hopped up onto it, urging Topside to step up. He looked a little puzzled, but obeyed, moving slowly and cautiously, lifting first one foreleg and then the other. Stevie praised him and hopped down on the other side. Topside shook his head a little, but then his years of careful training won out and he did as Stevie asked.
However, it was obvious that he hadn’t liked it. When all four feet were safely on solid ground on the far side of the bale, Topside shook his head again and snorted, moving a few steps away from the hay bale. Stevie moved with him, speaking to him soothingly. When she was sure he was calm, she started to mount.
Unfortunately, she misjudged the location of the stirrup, and her foot missed its mark. Blushing furiously, she tried again and swung up easily into the saddle, mentally scolding herself. That was a beginner’s mistake, and she shouldn’t have made it. But she had been distracted by Topside’s skittishness and had aimed for the stirrup without looking. Being used to No-Name, who was at least a hand shorter than Topside, she had missed.
The next few obstacles were relatively uneventful, althoughTopside hesitated a little before stepping over some bags of grain, obviously confused once again about what he was being asked to do.
The part of the course that Stevie was most worried about was the last part, which involved picking up a flag that Carole had set on a bucket, carrying it across the finish line, and planting it in the dirt. One reason Topside was at Pine Hollow now instead of still competing in the show ring was that he’d shied badly at a national horse show when someone in the crowd had waved a cape as he approached a jump. Stevie was afraid that a fluttering flag might spook him just as much.
When Stevie reached the barrel, she reached over and picked up the flag slowly and carefully, letting Topside see her do it. He watched calmly as it fluttered a little in the breeze, and she let out the breath she’d been holding. She urged him forward and finished the course, dismounting and jabbing the flagpole deep into the dusty ground.
Stevie was disappointed with the performance. She knew her time had been a lot slower than Lisa’s. And even though Topside hadn’t actually refused any of the obstacles, he had clearly been a little perplexed about the whole thing. He was a wonderful, spirited, talented horse, but he just didn’t seem to understand this kind of game. He was a show horse, not a games horse. If only Stevie could be riding No-Name right now! The mischievous mare alwaysseemed to be enjoying mounted games just as much as her mischievous rider—if not more.
Stevie sighed with frustration, hoping the rest of the games would go better.
B Y THE END of the practice session, Stevie’s mood had gone from bad to worse. Topside had done his best, but it was clear to all of them that he just wasn’t as good at the games as No-Name was.
Stevie gave him a good grooming and a few extra treats. “Sorry about that, Topside,” she said, scratching him in his favorite spot. “You know and I know that you’re tops when it comes to jumping and dressage. But I can tell you weren’t having any fun out there just now. You were a good sport to put up with it.”
She sighed as she let herself out of his stall. This was one more thing she could blame on Chelsea Webber. If Horse Wise suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of Cross County on Saturday, it would be all her fault.
Stevie dropped Topside’s tack in the tack room, making a mental promise to clean it later, and headed for No-Name’s stall. At least now she would get to spend some time with her horse. Maybe that would cheer her up.
She found Lisa
She dismounted and led him toward the hay bale. His ears pricked forward when he saw it, and he started to turn aside to go around it. Stevie corrected him quickly, and he responded just as quickly, stepping forward straight toward the hay bale. Stevie hopped up onto it, urging Topside to step up. He looked a little puzzled, but obeyed, moving slowly and cautiously, lifting first one foreleg and then the other. Stevie praised him and hopped down on the other side. Topside shook his head a little, but then his years of careful training won out and he did as Stevie asked.
However, it was obvious that he hadn’t liked it. When all four feet were safely on solid ground on the far side of the bale, Topside shook his head again and snorted, moving a few steps away from the hay bale. Stevie moved with him, speaking to him soothingly. When she was sure he was calm, she started to mount.
Unfortunately, she misjudged the location of the stirrup, and her foot missed its mark. Blushing furiously, she tried again and swung up easily into the saddle, mentally scolding herself. That was a beginner’s mistake, and she shouldn’t have made it. But she had been distracted by Topside’s skittishness and had aimed for the stirrup without looking. Being used to No-Name, who was at least a hand shorter than Topside, she had missed.
The next few obstacles were relatively uneventful, althoughTopside hesitated a little before stepping over some bags of grain, obviously confused once again about what he was being asked to do.
The part of the course that Stevie was most worried about was the last part, which involved picking up a flag that Carole had set on a bucket, carrying it across the finish line, and planting it in the dirt. One reason Topside was at Pine Hollow now instead of still competing in the show ring was that he’d shied badly at a national horse show when someone in the crowd had waved a cape as he approached a jump. Stevie was afraid that a fluttering flag might spook him just as much.
When Stevie reached the barrel, she reached over and picked up the flag slowly and carefully, letting Topside see her do it. He watched calmly as it fluttered a little in the breeze, and she let out the breath she’d been holding. She urged him forward and finished the course, dismounting and jabbing the flagpole deep into the dusty ground.
Stevie was disappointed with the performance. She knew her time had been a lot slower than Lisa’s. And even though Topside hadn’t actually refused any of the obstacles, he had clearly been a little perplexed about the whole thing. He was a wonderful, spirited, talented horse, but he just didn’t seem to understand this kind of game. He was a show horse, not a games horse. If only Stevie could be riding No-Name right now! The mischievous mare alwaysseemed to be enjoying mounted games just as much as her mischievous rider—if not more.
Stevie sighed with frustration, hoping the rest of the games would go better.
B Y THE END of the practice session, Stevie’s mood had gone from bad to worse. Topside had done his best, but it was clear to all of them that he just wasn’t as good at the games as No-Name was.
Stevie gave him a good grooming and a few extra treats. “Sorry about that, Topside,” she said, scratching him in his favorite spot. “You know and I know that you’re tops when it comes to jumping and dressage. But I can tell you weren’t having any fun out there just now. You were a good sport to put up with it.”
She sighed as she let herself out of his stall. This was one more thing she could blame on Chelsea Webber. If Horse Wise suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of Cross County on Saturday, it would be all her fault.
Stevie dropped Topside’s tack in the tack room, making a mental promise to clean it later, and headed for No-Name’s stall. At least now she would get to spend some time with her horse. Maybe that would cheer her up.
She found Lisa
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