startled, is he?” she mused, gazing thoughtfully at Stewball. “That’ll be a good quality in the show ring. He can really concentrate when he wants to, and that’s important.”
“It is important,” Kate agreed. “I remember once when I—”
She never had a chance to finish her sentence, either. Stevie was off and running on another tangent. “I was thinking while we were riding, I’m going to ask Max if Stewball can have the stall across from Starlight’s.…”
Lisa sighed. She had a feeling she wasn’t going to be able to get so much as a word in edgewise, let alone switch the topic from horses to boys, and she couldn’t help being just a little bit annoyed for a second. On the other hand, there was nothing in the world as exciting as getting your own horse, and Lisa couldn’t blame Stevie for being excited. Lisa decided just to relax and join in talking about Stewball foras long as Stevie felt like it—which promised to be a good long time. Her own news could wait awhile.
She glanced at Carole, who rolled her eyes and smiled. It looked as though Carole was having the same thought.
Stevie was oblivious of her friends’ silent exchange. All she could think about was Stewball. She could still hardly believe that her parents had agreed to buy him. This had to be the most exciting thing that had ever happened to her in her entire life.
She started asking Carole questions about Starlight’s training. Carole did her best to answer, though most of the time Stevie was asking another question before Carole was halfway through the answer.
“Well, anyway, my main concern right now is whether to start at the beginning with his training, and how long to wait before starting on anything serious like jumping or dressage,” Stevie said, interrupting Carole for about the twentieth time.
“I’m not sure, but like I started to say a minute ago, I think you might have to do at least some preliminary work with him before trying to teach him anything too advanced. What do you think, Kate?” Carole asked, turning to the more experienced girl.
Stevie glanced at Kate. She realized for the first time that Kate had hardly said a word throughout the whole discussion. “Yeah, what would you do, Kate?”
“Well, I probably wouldn’t try to make an experienced Western horse into a show horse at all,” Kate answeredquietly. “But if I did, I guess I would start his training almost from scratch. After all, he’ll need to get used to an English saddle, and to two-handed reining. That could take a little time, no matter how smart he is. You’re going to be taking him away from everything he’s used to and expecting him to learn a whole new way of doing things.”
If she hadn’t known better, Stevie would have thought that Kate didn’t approve of her plan. She suddenly began to wonder how Kate felt about parting with Stewball. Even though Kate usually rode Spot, the Appaloosa she was riding today, Stevie figured she would probably miss Stewball a lot. Who wouldn’t? He was quite a personality. Maybe Kate was just feeling a little bit sad. Stevie couldn’t blame her for that. But she was sure that once Kate realized what a perfect match Stevie and Stewball really were, she’d know it was the right thing for them to be together all the time. Stevie vowed to prove that to Kate before Stevie and Stewball left the ranch together.
“T HERE YOU ARE . I was wondering if you’d gotten lost on the way from the house,” John greeted Lisa that evening. He jumped down from his perch on the corral fence and came forward to meet her.
“Sorry I’m late,” she said. She didn’t tell him the reason: She still hadn’t found the right opportunity to tell her friends about her plans with him, and she hadn’t wanted to spring the news on them at the last minute. That meant she had had to get away without their knowledge. To facilitate her escape, she had volunteered to help wash the dinner dishes. By the time the chore was
“It is important,” Kate agreed. “I remember once when I—”
She never had a chance to finish her sentence, either. Stevie was off and running on another tangent. “I was thinking while we were riding, I’m going to ask Max if Stewball can have the stall across from Starlight’s.…”
Lisa sighed. She had a feeling she wasn’t going to be able to get so much as a word in edgewise, let alone switch the topic from horses to boys, and she couldn’t help being just a little bit annoyed for a second. On the other hand, there was nothing in the world as exciting as getting your own horse, and Lisa couldn’t blame Stevie for being excited. Lisa decided just to relax and join in talking about Stewball foras long as Stevie felt like it—which promised to be a good long time. Her own news could wait awhile.
She glanced at Carole, who rolled her eyes and smiled. It looked as though Carole was having the same thought.
Stevie was oblivious of her friends’ silent exchange. All she could think about was Stewball. She could still hardly believe that her parents had agreed to buy him. This had to be the most exciting thing that had ever happened to her in her entire life.
She started asking Carole questions about Starlight’s training. Carole did her best to answer, though most of the time Stevie was asking another question before Carole was halfway through the answer.
“Well, anyway, my main concern right now is whether to start at the beginning with his training, and how long to wait before starting on anything serious like jumping or dressage,” Stevie said, interrupting Carole for about the twentieth time.
“I’m not sure, but like I started to say a minute ago, I think you might have to do at least some preliminary work with him before trying to teach him anything too advanced. What do you think, Kate?” Carole asked, turning to the more experienced girl.
Stevie glanced at Kate. She realized for the first time that Kate had hardly said a word throughout the whole discussion. “Yeah, what would you do, Kate?”
“Well, I probably wouldn’t try to make an experienced Western horse into a show horse at all,” Kate answeredquietly. “But if I did, I guess I would start his training almost from scratch. After all, he’ll need to get used to an English saddle, and to two-handed reining. That could take a little time, no matter how smart he is. You’re going to be taking him away from everything he’s used to and expecting him to learn a whole new way of doing things.”
If she hadn’t known better, Stevie would have thought that Kate didn’t approve of her plan. She suddenly began to wonder how Kate felt about parting with Stewball. Even though Kate usually rode Spot, the Appaloosa she was riding today, Stevie figured she would probably miss Stewball a lot. Who wouldn’t? He was quite a personality. Maybe Kate was just feeling a little bit sad. Stevie couldn’t blame her for that. But she was sure that once Kate realized what a perfect match Stevie and Stewball really were, she’d know it was the right thing for them to be together all the time. Stevie vowed to prove that to Kate before Stevie and Stewball left the ranch together.
“T HERE YOU ARE . I was wondering if you’d gotten lost on the way from the house,” John greeted Lisa that evening. He jumped down from his perch on the corral fence and came forward to meet her.
“Sorry I’m late,” she said. She didn’t tell him the reason: She still hadn’t found the right opportunity to tell her friends about her plans with him, and she hadn’t wanted to spring the news on them at the last minute. That meant she had had to get away without their knowledge. To facilitate her escape, she had volunteered to help wash the dinner dishes. By the time the chore was
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