Horse Trade by Bonnie Bryant Page A

Teddy doing elegant serpentines. After she had mounted, Stevie sat on No-Name watching them.
    Phil rode up to her and grinned. “I’m
almost
ready.”
    “Good attitude,” Stevie said.
    “The only thing is that if we’re going to practice, we need the music,” Phil said.
    “That’s okay,” Stevie said. “I’ll sing.”
    Phil raised his eyebrows, “I can hardly wait.”
    “Let’s warm up the horses with a sitting trot and then go into a shoulder-in.”
    “You like to start at the top,” Phil grumbled. “Teddy and I always have trouble with the shoulder-in.”
    “With me singing you can’t miss,” Stevie said cheerfully.
    They walked their horses briskly around the ring to warm up their muscles, and then Stevie turned No-Name, and they trotted in opposite directions with Stevie singing.
    “You belong to me … almost
.
    With a love that’s free … almost.”
    Listening to herself, Stevie decided that she’d never fully appreciated her talents. She had lots of volume and expression. Next time there was a musical at the Willow Creek Community Theater, she was definitely going to try out. She could probably get a part in the chorus. Who knew? She might even be chosen to be the star.
    As she and Phil rode toward each other, Stevie said,“Reverse directions and shoulder-in.” She noticed that Phil looked kind of odd, but she figured that must be because he was worried about the shoulder-in.
    Doing the shoulder-in and the singing at the same time wasn’t exactly easy, Stevie realized. She had to get through to No-Name that she shouldn’t move just her head to the right, but her shoulder as well. If No-Name bent only her neck, she could acquire a rubber neck. Or she could throw her hind legs out so her body would be straight and there would be no shoulder curve.
    Stevie pulled back gently on the right rein, but then with her right leg at the girth, she pushed No-Name forward so that her head and shoulder were moving right while her body moved forward. An average, untrained horse would fight it, but No-Name understood. Her head and right hock moved gracefully to the right while her body continued forward. She was like a ballet dancer in motion. Stevie wondered where No-Name had learned so much.
    “Hey, look,” came Phil’s voice from the other side of the ring. Stevie looked over and saw that Teddy was doing great, switching smoothly from one side to the other.
    Obviously, it was because of her singing, so Stevie sang louder. “ ‘You belong to me … almost.’ ”
    A door slammed and a woman rushed to the side of the ring. “Hi, Mrs. Marsten,” Stevie called.
    “Hi, Stevie,” said Mrs. Marsten, patting her chest as if she were alarmed by something. “Are you all right, dear?”
    “Absolutely fine,” Stevie said.
    “I heard the most terrible sound,” Mrs. Marsten explained. “Like a creature howling in pain. I was worried that something had happened.”
    Stevie noticed that Phil’s face had turned red. He turned away.
    “We’re fine.” Stevie shrugged. “We’re just practicing for the dressage exhibition.”
    “But that sound,” Mrs. Marsten went on. “Whatever could it have been?”
    A muffled noise burst out of Phil. Soon he was laughing so hard, he could barely talk.
    “It’s okay, Mom,” he managed. “It was just … our sound effects.”
    “They’re awfully …” Mrs. Marsten’s words trailed off. “Do you think they’re right for the exhibition?”
    “We’ll work on it, Mom,” said Phil, now solemn-faced.
    Stevie’s own face was beet-red. She’d never been so embarrassed in her entire life.
    After Mrs. Marsten disappeared into the house, she glared at Phil.
    “Very funny!”
    “Hey, I didn’t tell her to say that,” Phil said, but then he choked on a laugh and started coughing.
    Stevie drew herself tall in the saddle and said, “You’ll be glad to know that at the exhibition Lisa will be doing the singing. And Lisa has a
great
voice. She recently