were having trouble with, and Lisa and I will try to figure out how to help.”
Carole quickly made herself scarce, retiring to Sunset’s stall. The mare was pacing restlessly, which was usually a sign that a horse wasn’t ready to drop her foal yet. Carole decided a good grooming was in order.
She collected her equipment and, after carefully cross-tying Sunset, began to give her a thorough cleaning. From where she was working she could hear bits and pieces of what the others were up to outside in the ring.
“Olé!”
Stevie shouted.
That was Carole’s clue that they were working on a game called horseback bullfighting. Carole hadn’tplayed it in a long time, but she remembered it was a fun way to practice turns on the forehand and the hindquarters. The idea was to have someone, on foot or mounted, trot toward you, aiming at your stirrup. At the last moment you have to move your horse’s hindquarters out of the way without getting touched. As the fake bull goes by, you turn and face it, making a 180-degree turn like a bullfighter does.
“Olé!”
Stevie cried again. “You’re doing great, Zach!”
“You’re doing great, Zach,” Carole mimicked to herself. She tried to put the noise out of her mind and concentrate on what she was doing, but every time Lisa or Stevie showered Zach with praises, it made her grit her teeth.
Eager to get out of earshot, Carole hurried to complete the job. She was just finishing up when she heard Max outside. Figuring he had come to check on Zach’s progress, she stopped working in order to listen to the conversation, certain that Max would not be as impressed with Zach’s technique as Stevie and Lisa obviously were.
“It looks like you’ve made some good strides,” Max called to the boy.
“This is fun,” Zach yelled back. “It’s not even like working.”
“Nice job, Stevie,” Max said. “I’ve been trying to get him to do those moves for an hour, and now you’ve taught him in fifteen minutes. I’m very impressed.”
“Thanks, Max, but he’s a natural. I only made it fun.”
“If we can only keep him interested long enough, I think he’ll make a really fine rider one day,” Max said.
“Oh brother,” Carole mouthed quietly to herself. She rolled her eyes. If she heard one more person singing Zach’s praises, she’d throw up. She returned Sunset to her stall and hurried off to tack up her own horse, desperate to put some distance between herself and the boy wonder.
She led Starlight outside and mounted up. The others were chatting together in a small knot. Unfortunately she had to pass by them on her way to the practice ring.
“Hi, Carole. Going for a ride?” Stevie asked.
Before she could answer, Lisa spoke up. “You should have seen how fast Zach picked up on his turns.”
“It wasn’t as hard as I thought after all,” Zach said, grinning happily. “Are there any other games we can play on horseback?”
“Oh sure,” Stevie assured him. “Lots.”
“I think I’ll try a round of jumps,” Carole told them. “Keep up the good work, Zach,” she added, not wantingthem to think she was jealous.
I’m not jealous, of course. Not jealous at all. I’m simply concerned that all this praise will go to Zach’s head.
Carole entered the ring and forced herself to focus. After jogging Starlight around the arena a few times to warm him up, she felt he was ready and set her sights on the first jump. She could tell from his pricked ears that he, too, was eager and paying attention.
With a little pressure from her legs, Carole sent Starlight into a controlled canter. They arrived at the fence in perfect position for the jump. Up and over they soared in absolute unison. With every fence they cleared, Carole felt better and better. At the end of the round they hadn’t so much as brushed a pole, let alone knocked one down.
Gleefully she trotted Starlight over to her friends.
“What did you think, guys, not bad, huh?”
“Oh, sorry, Carole,”
Carole quickly made herself scarce, retiring to Sunset’s stall. The mare was pacing restlessly, which was usually a sign that a horse wasn’t ready to drop her foal yet. Carole decided a good grooming was in order.
She collected her equipment and, after carefully cross-tying Sunset, began to give her a thorough cleaning. From where she was working she could hear bits and pieces of what the others were up to outside in the ring.
“Olé!”
Stevie shouted.
That was Carole’s clue that they were working on a game called horseback bullfighting. Carole hadn’tplayed it in a long time, but she remembered it was a fun way to practice turns on the forehand and the hindquarters. The idea was to have someone, on foot or mounted, trot toward you, aiming at your stirrup. At the last moment you have to move your horse’s hindquarters out of the way without getting touched. As the fake bull goes by, you turn and face it, making a 180-degree turn like a bullfighter does.
“Olé!”
Stevie cried again. “You’re doing great, Zach!”
“You’re doing great, Zach,” Carole mimicked to herself. She tried to put the noise out of her mind and concentrate on what she was doing, but every time Lisa or Stevie showered Zach with praises, it made her grit her teeth.
Eager to get out of earshot, Carole hurried to complete the job. She was just finishing up when she heard Max outside. Figuring he had come to check on Zach’s progress, she stopped working in order to listen to the conversation, certain that Max would not be as impressed with Zach’s technique as Stevie and Lisa obviously were.
“It looks like you’ve made some good strides,” Max called to the boy.
“This is fun,” Zach yelled back. “It’s not even like working.”
“Nice job, Stevie,” Max said. “I’ve been trying to get him to do those moves for an hour, and now you’ve taught him in fifteen minutes. I’m very impressed.”
“Thanks, Max, but he’s a natural. I only made it fun.”
“If we can only keep him interested long enough, I think he’ll make a really fine rider one day,” Max said.
“Oh brother,” Carole mouthed quietly to herself. She rolled her eyes. If she heard one more person singing Zach’s praises, she’d throw up. She returned Sunset to her stall and hurried off to tack up her own horse, desperate to put some distance between herself and the boy wonder.
She led Starlight outside and mounted up. The others were chatting together in a small knot. Unfortunately she had to pass by them on her way to the practice ring.
“Hi, Carole. Going for a ride?” Stevie asked.
Before she could answer, Lisa spoke up. “You should have seen how fast Zach picked up on his turns.”
“It wasn’t as hard as I thought after all,” Zach said, grinning happily. “Are there any other games we can play on horseback?”
“Oh sure,” Stevie assured him. “Lots.”
“I think I’ll try a round of jumps,” Carole told them. “Keep up the good work, Zach,” she added, not wantingthem to think she was jealous.
I’m not jealous, of course. Not jealous at all. I’m simply concerned that all this praise will go to Zach’s head.
Carole entered the ring and forced herself to focus. After jogging Starlight around the arena a few times to warm him up, she felt he was ready and set her sights on the first jump. She could tell from his pricked ears that he, too, was eager and paying attention.
With a little pressure from her legs, Carole sent Starlight into a controlled canter. They arrived at the fence in perfect position for the jump. Up and over they soared in absolute unison. With every fence they cleared, Carole felt better and better. At the end of the round they hadn’t so much as brushed a pole, let alone knocked one down.
Gleefully she trotted Starlight over to her friends.
“What did you think, guys, not bad, huh?”
“Oh, sorry, Carole,”
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