totally unaware of her shortcomings.
“We certainly have to try,” Carole agreed. “But what can we do?”
“Talk,” Stevie said. “We’re going to talk to Lisa now.”
Carole was willing to go along with that. Together they finished their work on Starlight. Then Stevie and Carole went to find Lisa.
The threesome met up in the hallway of the stable where Prancer was cross-tied. Stevie and Carole each picked up a grooming tool to give Lisa a hand and so they could talk without Mrs. Reg complaining that they weren’t working.
“Isn’t she beautiful?” Lisa asked.
Stevie and Carole couldn’t argue with that.
“She is, definitely,” Carole said. “And she’s got the makings of a great competition horse.” Carole was approaching her topic gingerly. She suspected that Lisa wasn’t going to be very receptive.
“In exactly one week,” Lisa said, confirming Carole’s suspicions.
“Yes, well, that’s when Briarwood is, all right,” Stevie said. “It’s going to be a tough show, you know. A lot of the riders there have been practicing for it for months. Most of them will have had plenty of other show experience, too. We’re unusual that way, you know. I mean, you and me. Carole’s been in shows before.”
“But not like this one,” Carole said. “Being in a small show in a small town-well, it’s not the same thing as Briarwood.”
A dreamy look came over Lisa’s face. It made Caroleand Stevie nervous. It meant she wasn’t listening at all.
“Max said your mother did sign the permission form,” Carole said.
“Oh, sure. One look at Prancer and she knew just how I felt. She’s really a good person. She misses the point sometimes, but at least she came to the right conclusion—finally. It was a lot of work, I’ll tell you. I had to do some serious convincing. I was almost as good as you would have been, Stevie!”
Stevie laughed. “I’m always glad when the good stuff rubs off!” she teased.
“Speaking of good stuff, how about Max’s idea for putting our personal goals for Briarwood in sealed envelopes?” Lisa asked.
“I think it’s great,” Stevie said. “Only problem is, it means thinking. And thinking takes work. Work means time away from focusing on Briarwood and daydreaming about how exciting it’s going to be.”
“That’s totally illogical,” Carole told her. “The more time you spend thinking about how you’re going to make it wonderful, the more wonderful it’s going to be.”
“You’re right, of course. But I still think it’s a lot of work. I just hope it pays off.”
“It will,” Carole said. “I promise you. Have you decided what your goals are going to be yet?”
Stevie dropped a brush in Prancer’s grooming bucket and picked up the mane comb. She tugged atthe mare’s mane thoughtfully. “Not yet,” she said. “See, first I have to work at it. How about you?”
“I’ve been working at it,” Carole said. She was rubbing Prancer’s coat until it gleamed. It was a very satisfying task since the results were so nice. “In a way, though, my goals for the show are going to be a lot of the same goals I’ve had for Starlight ever since he became mine. He needed so much additional training, and I’ve given it to him. Now it’s paying off. I know there’s a lot more work to do. A horse’s training can go on for all of his active riding life. I just need to be sure that I use all the skills I have to bring out the best in my horse.”
“Oh, Carole, you put it so well!” Lisa said.
When Stevie gave Carole a dirty look, Carole realized that Lisa was still blaming herself for all of Prancer’s failings. She tried to adjust what she’d said.
“I mean, that’s what’s true for me and for my horse. It’s not true for everybody. I mean, in the case of a horse who is completely new to pleasure riding and competition, it might be a totally different story.…”
“For some horses, maybe,” Lisa said. “But you’ve really given me
“We certainly have to try,” Carole agreed. “But what can we do?”
“Talk,” Stevie said. “We’re going to talk to Lisa now.”
Carole was willing to go along with that. Together they finished their work on Starlight. Then Stevie and Carole went to find Lisa.
The threesome met up in the hallway of the stable where Prancer was cross-tied. Stevie and Carole each picked up a grooming tool to give Lisa a hand and so they could talk without Mrs. Reg complaining that they weren’t working.
“Isn’t she beautiful?” Lisa asked.
Stevie and Carole couldn’t argue with that.
“She is, definitely,” Carole said. “And she’s got the makings of a great competition horse.” Carole was approaching her topic gingerly. She suspected that Lisa wasn’t going to be very receptive.
“In exactly one week,” Lisa said, confirming Carole’s suspicions.
“Yes, well, that’s when Briarwood is, all right,” Stevie said. “It’s going to be a tough show, you know. A lot of the riders there have been practicing for it for months. Most of them will have had plenty of other show experience, too. We’re unusual that way, you know. I mean, you and me. Carole’s been in shows before.”
“But not like this one,” Carole said. “Being in a small show in a small town-well, it’s not the same thing as Briarwood.”
A dreamy look came over Lisa’s face. It made Caroleand Stevie nervous. It meant she wasn’t listening at all.
“Max said your mother did sign the permission form,” Carole said.
“Oh, sure. One look at Prancer and she knew just how I felt. She’s really a good person. She misses the point sometimes, but at least she came to the right conclusion—finally. It was a lot of work, I’ll tell you. I had to do some serious convincing. I was almost as good as you would have been, Stevie!”
Stevie laughed. “I’m always glad when the good stuff rubs off!” she teased.
“Speaking of good stuff, how about Max’s idea for putting our personal goals for Briarwood in sealed envelopes?” Lisa asked.
“I think it’s great,” Stevie said. “Only problem is, it means thinking. And thinking takes work. Work means time away from focusing on Briarwood and daydreaming about how exciting it’s going to be.”
“That’s totally illogical,” Carole told her. “The more time you spend thinking about how you’re going to make it wonderful, the more wonderful it’s going to be.”
“You’re right, of course. But I still think it’s a lot of work. I just hope it pays off.”
“It will,” Carole said. “I promise you. Have you decided what your goals are going to be yet?”
Stevie dropped a brush in Prancer’s grooming bucket and picked up the mane comb. She tugged atthe mare’s mane thoughtfully. “Not yet,” she said. “See, first I have to work at it. How about you?”
“I’ve been working at it,” Carole said. She was rubbing Prancer’s coat until it gleamed. It was a very satisfying task since the results were so nice. “In a way, though, my goals for the show are going to be a lot of the same goals I’ve had for Starlight ever since he became mine. He needed so much additional training, and I’ve given it to him. Now it’s paying off. I know there’s a lot more work to do. A horse’s training can go on for all of his active riding life. I just need to be sure that I use all the skills I have to bring out the best in my horse.”
“Oh, Carole, you put it so well!” Lisa said.
When Stevie gave Carole a dirty look, Carole realized that Lisa was still blaming herself for all of Prancer’s failings. She tried to adjust what she’d said.
“I mean, that’s what’s true for me and for my horse. It’s not true for everybody. I mean, in the case of a horse who is completely new to pleasure riding and competition, it might be a totally different story.…”
“For some horses, maybe,” Lisa said. “But you’ve really given me
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