beside Merrill as they led their horses down the wide stable aisle.
Merrill looked up. There were tears in her eyes. “I’m quitting,” she said, her voice quavering.
“But you can’t quit now!” Lisa exclaimed. “If you do, you may never learn to jump.”
“That’s fine with me,” Merrill replied. “There’s more to riding than jumping, you know.”
“I know,” Lisa said. “But jumping is so much fun—I’d hate to think you were missing out on that. I know you could do it if you just gave it more of a chance.”
“I’ve given it a chance,” Merrill said. “I’ve humiliated myself in front of all your friends for two days in a row now. That’s plenty.”
Lisa thought fast. “At least promise me you’ll talk about it with Stevie and Carole before you make up your mind for sure.”
“I’ve already made up my mind,” Merrill said. “I might learn to jump someday, but not this week. I’m not good enough for this clinic anyway.”
“Of course you are,” Lisa said. She had the funniest feeling she was beginning to understand what was bothering Merrill.It wasn’t jumping that scared her—it was being a beginning jumper in front of more experienced riders. Lisa knew that Merrill didn’t like feeling conspicuous, and she was bound to feel that way if she thought everyone else in the class was doing better than she.
“I’ll still come and watch you guys,” Merrill offered. “I just won’t take part in the classes. Max probably won’t let me come to the party, but—”
“Listen,” Lisa interrupted. “I have an idea. I’ll meet you at Chip’s stall in a few minutes, okay?”
Merrill looked a little confused. “Um, okay,” she said.
Lisa hurried Barq along to his stall and quickly untacked him. “I’ll be back to give you a good grooming in a minute,” she promised, giving him a pat on the nose. Then she headed down the aisle to Starlight’s stall.
“Hi, Lisa.” Carole was inside the stall, checking Starlight’s water bucket. “Are you finished with Barq already?”
“Not exactly,” Lisa said. “But I need to talk to you about something. Where’s Stevie?” She peered over the half door of Belle’s stall, but the mare was alone.
“She went to the tack room,” Carole replied. “She’ll be back in a second.”
“She’s back now,” Stevie said, coming up behind them. “What’s up?”
“It’s Merrill,” Lisa replied.
“Uh-oh,” Stevie said. “Bad news?”
“You bet,” Lisa confirmed. “She wants to drop out of the clinic. But I have a plan.”
“Let’s hear it,” said Carole.
Lisa took a deep breath, trying to think of the best way to explain. “We all know that Merrill is a good rider—much better than she thinks she is. Right?”
“Right,” Carole said, and Stevie nodded.
“Well, then, it’s clear that her jumping problems aren’t caused by a lack of skill,” Lisa went on. “I think her nervousness has more to do with everyone watching her than with anything else.”
Carole shrugged. “That’s not good,” she said. “If she can’t ride in front of other people, that’s always going to affect what she can do.”
“Not necessarily,” Lisa said. “You see, I’m beginning to think that it’s only when something is brand new that she has a major problem doing it in front of others. Once she has the hang of something—like riding when she’s not jumping—she does fine.”
Stevie looked thoughtful. “I never would have thought of that,” she said. “But it does make sense.”
“What’s your plan, Lisa?” Carole asked.
“That’s where you come in,” Lisa told her. “You’re such a good teacher, Carole, I think if you gave Merrill some private jumping instruction tomorrow, she might gain enough confidence to go back to the clinic on Tuesday.”
“I’m willing to give it a try if Max says it’s okay,” Carole said. “Do you think Merrill will go for it?”
“I hope so,” Lisa said. “You two will
Merrill looked up. There were tears in her eyes. “I’m quitting,” she said, her voice quavering.
“But you can’t quit now!” Lisa exclaimed. “If you do, you may never learn to jump.”
“That’s fine with me,” Merrill replied. “There’s more to riding than jumping, you know.”
“I know,” Lisa said. “But jumping is so much fun—I’d hate to think you were missing out on that. I know you could do it if you just gave it more of a chance.”
“I’ve given it a chance,” Merrill said. “I’ve humiliated myself in front of all your friends for two days in a row now. That’s plenty.”
Lisa thought fast. “At least promise me you’ll talk about it with Stevie and Carole before you make up your mind for sure.”
“I’ve already made up my mind,” Merrill said. “I might learn to jump someday, but not this week. I’m not good enough for this clinic anyway.”
“Of course you are,” Lisa said. She had the funniest feeling she was beginning to understand what was bothering Merrill.It wasn’t jumping that scared her—it was being a beginning jumper in front of more experienced riders. Lisa knew that Merrill didn’t like feeling conspicuous, and she was bound to feel that way if she thought everyone else in the class was doing better than she.
“I’ll still come and watch you guys,” Merrill offered. “I just won’t take part in the classes. Max probably won’t let me come to the party, but—”
“Listen,” Lisa interrupted. “I have an idea. I’ll meet you at Chip’s stall in a few minutes, okay?”
Merrill looked a little confused. “Um, okay,” she said.
Lisa hurried Barq along to his stall and quickly untacked him. “I’ll be back to give you a good grooming in a minute,” she promised, giving him a pat on the nose. Then she headed down the aisle to Starlight’s stall.
“Hi, Lisa.” Carole was inside the stall, checking Starlight’s water bucket. “Are you finished with Barq already?”
“Not exactly,” Lisa said. “But I need to talk to you about something. Where’s Stevie?” She peered over the half door of Belle’s stall, but the mare was alone.
“She went to the tack room,” Carole replied. “She’ll be back in a second.”
“She’s back now,” Stevie said, coming up behind them. “What’s up?”
“It’s Merrill,” Lisa replied.
“Uh-oh,” Stevie said. “Bad news?”
“You bet,” Lisa confirmed. “She wants to drop out of the clinic. But I have a plan.”
“Let’s hear it,” said Carole.
Lisa took a deep breath, trying to think of the best way to explain. “We all know that Merrill is a good rider—much better than she thinks she is. Right?”
“Right,” Carole said, and Stevie nodded.
“Well, then, it’s clear that her jumping problems aren’t caused by a lack of skill,” Lisa went on. “I think her nervousness has more to do with everyone watching her than with anything else.”
Carole shrugged. “That’s not good,” she said. “If she can’t ride in front of other people, that’s always going to affect what she can do.”
“Not necessarily,” Lisa said. “You see, I’m beginning to think that it’s only when something is brand new that she has a major problem doing it in front of others. Once she has the hang of something—like riding when she’s not jumping—she does fine.”
Stevie looked thoughtful. “I never would have thought of that,” she said. “But it does make sense.”
“What’s your plan, Lisa?” Carole asked.
“That’s where you come in,” Lisa told her. “You’re such a good teacher, Carole, I think if you gave Merrill some private jumping instruction tomorrow, she might gain enough confidence to go back to the clinic on Tuesday.”
“I’m willing to give it a try if Max says it’s okay,” Carole said. “Do you think Merrill will go for it?”
“I hope so,” Lisa said. “You two will
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