A Star Discovered (11 page)

Straw
—The material used for bedding in a stall; it consists of stalks of grain from which the grain has been removed and the stalks
baled. It should be bright yellow and not dusty.

Sweat scraper
—A tool made of plastic or metal that is held in the hand and used to remove excess sweat from a hot horse or pony or excess
water from one being bathed.

Tack
—Equipment used in riding and driving horses or ponies, such as saddles, bridles, harnesses, etc.

Tack box
—A container with a handle used to transport grooming tools, bridles, etc., to horse shows or other events.

Tack trunk
—A large trunk usually kept in the stable, which contains the equipment used by the rider, such as as bridles, grooming tools,
saddles, lead ropes, medicines, etc.

Throatlatch
—The narrow strap of the bridle, which goes under the horse’s throat and is used to secure the bridle to the head.

Trot
—A rapid, two-beat gait in which the front foot and the opposite hind foot take off at the same time and strike the ground
simultaneously.

Trough
—A long, shallow receptacle used for feeding or watering animals.

Udder
—The mammary glands of a cow, where the teats are attached and the milk is produced.

Wash stall
—An enclosed area, usually inside the stable, with hot and cold running water, where a horse or pony may be crosstied and
bathed.

Weanling
—A foal who has been weaned (separated) from its mother and is no longer nursing. Foals are normally weaned at about six months
of age.

Whinny
—A high-pitched, loud call of the horse.

Winter coat
—The longish hair that the horse or pony naturally grows in the winter to protect him from the cold. In the spring, the winter
coat “sheds out” and the body becomes sleek again, with a short hair coat.

Withers
—The ridge at the base of the neck and between the shoulders of a horse or pony. The saddle sits on the horse’s back behind
the withers, and we measure the horse or pony’s height by measuring from the ground to the top of the withers.

Mary and Jody in the Movies

When Mr. McMurray’s farm is chosen as the perfect location for a movie, epic friends Mary and Jody know they are in for a
wild ride. They never would have guessed that they, along with their ponies Lady and Gypsy, would soon be selected to join
the cast of a major motion picture!

However, no one ever told them that movie-making was such grueling work! Sure there are lots of new and exciting people around,
and their farm is being transformed into a wonder to behold, but the girls are convinced that not everything is as perfect
as it seems...

JoAnn Dawson with Painted Warrior

About the Author

A horse lover since childhood, JoAnn Dawson lives with her husband, Ted, and their two sons on a horse farm in Maryland, where
they operate a bed & breakfast and offer riding lessons, carriage rides, horse shows, and a summer camp. JoAnn teaches Equine
Science at a local college and is an actress and animal wrangler for film and television. She has enjoyed competing over the
years on her American Paint Horse, Painted Warrior, but it is Butterscotch the pony who accompanies her on school visits and
book signings. Butterscotch is so comfortable around kids that he may be the only pony in the country who is allowed to go
into classrooms! Learn more about the author and her farm at www.luckyfootseries.com.