Flying Horse (2 page)

Carole and Lisa rolled their eyes. “Well, I don’t,” Lisa said, laughing at Stevie’s dramatics. “But I do know we’ll never get to Cross County until the horses are on the van.”

Carole nodded. “This is a job for The Saddle Club!”

In a minute they had everything organized. Stevie held Belle and Starlight while Lisa loaded Delilah, and Carole helped Jessica with Penny. Then Stevie and
Carole loaded their horses, and Lisa helped Denise finish inspecting the younger kids’ ponies. Soon Horse Wise was ready to roll. “Here comes the most perfect part of the perfect day,” Stevie said as they left Pine Hollow.

S
TEVIE WAS CERTAINLY
right about one thing, Carole thought. The trails through the Cross County hunt territory were beautiful. Wide paths cut through pine woods and opened onto meadows and sparkling, sunlit streams. Starlight moved forward at a loose, relaxed walk. He seemed to appreciate the beauty as much as she did.

“This is wonderful,” said Lisa. Carole nodded. They rode side by side, just behind Stevie and Phil. Delilah seemed as contented as Starlight.

Stevie thought she’d never been so happy. Just as she’d said, it was a perfect day. The woods were gorgeous, the weather was gorgeous, and Phil—well, Phil was gorgeous, too.

“I have to hand it to you, Stevie Lake,” Phil said. “I’ve learned so much since I’ve gotten to know you.”

Stevie turned to smile at him, blushing.

“I mean it,” Phil persisted. “Without you, I would never have studied dressage. But since you were so involved in it, I got more interested, and it’s been a big help in my riding.”

Stevie grinned. Although she loved it when Phil said romantic things to her, riding was a more usual topic of conversation between them. Dressage was a highly technical sort of riding, without jumping, that Stevie loved and was very good at. “If I remember right, you got interested in it at about the same time our Pony Clubs had a dressage competition,” she said. “You wanted to beat me.” She was glad she could tease Phil about it. Sometimes the natural competitiveness between them got out of hand and made their relationship difficult.

Phil laughed. “But if I remember correctly,
you
beat me,” he said. “But honestly, Stevie, I’m serious. I didn’t realize that dressage training could be such a big help with my cross-country riding. Lately Teddy and I have spent a lot of time practicing flying changes, and it’s really helped him to stay balanced when we’re galloping on the trails here. Sometimes the paths twist awfully tightly, and now he can do a flying change whenever he needs to, and keep his legs underneath him.”

Stevie knew that whenever a horse cantered or galloped, it led off with one of its front legs. The lead leg, or lead, was supposed to be the leg on the inside of the direction the horse was turning. For example, the right leg should lead when the horse turned to the right, so
that the horse would be better balanced through the turn. The rider told the horse which lead to take when they started cantering, but if the horse needed to switch leads there were two ways to do it. In a simple lead change, the rider asked the horse to slow to a trot and then pick up a canter on the other lead. In a flying lead change, or flying change, the horse switched leads midcanter.

“I’ll show you,” Phil offered. “Watch.” He pushed Teddy into a canter, then lengthened the horse’s stride to a balanced hand-gallop. Once Phil established a good forward pace, he and Teddy proceeded to do several flying changes on the flat, smooth trail. Teddy’s bulky frame became elegant—suddenly he looked as if he were dancing.

“Wow!” said Carole, just behind Stevie.

Stevie nodded. “
Wow
is right.”

“I saw,” said Lisa. “Those were flying changes, right?”

“Every couple of strides, and on a straightaway, too,” said Carole. “That’s really impressive. I didn’t know Phil could ride like that.”

“Neither did I,” said Stevie in a small voice.

Phil trotted Teddy back to them, his face flushed with pride. “What did you think?” he asked them.

“That was really something,” Stevie told him honestly.
“I bet you’re pretty proud of Teddy, too. I didn’t know he could do that.”

Phil patted his horse’s neck. “Neither did I, until I asked him to try,” he said. “But you’re right, I do feel pretty proud of him.”

T
HE REST OF
the ride, in Lisa and Carole’s minds, was every bit as glorious as the start, but they couldn’t help noticing that Stevie seemed less and less euphoric. In fact, by the end, she didn’t even seem to be having fun, and her good-bye to Phil was uncharacteristically subdued. On the car ride home they confronted their friend.

“What’s up?” Lisa asked. “This morning you were higher than a helium balloon, and now you look like someone’s popped you. You couldn’t have had a fight with Phil, we were right behind you the whole time. What’s wrong?”

“I don’t know.” Stevie scraped some mud off her boot heel with her fingernail.

“You know you can always tell us,” Carole reminded her. “If something’s bothering you, we want to help.”

Stevie looked up, and her friends were surprised at her agonized expression. “It’s Belle,” she whispered.

“Something’s wrong with Belle?” Carole was instantly concerned. “But Stevie, she looked fine—”

“No, she’s fine. It’s just”—Stevie lowered her voice
so that the other passengers couldn’t hear—“she doesn’t know how to do a flying change.”

Lisa would have laughed if she hadn’t known how serious Stevie was. “Stevie, that’s not exactly a problem. It’s not like she kicks people, or rears, or has colic or something.”

“I’m just so embarrassed,” Stevie countered. “I’m really ashamed that Phil’s horse can do something Belle can’t—especially when it’s a dressage movement! Lisa, you know I’m better than he is at dressage.”

Lisa wisely didn’t respond. Stevie always fought to be a better rider than Phil. It had caused her problems before.

“Stevie,” Carole said sensibly. “You act like it’s a major fault, when really it’s just a lack of training. You can certainly teach Belle to do a flying change.”

Stevie nodded her head. “Oh, I will,” she assured them. “In fact, I solemnly promise you, the next time Phil sees Belle, she’ll be doing flying changes.” She raised her hand like a Girl Scout taking an oath.

Lisa stifled an urge to giggle. “But Stevie, that doesn’t give you or Belle much time,” she reminded her friend. “Aren’t you planning a picnic ride for Phil’s birthday?”

Stevie nodded. “Two and a half weeks,” she said. “Should be plenty of time. Deborah learned to ride as
a wedding present for Max. I’ll teach Belle flying changes as a birthday present for Phil.”

“I bet he’d rather have a new halter,” Lisa said.

“Flying changes,” Stevie repeated grimly. “Two weeks.”

L
ISA RAN UP
the driveway of Pine Hollow. She could see Carole and Stevie already mounted, along with the rest of the students in her Tuesday-afternoon lesson. Lisa tried to run faster, but her side hurt. “I’m sorry, Max, I’ll be right there,” she gasped from the side of the ring.

Max looked fierce. “You of all people I don’t expect to be late,” he told her. “Lisa, you know how I feel about coming to lessons on time.”

“But I had a dentist appointment, and the dentist was late,” Lisa explained, “and my mom couldn’t pick me up, so I had to walk from downtown Willow Creek, and there weren’t any buses—”

“All these excuses are only making you later,” Max replied. “If I were you, I’d be tacking up Prancer instead of standing here talking.” He turned on his heel and clapped his hands at the rest of the class. “Let’s trot!” he commanded.

Lisa had to blink back tears. She felt stunned. Max had never spoken to her like that before. She knew he hated having his students arrive late for lessons, but he always listened to her. She couldn’t remember his ever being angry at her for something she couldn’t help. Lisa fled to the stable, unaware of the concerned looks her friends sent after her.

Running through the door, Lisa nearly collided with Denise McCaskill, who was coming out of the office with her arms full of clean stable sheets. “Whoa!” said Denise. “Lisa, what’s wrong?”

“Oh, everything,” said Lisa. “I’m sorry, Denise. I shouldn’t be running in the stable, I know. But I’m so late for my lesson, and Max is angry—”

Denise put the sheets down on a bench. “I’ll help you,” she offered. “Who’re you riding?”

“Prancer,” she said, gulping.

“You get her tack, and I’ll put her on the cross-ties.”

When Lisa got back, Denise had already brushed Prancer and was picking out her hooves. “Thank you so much, Denise,” Lisa said. “I’ve had the worst day.”

“I can see that,” Denise said sympathetically. “Here, hand me the saddle pad. What’s wrong?”

“Oh, dentist, and my mom was too busy to drive me, and I couldn’t find a bus—I’ve had a whole bunch of days like this lately, and I almost never do.” Lisa helped Denise settle Prancer’s saddle across her back. “Max is just furious, and I don’t know why.”

“He’s been like that lately,” Denise replied. “I don’t know if it’s because Deborah is gone, or what. Today he bawled Red out, and Red still isn’t sure why. I wouldn’t take it personally, if I were you.”

“It’s just that this is summer,” said Lisa. “It’s supposed to be the best part of the year, and it’s starting out really crummy.” She put the reins around Prancer’s neck and began to bridle her.

“I always feel a little displaced this time of year, too,” said Denise. “College is out but I haven’t really gotten into the swing of vacation. It seems like all the fun summer stuff happens later, in July or August. This time of year I always want to do something different, but I never know what it is.”

“I’d like something different,” said Lisa as she gave Prancer a final check, “I’d like not to be late for this lesson. Thanks again for your help.”

“Good luck!” Denise replied. “And Lisa—chin up!”

The class was still trotting in its two-point positions, the way Max liked to warm up students and
horses, when Lisa entered the ring. He didn’t say a word to her, or even look in her direction. Lisa checked her girth, mounted, and quickly started trotting. She still felt embarrassed about Max’s yelling at her.

“Lisa, look out!” Stevie shrieked. Lisa sat back just as Belle cut the corner at a flying gallop and nearly ran into Prancer’s side. Prancer laid her ears back, but, thanks to Stevie’s warning, Lisa kept her under control.

“Stevie, what was that about?” demanded Max.

“She spooked—the wind blew a piece of paper into the ring—” Stevie sputtered. Stevie got Belle back into a trot, but it was clear that the mare was fighting her. Lisa sighed. This on top of everything. Lisa knew from riding Prancer that some days high-strung horses could be flighty. Belle was usually calm, but not today.

Stevie was so upset she didn’t know what to do. She’d been worrying about Belle ever since Saturday’s ride, and in this, their next lesson, Belle was being
horrible.
There was no better word to describe it. The mare seemed to be paying attention to everything—the wind, a barn cat, shadows on the ground—everything except what Stevie was asking her to do. This is the calm, collected horse I rode in the Founders’ Day Parade? Stevie asked herself. Belle, what’s gotten into
you? Belle caught a glimpse of a passing truck and shied again.

Is my horse really this much worse than Phil’s? No! Stevie wouldn’t allow herself to think it. She would make Belle behave, perfectly, right now. She gave Belle a whack with her crop—it wouldn’t hurt the horse, but it would certainly get Belle’s attention. Belle bucked.

“Stevie Lake!” Max commanded. “Let’s see a circle at the sitting trot.”

Stevie sat deep in the saddle and used her weight and back to steady Belle’s trot. She tightened her legs around Belle’s sides and commanded her to circle. Belle turned, but she tossed her head. Stevie shortened the reins. Belle steadied her head but looked angry about it, and at the end of the circle she bucked again.

“Get it together, Stevie,” said Max. “Soften her. Circle again.”

Stevie tightened her grip on the reins. She would
make
Belle behave.

Across the ring, Carole recognized the look of grim determination on Stevie’s face. She shot a worried glance to Lisa, who nodded miserably. Belle was in a temper, but so was Stevie. She and Lisa had seen Stevie look like this before, and the results were never good.

Belle bucked again. “You stupid horse!” yelled Stevie. She couldn’t help it. Today, of all days, it seemed so important that Belle behave.

“Stevie, you know better than to act like this in one of my lessons,” said Max, sounding truly outraged.

“Oooh,” cooed Veronica diAngelo, whose horse, Garnet, had behaved impeccably the entire class, “is darling Stevie getting in trouble?”

“I’d say you know better than to act like that, too, Veronica, except that you probably don’t,” Max retorted. “I’d like to see some manners from all of you, starting
now.
Is that understood?”

“Yes, Max,” they mumbled.

L
ISA THOUGHT IT
was probably the worst riding lesson of her entire life. She was actually relieved when it was over. She dismounted Prancer and gave her a few tired pats.