Horse Tale (12 page)

“He’s such a happy horse, isn’t he,” Stevie remarked. Since it wasn’t really a question, the others didn’t answer, though each of them had to agree that it was true.

Carole found herself wondering once again whether Stewball could ever be truly happy spending most of his life in a barn in Virginia. She also wondered whether Stevie was wondering the same thing. The expression on Stevie’s face at the moment was inscrutable.

Then all thoughts of Stewball were erased, from Carole’s mind at least, as the girls returned to the corral. “Where do we start?” she wondered, looking at the group of horses.

“Let’s just wade right in,” Kate said. She and Carole had already brought out the grooming tools and left them just outside the corral gate. The four girls picked them up and headed into the corral.

Soon they had chosen their first customers and brought
them over to the unofficial “beauty salon”—actually just a spot along the corral fence. Carole’s first horse was a compact bay gelding. Lisa’s was a frisky chestnut. Stevie had singled out Midnight, the mischievous black gelding. Kate had picked a tall gray roan.

“Nobody is going to be buying these horses for their grooming,” Kate told the others. “But it’s always a good idea to show a horse off to his best advantage for a sale.”

“Besides, this will be a good opportunity for us to get some idea of the horses’ personalities,” Carole pointed out. She ran a hand down the bay’s front leg, lifted his foot, and began cleaning his hoof out. “For instance, this fellow has just shown me that he’s well trained and calm. He lifted his foot without any problem.”

“That’s right,” Kate said. “Different horses have different things that upset them, different things that make them happy, and different skills and ability. Like Stevie was saying earlier, horses are as individual as people. We want to be able to give buyers a sense of what they’re getting.”

“I already know that Midnight here should go to a rider with a sense of humor,” Stevie commented, “because he’s definitely got one himself.”

“And I know that Lucky is very precise and obedient,” Kate said, patting the gray roan she was grooming. “Actually, I knew that already, because I helped a lot with his training. He’s young, but he’s great at taking direction from a rider—he’ll follow any signal he’s given, no matter how complicated, no questions asked.”

“Really?” Carole said, glancing with new appreciation at the horse. “He’s so elegant looking, too. He doesn’t really look like a typical Western horse.”

“I agree,” Kate said, beginning to go over Lucky’s coat with a stiff brush. “He’d probably do great in the show ring back East. In fact, I already have a buyer in mind for him.”

“How’d he get his name?” Lisa asked.

“Look at his face,” Kate said, turning the horse a little so the others could see. Lucky had a white stripe running down his nose. The stripe was narrow and fairly straight except at the top, where it angled off sharply to the left across his forehead. “We thought his stripe looked like a number seven. So we started calling him that—Lucky Seven, that is. Lucky for short.”

“It’s perfect,” Carole said, and the others agreed.

As the girls finished the first set of horses and moved on to others, they continued to compare notes about them. Lisa and Stevie found a bay mare who was very gentle and docile—Lisa recognized her as Ellie, the first horse she and Chocolate had cut from the herd the other day. They decided that Ellie would be ideal for a family with young children.

Carole worked on a beautiful golden palomino mare the wranglers called Goldie, who was young, spirited, and highstrung. Carole thought that Goldie should go to an experienced rider who was willing to take a little more time with her training.

Stevie groomed a short pinto pony. Kate told her he was called Road Map because of his distinctive markings. Stevie
could tell that Road Map was lively and strong but well trained and very smart. She thought that those qualities, along with his small size, would make him the perfect choice for a young person who was a better-than-average rider.

There was a fast, obedient Appaloosa gelding named Amigo who Kate was sure would be just right for a working cowboy or a rodeo rider. A bay named Rocky seemed best suited to be a cutting horse because of his quickness. And Kate and Carole between them had some trouble restraining a very spirited yet skittish mare called the Red Queen. She was a very tall and slim chestnut with a fine head and arched neck, which made Carole think she had at least a little Arabian in her bloodlines. The girls decided the mare should definitely go to a very experienced rider.

Finally the last of the horses was groomed to perfection. The girls leaned on the corral fence to rest and admire their work. Carole thought the horses looked wonderful, and that the buyers would be clamoring for them. She told the others so, and they agreed without hesitation. They were proud of the grooming they’d done, which as Kate had pointed out would show the horses to their best advantage. But they also had to admit that the horses themselves were beautiful and wonderful and well trained. They decided it was a great combination.

After a few minutes they left the corral and headed off in search of more ways to be helpful. It was almost noon, and the customers would start arriving right after lunch. There was no time to waste.

T
HE BUYERS BEGAN
arriving right on schedule. The Devines and their guests had finished everything that needed to be done just in time, eaten a hurried but well-deserved lunch, and headed back outside as the first car pulled into the drive. The girls helped Phyllis carry out the lemonade, cookies, pies, and other goodies, and they promised to take turns helping her sell them. Luckily the food booth had a good view of the auction platform, because The Saddle Club didn’t want to miss a second of the auction when it started. Lisa and Kate took the first shift, and Stevie and Carole headed over to the corral.

Before Frank began auctioning off the horses, the buyers had a chance to look them over. John, Walter, Stevie, and Carole stood by to bring out individual horses when requested so potential buyers could examine them more carefully.
Stevie’s first customer was a man with two little girls about five and six years old.

“Hi, there,” she greeted them.

“Hi! We’re getting a horse!” the younger girl announced.

The man patted her on the head. “I think she could probably guess that, Nina,” he said with a laugh. Then he turned to Stevie. “My daughters have been promised their very own horse. They’re pretty new riders. Can you recommend one of these beasts for them?”

“As a matter of fact, I know the perfect horse,” Stevie answered without hesitation. “Wait right here, I’ll bring her out.” She entered the corral and returned a moment later leading Ellie, the gentle bay mare.

“Oh, she’s pretty!” exclaimed the older girl. “Is she a girl? We want a girl.”

“Yes, she’s a mare,” Stevie told her. “That’s a girl horse. Her name is Ellie.”

The man quickly checked the mare over. Ellie stood docilely while he lifted all four feet, looked in her mouth, and ran his hands over her. Stevie suspected he knew what he was doing. “Do you have any other horses?” she asked him.

“You bet,” he replied. “My stepson is a rodeo rider. He’s seventeen. And my wife and I ride as well. But none of our horses is right for Lucy and Nina here—they’ve been learning to ride on an ancient nag that lives on a farm a couple of miles down the road. Now they think they’re ready for a horse of their own.”

“We are, Daddy!” the older girl, Lucy, insisted. Ellie had
lowered her head to sniff at the girls, and Lucy was patting the mare’s velvety soft nose while Nina smoothed back her mane. Stevie could tell that both girls were already in love.

“You know, I just got my very own horse, too,” Stevie told Lucy and Nina. “His name is Stewball.”

“That’s nice. We want to get this one,” Nina said, patting Ellie. “She’s pretty.”

“That’s true,” Stevie agreed. “But there’s more to picking a good horse than just finding one that’s pretty, you know. I think Ellie may be just the right horse for you two—not just because she’s pretty, but also because she’s gentle and patient, and because she’ll be able to teach you to be even better riders than you already are.”

“Really?” Lucy said, gazing at Ellie with new respect. “I want to be a really good rider, just like my big brother.”

“Me, too!” Nina chimed in. “I want to be a rodeo rider just like him.”

Stevie smiled. The sisters reminded her of herself when she was their age. She had been just as enthusiastic and eager to learn. “I’m sure you’ll both be great riders before long,” she told them. “Ellie will be able to help you develop all the skills you need, like communicating through the reins and with your legs, keeping your balance in the saddle, things like that.”

“She sure is pretty,” Lucy said reverently, still staring at Ellie.

Stevie nodded and chuckled. The little girls were too caught up in the excitement of getting their own horse to
worry about practical things like balance. She could understand that—very well, in fact. Didn’t she feel exactly the same way about Stewball?

That thought startled her a little. She found herself wondering just how different her decision to buy Stewball was from the little girls’ decision about Ellie. They had decided they wanted Ellie because she was pretty. Were Stevie’s reasons for wanting Stewball any more logical?

The girls’ father had finished his examination. “Well, she seems to be in good shape. And it looks as though she’s gentle.”

“Oh, she is,” Stevie assured him, trying to forget her thoughts about Stewball. “She’s a real sweetheart. And very obedient, too.”

The man nodded, looking satisfied, and Stevie had the feeling she’d just made a sale. She was glad, too, because she was convinced that Ellie and the little girls would be a perfect match.

The girls and their father said good-bye and wandered off toward the refreshment table, and Stevie turned to help a man who had been waiting patiently.

For the next hour or so they were all kept busy answering questions, showing horses, and selling Phyllis’s delicious baked goods and lemonade. When they were sure that all the customers had had a chance to check over the horses, the auction began. Frank acted as official auctioneer. He stood on a large, sturdy wooden platform that John and Walter had built. A wide, gently sloping ramp led up to it
from one side, and as each horse came up for sale, John or Walter would lead it up onto the platform so the buyers had a good view. The buyers were seated in rows of folding chairs that John had set up in the yard between the corral and the house.

By this time Stevie and Carole were taking their turn at the refreshment table. Lisa and Kate took up a position behind the platform so they could tell Frank what they knew about each horse’s personality as it was led up the ramp.

The first horse auctioned off was Amigo, the Appaloosa. John led the gelding carefully up the ramp. Amigo followed without hesitation and stood quietly, gazing out over the crowd gathered below as if he were shopping for the perfect owner.

“Hello there, folks, and welcome to The Bar None Ranch,” Frank began. He wasn’t using a microphone, but his deep voice carried easily to everyone, including Phyllis, Stevie, and Carole, who were watching from the refreshment table. “I’m Frank Devine. On behalf of myself, my family, and everyone here at The Bar None, we’re glad you could all make it. As you’ve already seen, we have some fine animals for sale today. And as you can probably tell already, I don’t sound much like a professional auctioneer, but I’ll do my best.”

The Saddle Club girls giggled. With his relaxed drawl Frank sounded nothing like a fast-talking auctioneer. If Carole
hadn’t known better, she would have thought he was a lifelong rancher instead of a retired Marine.

“I’m lucky to have some good help,” Frank added. He gestured at Kate and Lisa. “These girls know the horses inside out and upside down, and they’ll be helping me to tell you a little bit about each animal’s character and abilities so you’ll have a better chance of making a good choice. And if any horse isn’t exactly what they and I say it is, I’ll be happy to take it back for a full refund.”

“I guess we’d better know what we’re talking about, then,” Lisa whispered.

“Don’t worry,” Kate replied. “We do.”

“We’ll start with this horse in front of me,” Frank continued. Amigo had been standing quietly through Frank’s introduction. Now John led him in a tight circle on the platform as Frank described him. “He’s a gelding, part quarter horse, and about eight years old, near as we can tell.”

He leaned over to listen to Kate for a moment, then continued. “My daughter Kate tells me he’s called Amigo, and that he’ll be a real friend to any hardworking cowboy or experienced rodeo rider out there. He’s smart and steady and strong, and he’s trained within an inch of his life. He’ll be a star performer on the range or in the rodeo ring.”

Frank paused for a moment to let all this information sink in. “Now, what do I hear for him?”

Bids came fast and furious for several minutes. Amigo obviously had several would-be owners in the crowd. Finally the bidding was narrowed down to two people. The Saddle
Club was happy to see that both bidders looked like experienced cowboys. After several more bids one of the men dropped out with a tip of his hat to the other.