Moonlight Mile (13 page)

[BROOKE]
Hi all! Just checking in to see if Nina posted anything about the art show. How'd it go N?

[MADDIE]
I was wondering that too. Also, did u all ride today? Cloudy and I had a lesson. Good news? Lesson was great! Bad news? I busted my reins b/c I dropped them after I got off and she stepped on them. Grr! Good thing my b'day is coming up soon . . .

[HALEY]
Sry about yr reins Mads! It was icy here today, so I cleaned tack instead of riding. Can't wait for real snow!

[MADDIE]
Brrr—Snow? Ice? it all sounds cold to me! lol!

Nina shivered too. It almost never snowed in New Orleans, though she'd experienced real snowfalls a couple of times while visiting her mother's side of the family in
New Jersey and Pennsylvania. She glanced at the moon rising in the warm night sky outside, then opened a text box.

[NINA]
Hi all! Art show was stupendous—about a zillion people came, and Mom is super happy. Yay! Also, I figured out something important, thanks to a certain Brooke (and my dad, and my own brain). Serena wasn't haunting me after all! (I know, I know, you guys knew it all along, lol!) I'm happy about that, esp. b/c it means I can go back to enjoying my fave family legend. (And my super cool pony!) Anyway, I'll tell u more about the art show and post some pics tmw—right now I'm falling asleep on the keyboard, ha ha! Sweet dreams, all!

She logged off and set the computer on her desk. On her way past, she paused just long enough to pat the voodoo doll on the bookshelf. Then she climbed into bed and glanced at the moon once more before closing her eyes, smiling as she wondered if Serena would visit her dreams that night.

Glossary

Chincoteague pony:
A breed of pony found on Assateague Island, which lies off the coasts of Maryland and Virginia. Chincoteague ponies are sometimes referred to as wild horses, but are more properly called “feral” since they are not native to the island but were brought there by humans sometime many years past. There are several theories about how this might have happened, including the one told in the classic novel
Misty of Chincoteague
by Marguerite Henry. That novel also details the world-famous pony swim and auction that still take place in the town of Chincoteague to this day.

Appaloosa:
A breed of horse most recognized by its several distinctive spotted coat patterns. The breed was developed in the 1700s by the Nez Perce tribe of Native Americans, and is popular to this day in Western riding and many other disciplines. It is the official state horse of Idaho.

cross rail:
A type of jump in which two poles are crisscrossed to form an X. Cross rails are often used for horses and riders who are just learning to jump, due to their (usually) low height and inviting shape.

flat class:
There are various types of flat classes at different types of horse shows; however, in a hunter show like the one in this book, a flat class could also be called an “under saddle” class. It's a group class in which horses are judged on the quality of their gaits (walk, trot, and canter). At a student show, the judge might also take a horse's manners and suitability into account.

hunter competition:
A type of English horse show in which horses are judged on their form over fences and quality of movement. Hunter classes were originally developed to show off horses used for fox hunting, though there is little overlap between modern American show hunters and field hunters.

mounting block:
This term can refer to any object a rider steps onto to mount a horse, from a specially made step-shaped block to a stump, boulder, or truck tailgate. While many riders can and do mount directly from the ground, a mounting block helps to minimize wear and tear on the horse's back as well as the rider's tack.

opening circle:
Sometimes called a “hunter circle” or “courtesy circle,” this is when a horse and rider trot and/or canter a circle before beginning a course of jumps. It helps to establish the proper pace for the round.

paddock:
In the United States and Canada, this term usually refers to a relatively small enclosure for horses. A larger enclosure would normally be called a pasture.

saddle seat:
This is a particular type of English riding developed mainly on plantations in the American South. Saddle seat riders normally prefer breeds with an upright neck carriage and a flashy, high-stepping trot, including the American Saddlebred, the Tennessee Walking Horse, the Morgan horse, and others.

sidesaddle:
This form of riding was developed in the Middle Ages as a way for women to ride modestlin a skirt. The rider sits with both legs on one side of the horse, instead of astride. There are special saddles used to make this easier, and even today sidesaddle classes at shows are popular with competitors and spectators alike.

warm-up ring:
A separate ring set aside at a horse show where competitors can warm up before their classes.

CATHERINE HAPKA
has written more than one hundred and fifty books for children and young adults, including many about horses. A lifelong horse lover, she rides several times per week and appreciates horses of all breeds. She keeps three horses on a small farm in Chester County, Pennsylvania, though none of them are Chincoteague ponies—yet. In addition to writing and riding, she enjoys animals of all kinds, reading, gardening, music, and travel.

The Marguerite Henry's Ponies of Chincoteague series is inspired by the award-winning books by
MARGUERITE HENRY
, the beloved author of such classic horse stories as
King of the Wind
;
Misty of Chincoteague
;
Justin Morgan Had a Horse
;
Stormy, Misty's Foal
;
Misty's Twilight
; and
Album of Horses
, among many other titles. Learn more about the world of Marguerite Henry at
www.MistyofChincoteague.org
.

Meet the author, watch videos, and get extras at

KIDS.SimonandSchuster.com
authors.simonandschuster.com/Catherine-Hapka

Don't Miss

MARGUERITE HENRY'S

Ponies
of
Chincoteague

Book 1:
Maddie's Dream

Book 2:
Blue Ribbon Summer

Book 3:
Chasing Gold

Coming Soon

Book 5:
A Winning Gift

WE HOPE YOU LOVED READING THIS EBOOK!

We have SO many more books for kids in the in-beTWEEN age that we'd love to share with you! Sign up for our
IN THE MIDDLE books
newsletter and you'll receive news about other great books, exclusive excerpts, games, author interviews, and more!

or visit us online to sign up at
eBookNews.SimonandSchuster.com/middle

This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author's imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

An imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division

1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10020

www.SimonandSchuster.com

This Aladdin paperback edition April 2015

Text copyright © 2015 by The Estate of Marguerite Henry

Cover illustration copyright © 2015 by Robert Papp

All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.

Also available in an Aladdin hardcover edition.

ALADDIN is a trademark of Simon & Schuster, Inc., and related logo is a registered trademark of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

For information about special discounts for bulk purchases, please contact Simon & Schuster Special Sales at 1-866-506-1949 or
[email protected]
.

The Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau can bring authors to your live event. For more information or to book an event contact the Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau at 1-866-248-3049 or visit our website at
www.simonspeakers.com
.

Book design by Karina Granda

The text of this book was set in Adobe Caslon Pro.

Library of Congress Control Number 2014959031

ISBN 978-1-4814-0346-7 (hc)

ISBN 978-1-4814-0345-0 (pbk)

ISBN 978-1-4814-0347-4 (eBook)