Schooling Horse (3 page)

“But it really might help,” Carole said with a burst of
enthusiasm. “Thank you, Lisa. That’s a great idea. I’m sure Mr. Norris would let me copy the tapes.”

“And have confidence in yourself,” Stevie advised. “You know you can do anything you set your mind to.”

“I thought I could,” Carole said. “After today I’m beginning to doubt it.”

“Keep trying,” Stevie said. “Whenever you get discouraged, call us.”

“Thanks,” Carole said. “I really appreciate it.”

Lisa twirled the phone cord in her fingers. “I’ve got to tell you about something I overheard this afternoon,” she said. “I don’t have any idea what it means, but I’m dying to figure it out.” She related what she’d heard her mother say.

“She really said ‘Max’?” Stevie asked. “Are you sure she was talking to Max?”

“I guess I don’t know for sure that she was talking to
our
Max,” Lisa admitted. “But she definitely said ‘Max.’ If she weren’t talking to our Max, why wouldn’t she have answered when I asked her who it was? Why wouldn’t she have just said, ‘Oh, I was talking to Max the furniture repairman about getting that sofa leg fixed’? I’m pretty sure my mom and Max have some kind of secret between them.”

“Cool,” said Stevie. “Whatever it is, it can’t be bad.”

“I don’t think so, either,” Lisa admitted. “If Max or my mother were upset with me, I’d know about it. So it must
be something good. And it’s something my mom wants to be sure is exactly right—exactly right for me.”

“A horse,” Carole said. “They’re getting you a horse! Max has found one, but they want to be sure it’s right for you.”

“That’s the only thing I could think of,” Lisa confessed. She felt so excited that she laughed out loud. “You know, I’ve really been wanting my own horse lately—I think I’m ready for one now—and when I heard Mom say that, I thought
horse
right away. But I was worried that I only thought it because I wanted it so badly.”

“No, it makes perfect sense,” Stevie said. “Wow! Wouldn’t that be cool?”

“It would be wonderful,” Carole said. “Lisa, we’re so happy for you.”

“That’ll put an end to your problems with Prancer,” Stevie said.

“Oh.” In her excitement, Lisa had already dismissed their difficult lesson from her mind. “I love Prancer, even when she’s driving me crazy. But I can’t wait to see this horse Max has found for me. Just think—I’ll be able to have the kind of relationship you guys have with your horses.”

“It’ll be entirely yours,” Carole said. “You’ll be able to teach it everything.”

Lisa sighed in delight. “I wonder what color it will be. Since Belle and Starlight are both bays—”

“Gray,” Stevie cut in.

“You think gray? I know color’s not that important, but wouldn’t it be fun if we all matched?”

“I’m not suggesting you look for a gray horse,” Stevie said. “I’m saying, maybe it
is
a gray horse. Maybe we’ve already seen it. Maybe it’s that horse that came to the stable today.”

“Au Lait,” Lisa said, remembering. “Gosh. I think he was a Thoroughbred. Do you think he could be the one?”

“It makes sense,” Stevie argued. “Why else would Max have said he was at the stable on trial? Your parents want to see if he’ll work out before they buy him.”

“And why else would Max have said you should take a break from Prancer?” Carole added. “He’s never said that before.”

Lisa remembered how elegant Au Lait had looked, stepping off the trailer and looking around Pine Hollow with a fine, aristocratic eye. He was a sensitive horse, like Prancer—she remembered how he’d flinched away from Max’s outstretched hand. But Lisa was used to riding sensitive horses. She would do well with him.

A great bubble of delight welled up inside Lisa’s chest. Stevie and Carole were right. It made perfect sense that the new horse was there for her to try. Her parents must not want her to know until the decision was final—they wouldn’t want to disappoint her if the horse didn’t work out. But Lisa knew he would. He was beautiful, and she would love him.

“My own horse,” she said. “Au Lait.” She loved the
sound of the words.
My own horse
, she repeated to herself.
Mine.

“Please, can’t you call him something else?” Carole pleaded. “I’d like Pine Hollow to be one place where I could forget about my French class.”

“How about Milky?” Stevie suggested. “Max said that’s what his name means.”

“For now that would be okay,” Lisa said. “But later I’m going to think of a better name.”

“Milky Way,” said Stevie.

“Maybe,” Lisa said. “I don’t think I want my horse named after a candy bar. I’ll think of something good, but it will probably take me a little while.”

“Remember how long it took Stevie to name Belle?” Carole said.

“Remember all the weird names I considered?” Stevie laughed. “I’m still grateful I didn’t go with Tabriz.”

“So are we,” Carole assured her.

W
HEN
L
ISA HUNG
up the phone she did a little dance of happiness around the room. Her own horse! She pictured herself at next summer’s Briarwood Horse Show, riding her fine gray gelding over jump after jump, elegant, in perfect form. She’d give Carole and Starlight a run for their money.

How wonderful that her parents understood. They must have realized that this was the right time for her to own a horse. They must have been paying attention all along.

Lisa hugged herself, then did a pirouette on the soft carpet. Her own horse! Her own horse to train and love forever—just like Stevie and Carole! She tried to recall everything she could about Milky—how he’d moved when he stepped off the trailer, how he’d looked around, inspecting his new home. He would like Pine Hollow, Lisa knew. He’d love her the way Starlight loved Carole, the way Belle loved Stevie. She’d ride him every day.

Lisa tried to do her homework but found it impossible to concentrate on any subject but Milky. Even when she finally went to sleep, she saw herself riding a gray horse in her dreams.

A
FTER SCHOOL THE
next day, Lisa set out for Pine Hollow with a light heart. Even the gloomy November weather couldn’t dampen her spirits. She had a horse. No, she corrected herself, she was going to have a horse. Soon she would have a horse. She had spent half the school day trying to think of a new name for Au Lait—Milky—and half drawing pictures of him in the margins of her notebooks.

“Hey, Carole,” she’d said, catching up to her friend when the last bell for the day had finally rung, “what do you think of Snowdrop?”

Carole had known immediately what Lisa meant. She’d wrinkled her nose. “Good for a pony,” she’d said. “But your boy is a little too grown up for a name like that.”

“True.” Lisa smiled to think of Milky as a grown-up horse.
My boy
, she thought. She liked the sound of that. “You’re coming to Pine Hollow today, aren’t you?” she asked.

Carole made a face. “As soon as I can,” she said. “I’ve got to go make copies of those French tapes now. My teacher did think it was a good idea.”

“Great,” Lisa said. “Later, if you want, I can help you tape yourself. Or listen to them with you, or whatever else I can do.”

“Thanks.” Carole looked at Lisa’s happy face and smiled. “I bet you can’t wait to see that horse.”

“I can’t,” Lisa admitted. “I’ve been thinking about him all day, but you know, I didn’t pay him much attention yesterday. I can’t really remember if he had any markings or anything.”

“You’ll make up for that today,” Carole had said.

“That’s for sure,” Lisa had said. “I’ll see you at the barn—I know I’ll still be there when you arrive.”

Now Lisa shoved her backpack higher onto her shoulder and walked a little faster. It was a quick walk between school and Pine Hollow—especially quick if you were eager to see a particular horse. Lisa wondered what Max would be doing with Milky. She hoped he would let her ride him right away.

Lisa walked up the drive. She could see Max teaching a class of younger riders, whose school let out earlier than the junior high. Lisa thought she saw a tall gray horse among those being used for the lesson. She hurried forward,
hoping it was Milky—and saw little Jessica Adler lying in a heap on the ground. Max was kneeling in the dirt beside her, patting her shoulder while she sobbed. A gray horse—it was Milky, Lisa realized with dismay—galloped past the other kids with his saddle empty, reins and stirrups flying.

Lisa ran the last few steps to the arena fence. Red, Pine Hollow’s head stable hand, was standing by the gate. “What happened?” Lisa asked. “Is Jessica okay?”

Red nodded. “She’s mad and she’s scared,” he said. “She isn’t hurt.”

Lisa drew a deep breath. “Good. Did she do something to Milky, or did Milky do something to her?” All riders occasionally fell off. Sometimes it was the horse’s fault, sometimes it was the rider’s fault, and sometimes it just happened.

“Milky?” Red said. “You mean that Au Lait?” He pronounced it
Ow Late.
Lisa smiled and nodded. Carole wasn’t the only person at the stable who couldn’t speak French.

“Hard to tell,” Red said. “The horse was acting up a bit. He seemed okay earlier, though, when I rode him.”

“You rode him? What was he like?” Lisa watched Max help Jessica to her feet. He bent his head low and spoke soothingly to the little girl.

“Fine,” Red said. “Real well trained, knows everything you want him to know. Max tried him, too, and seemed to like him.”

“Oh, good.” Lisa sighed with relief. Probably Jessica had just lost her balance.

“He kept refusing in front of the fences for Jessica, though,” Red continued with a shake of his head. “I don’t understand it, because it sure wasn’t how he acted before.”

“He’s probably not used to our jumps yet,” Lisa said. “And he might not be used to sharing the ring with other horses, particularly unfamiliar horses. He’s probably nervous.”
Poor Milky
, she thought.
He needs to be ridden by someone who understands.

“Red,” Max called from the center of the ring, “can you help Jessica saddle Penny fast? She’s going to finish the lesson with her. I want her to have a chance at these fences again so she can get her confidence back.” Penny was a trustworthy old pony. Lisa thought she was much more Jessica’s style than a Thoroughbred like Milky.

“Right on it,” Red said. “Come on, Jessica.”

Max was holding Milky by the reins in the center of the ring. “You’re next, May,” he called to one of the other kids in the lesson.

“Should I take Milky inside for you, Max?” Lisa volunteered. “I can untack him and put him away.” A
good grooming and lots of carrots
, she thought.
That would make Milky feel better.

Max looked confused. “Milky?”

“The horse,” Lisa said, pointing.

“Oh—Oh, hey, good name. Better than Au Lait, anyway.” Max grinned at her. “Tell you what, Lisa, you could
do me a bigger favor right now. I don’t want Au—er, Milky—learning that when he tosses a rider over a fence, he gets to go back to his stall and have a nice rest and dinner. Would you mind riding him in the ring here while I finish the lesson? If you feel up to some jumps with him, so much the better.”

Lisa smiled to herself at the way Max made having her ride Milky sound like something he’d just thought of. She guessed that he and her mother really wanted the truth about Milky to stay a secret for now. Lisa was willing to play along. And she realized that Max was right—Milky didn’t need treats. He needed to learn what was expected of him.
From now on
, Lisa thought,
I’m going to be the one responsible for his training.
It gave her a thrill.

“Sure,” she said. “I’ll get changed and be right out.”

In a minute Lisa was back, buckling the strap to her hard hat. Jessica was trotting Penny in circles to warm her up while Nicholas took a turn over the jumps. “Watch out for him,” Jessica warned Lisa. “He’s mean.”

Lisa smiled at the little girl. “He’s new here,” she said gently. “I’m sorry he dumped you, but I’m sure he’s just nervous and scared.”

Jessica shook her head. “He’s nasty,” she said. “I’m never riding him again.”

That’s
right, you aren’t
, Lisa thought as she checked Milky’s girth.
Because he’s going to be
my
horse. Once he’s officially mine, no one else is ever going to ride him again unless I say so.
She patted Milky’s white neck, gathered the reins, and mounted.

At first Milky seemed upset. He ground his teeth over the bit, swished his tail angrily, tossed his head down, and bucked. Lisa, still in the process of finding her seat, nearly came off, but she threw her weight back and yanked on Milky’s head. He stopped bucking and walked forward. “That’s it,” Lisa said. “Good boy.” She shoved her heels down.

“Trot him back and forth over the cross rail until you feel comfortable with him,” Max said. “Then you can have a go at the wall where he threw Jessica.”

The wall was a little one, only about eighteen inches high, and Max usually put a rail or two over it to make it higher. Now he carefully lowered the rails. Lisa trotted Milky over the cross rail several times, then headed him toward the wall. She tightened her legs around his barrel and tried to give him firm, no-nonsense jump-the-fence signals. Milky trotted smartly up to the fence, lifted his forelegs to jump, and then slammed them back down to the ground. Lisa barely managed to keep herself from flying over his head.