Emily and Emerald Read Online Free PDF Page B

ponies’ lead ropes on to their head collars, took the bridles off and let them graze while we ate and chatted(although Emerald was far more interested in my egg and cress sandwich than the grass!). There was no loo, so we had to hold each other’s ponies while we went in the bushes! It was so funny having to do that and we couldn’t stop giggling. I held Sugar for Madi, and this time Emerald didn’t seem to mind standing that close to her – she really is making progress!

    We rode a different way back to the yard, and Sally let us all have a canter up this stubble field. It was brilliant! Millie and Tally went bombing off really fast, and only Lydia and Fly overtook them. I would’ve loved a seriously fast gallop, but I knew it wouldn’t be good for Emerald to get that razzed up (I wanted to be sure she’d stop again!), so I tucked her in behind Sugar and Monsoon and had a gentle canter tothe top. She really enjoyed it and easily came back to a nice springy trot when I asked.
    In fact she did brilliantly the whole way back. We even had to walk through this river, and it wasn’t that deep, but she got a bit spooked by the shadows on the water. Instead of panicking, I just stuck closely behind Sally and followed Blue across without even looking down. Before Emerald knew it, we were on the other side.
    Oh, and now Jody’s calling us in because me and Frankie are on the rota for laying the table and helping get the tea. Better go!

Thursday , just before lights out

    Well, I didn’t think I could get any prouder of Emerald after the picnic ride, but I am now! We had a DVD night tonight, and we were all watching Spirit and eating popcorn (yum!) when Sally popped her head round the games room door and called me over. I was worried for a minute that I’d done something wrong, but in fact she wanted me to come up to the field with her and try turning Emerald out with the other ponies again. I asked if Frankie could come too, and Sally said OK, so we all collected Emerald from the barn and walked up to the field. 

    The sun was just starting to go down and everything was glowing golden, and the smell of grass and dry dirt and Emerald was all around me. Being out there with my great instructor and my new friend and my fab pony was just the best feeling ever, and I had to push away the thought that tomorrow Pony Camp is coming to an end.
    Sally let me walk Emerald into the field and take off her lead rope. I gave her a big pat and whispered in her ear, “Go on, be brave. If I can make new friends, I know you can, too.” Then I gave her mane a final ruffle and walked away.
    I hitched myself up on to the fence with Sally and Frankie, and we all watched. 

    At first Emerald just stood there, and I felt a knot in my stomach and a lump in my throat. I so desperately wanted to see her fit in – I just wished I could go and make friends for her!
    She stood still for a while longer, and then, slowly, she began to wander around the group in a big circle, staying quite a way apart from them. I kept expecting her to bolt at them like she had before, but she didn’t (phew!). Instead, she walked in smaller and smaller circles around Flame, Shine and Charm, as the other ponies moved off to graze further away.
    She kept circling closer and closer, and I looked to Sally because I was worried she was about to get chased away like last time and maybe even kicked. But Sally smiled at me and said, “Nearly there. Watch.”
    And then the most amazing thing happened.
    Flame kind of shifted so that she was standing sideways to Emerald, and Emeraldwent up to her. I held my breath because I thought the others would definitely chase her then, but they didn’t seem bothered. Flame nudged Emerald around a bit and Emerald just let her, and then suddenly they were all grazing together and it looked like Emerald had always belonged there.

    I felt all this happiness bubble up inside me, along with sadness that