Horse Care Read Online Free PDF Page B

leaned forward to give Belle a pat on the withers. “He’d also say that it takes two to do dressage right—a well-trained horse
and
a well-trained rider. We’re a team, right, girl? I shouldn’t just let you do all the work to make us both look good.”
    “Speaking of teamwork, maybe we should take a break now and take care of our Saddle Club project,” Carole suggested. She and Stevie had been working hard for almost an hour, and the horses were getting tired.
    “You mean Calypso?” Stevie said. “Good idea. Ilooked in on her when I got here and she seemed fine. But maybe we should take her out for a walk.”
    “That’s exactly what I was thinking.” Carole slid off Starlight’s back and headed toward the gate. “Judy says it’s good for pregnant mares to get regular exercise, even if it’s just walking.”
    “In that case, maybe Lisa should have taken her to the mall,” Stevie joked as she dismounted and followed Carole through the gate. “She’s probably doing plenty of walking there. You know—from the clothing store to the shoe store, from the shoe store to the jewelry store, from the jewelry store to the department store, then back to the shoe store again—”
    “Okay, okay,” Carole interrupted. “I get the point.” She giggled. “But somehow I don’t think Calypso would fit in with Lisa and her mother. Mrs. Atwood would probably want her to get a makeover or something.” Lisa’s mother had dragged Lisa to the mall that afternoon to shop for new outfits to wear on Saturday. Once again, Lisa had tried to protest—she had been planning to practice dressage with her friends—but Mrs. Atwood wouldn’t take no for an answer.
    Stevie gave a mock shudder. “That would be horrible,” she declared. “Can you just see poor Calypso with blue eye shadow and a curly perm?”
    F IFTEEN MINUTES LATER , after putting their horses away and giving their tack a quick cleaning—what Carole’s fatherwould have called a lick and a promise—Stevie and Carole met up again in front of Calypso’s stall. Max hadn’t wanted to move her, so she was still in the corner stall. But he had promised that if The Saddle Club saw any signs of stress, he would consider moving the mare someplace quieter.
    The girls found someone else already at the stall. “Hello, Stephanie. Greetings, Carole,” Simon said. He was leaning on the half door of Calypso’s stall, watching the mare as she munched on a mouthful of hay. “Coming to observe the condition of the mommy-to-be?”
    “Indubitably,” Stevie confirmed. She wasn’t sure what that meant, but somehow it seemed like the right response for Simon. Simon didn’t talk like anybody else their own age. He was also one of the few people who called Stevie by her whole name. “What are you doing here?”
    “The same thing you are,” Simon said enthusiastically. He ran one hand through his wavy blond hair. “I can’t wait until she has her foal. I’ve never seen a new-born horse before!” He lowered his voice and glanced around as if he wanted to be sure nobody could overhear. “And just between you and me, some of that stuff Judy was talking about the other day made me a bit nervous. I thought it might help if I kept an eye on Calypso until her baby’s born.”
    Stevie bit the inside of her mouth to keep from laughing. Nobody in the state of Virginia knew less abouthorses than Simon, despite his earnest efforts to learn. He was hopeless. Still, Stevie reminded herself, his heart was in the right place. That was what counted. Besides, if things didn’t work out with Tate, maybe Stevie could still convince Carole to go out with Simon. With Carole as a girlfriend, maybe Simon would actually turn into a decent rider. Anything was possible!
    “We’re keeping an eye on her, too,” Stevie said, being careful not to catch Carole’s eye. “You can help us if you want.”
    “Thanks, Stephanie,” Simon said. “Gosh, that would be great. With all of us watching