Stable Hearts Read Online Free PDF Page A

felt. Penny was being a beast, and that wasn’t Carole’s fault; and Stevie knew that even the smallest ponies were physically stronger than any rider, but still, this had to be a huge blow to Carole’s pride.
    Stevie started to walk toward her friend when behind her she heard Lisa shriek, “Dime! You
brat
!”
    Stevie whirled just in time to see Dime leap into the air and perform a truly impressive series of bucks. Lisa fought to get his head up so that hecouldn’t use it to counterbalance his flying heels, but within seconds she was sitting on the ground and Dime was flying toward the same open field Penny had frolicked in moments before.
    Penny plunged and whirled, trying to join him. Carole hung on to the reins grimly. Max grabbed Penny’s bridle and soothed the excited mare. “Lisa, are you hurt?” he called.
    Lisa was already on her feet, dusting off the seat of her breeches. “No,” she answered. From the tone of her voice, her friends knew she was as angry and humiliated as Carole. Every rider fell off occasionally, but to be bucked off by the gentlest pony in the barn, in front of a huge audience of kids your own age—that was special.
    “I’ll go get him, Max,” Lisa said. She wanted to get away from the other riders, if only for a moment. She hadn’t been this embarrassed since the first week she started riding, when Stevie had played a practical joke on her. Angry tears came to her eyes.
    “Thank you, Lisa,” Max said gently. Unlike Penny, Dime had stopped galloping at the farthest edge of the field. He was now eating grass as though he didn’t have a care in the world—or asaddle on his back. Lisa walked slowly toward him. She knew better than to rush at any horse, but she also wanted to give herself time to regain her composure.
At least when I get back my face won’t be red anymore
, she thought.
    Dime cocked a wary ear toward her. Lisa slowed her steps even more. “Whoa, Dime,” she said softly. “Good pony. Steady, good boy.” Dime relaxed his ear and continued grazing. “Stupid moronic pea-brain,” Lisa crooned, in the same gentle tone. “Fluff-headed idiot.”
    Dime relaxed still further. Lisa gave a small snort of laughter. Max had always told them that horses couldn’t understand English. Now she knew it was true.
    Dime’s reins were still looped around his neck. Lisa cautiously went up to his side and reached for them.
    Dime leaped sideways. Lisa’s fingers closed on empty air, and Dime galloped, bucking and plunging, all the way back to the playing field. Fortunately, Carole had already dismounted from Penny, and she and Stevie managed to catch him.
    Max called another time-out while he consultedwith the Cross County leader. Finally he put both Penny and Dime back on the horse van. Horse Wise borrowed a horse from Cross County, and the riders reorganized themselves into eight teams of five. Polly joined Veronica’s team, Jackie went to Penny’s old team, and a rider named Liam joined one of the Cross County teams. Jessica Adler joined The Saddle Club and Meg.
    Jessica was still upset over Penny’s misbehavior. “She was awful,” she said. “And I love her so much. Why would she be so bad?”
    “Maybe she isn’t feeling well,” Carole suggested. “We’ll check her when we get back to Pine Hollow.” Personally she believed Penny felt fine. Any pony who galloped that much could hardly be sick.
    “Maybe she just woke up on the wrong side of the stall,” Lisa suggested, putting her arm around the little girl.
    Phil brought a big ugly gray horse over to them. “Here, you guys can ride Joker,” he said. “Don’t worry, he won’t run away with you. He can’t move that fast.” Phil flashed a devilish smile at all of them and returned to his team.
    “Maybe Penny’s got a brat of a boyfriend who wants to get his own way all the time,” Steviespat. “Maybe she’s just really tired of putting up with him.”
    “Stevie!” Lisa said.
    Stevie looked at her