Horseback Hopes

by Jake Maddox

  Table of Contents

  CHAPTER 1: A New Stable

  CHAPTER 2: Dream Come True

  CHAPTER 3: First Lesson

  CHAPTER 4: Aches and Pains

  CHAPTER 5: Trail Trouble

  CHAPTER 6: Risky Rescue

  CHAPTER 7: Horse Show

  CHAPTER 8: The Great Casper

  About the Author

  About the Illustrator

  Glossary

  More About Horseback Riding

  Discussion Questions

  Writing Prompts

  Internet Sites

  Copyright

  Back Cover

  CHAPTER 1

  A New Stable

  Molly Burke stopped walking and stared at the new flyer on the school bulletin board. “Pinch me, Kari,” she said.

  “Why?” her best friend asked.

  “So I know I’m not dreaming,” Molly said. She rubbed her eyes and looked again.

  She wasn’t dreaming. The flyer said, “North Star Stable: Horseback Riding Lessons, Low Prices.”

  Kari looked at the flyer and sighed. “Oh,” she said. “Horseback riding lessons. I was hoping it was going to be something exciting.”

  “It is exciting!” Molly said.

  Molly had loved horses since the first time she saw one on TV. She cut horse pictures out of magazines and saved them in a scrapbook. She had read all the horse books in the library, twice!

  She collected glass horses and horse toys. The bouncy-horse she had when she was little was still stored in the attic. But she’d never ridden on a real horse.

  “This could totally change my life,” Molly said.

  “I thought your dad wouldn’t let you take lessons,” Kari said.

  “He won’t let me take lessons at Bay Meadow,” Molly said. “Too expensive. But this says low prices!”

  Kari leaned closer to read the small print on the flyer. “The trainer is a fifth-grade teacher,” she told Molly. “Her name is Ms. North.”

  Molly smiled. “That will make it even easier to convince my parents to let me take lessons,” she said. “Where is this new stable?”

  Gabrielle and Lily walked up behind them. Molly spun around.

  “What new stable?” Gabrielle asked, crossing her arms.

  Molly looked at the flyer and read the address. “It says it’s on Skylark Road,” she said.

  “I know that place. It’s next to Bay Meadow,” Lily said. “It’s not a new stable. It’s an old farm.” She and Gabrielle looked at each other and laughed.

  Molly frowned. She knew that Gabrielle and Lily kept their horses at Bay Meadow. They wore riding clothes to school when they had horse shows, which Molly thought was really cool.

  Molly had always wanted to be friends with Gabrielle and Lily, since they loved horses as much as she did. But Gabrielle and Lily didn’t want to be friends with her. They only hung out with kids who took lessons at Bay Meadow and owned horses of their own.

  “I can’t believe somebody bought that rundown place,” Gabrielle added.

  “Maybe Ms. North fixed it up,” Kari said.

  “Maybe, but I bet the horses are old and boring,” Gabrielle said. “Lesson horses usually are. That’s why Lily and I own our own horses. Taking lessons at some old farm really isn’t the same thing at all.” She stuck her nose in the air. Then Gabrielle and Lily walked away.

  Molly frowned. But she didn’t care if it wasn’t the same. She just wanted to learn how to ride a horse. As long as it had four legs, a mane, and a tail, any horse would be perfect.

  Molly looked at the flyer. Then she wrote down the phone number in her notebook.

  CHAPTER 2

  Dream Come True

  At dinner, Molly waited until her older brother, Ken, finished talking to their parents about baseball practice. Then she blurted out her news.

  “A new stable just opened up on Skylark Road,” Molly said quickly. “The trainer is a fifth-grade teacher, and it’s cheaper than Bay Meadow. Can I take riding lessons there?”

  Her mom frowned. “That’s a long way from here,” Mom said. “You can’t walk.”

  “I can ride my bike,” Molly said. She rode her bike to school sometimes, and that was farther than the stable was.

  “I can drive her,” Ken offered.

  Molly smiled. Ken was sixteen. He had just passed his driver’s test, and he’d do anything to drive the family car.

  “Do you know the teacher’s name?” her mom asked.

  “Ms. North,” Molly said. “I wrote down the phone number.”

  Molly’s mom and dad looked at each other.

  “We’ll think about it,” her dad said finally. “Mom and I will talk after dinner.”

  After dinner, Molly went to her room to do her homework. She couldn’t keep her mind on math and history. All she could think about was horses. Molly wanted to learn to ride more than anything.

  An hour later, there was a knock on Molly’s bedroom door. Her mom walked in.

  “Well, I talked to the trainer,” Molly’s mom said. She sat on the edge of Molly’s bed and added, “Ms. North was very nice and answered all our questions.”

  “And?” Molly asked. She held her breath.

  “Your father and I decided that we will pay for ten group lessons,” her mom said. “Ms. North has a special rate for new students, and she’ll give us a refund if you don’t like it.”

  “Are you kidding?” Molly yelled happily. “I’ll love it!”

  Molly couldn’t believe it. Her dream was coming true.

  The only thing that would make it better would be if Kari would take lessons too. But Kari didn’t like horses.

  It didn’t matter. Molly was finally going to learn to ride.

  CHAPTER 3

  First Lesson

  Molly’s first lesson was a few days later. She had begged Kari to come watch her first lesson, and Kari had finally given in. They rode their bikes to the stable together after school.

  Molly had already changed into her new riding clothes. She was wearing long pants and boots. The boots would make sure that her feet wouldn’t slip through the stirrups while she was riding.

  “This is it. Your big day,” Kari said as they walked together toward the barn. “Are you excited?”

  “Yep,” Molly said with a nervous smile. “I’m so excited! I can’t wait. My knees are shaking.”

  “Look at that!” Kari said, pointing to the field on the other side of the fence. A horse and rider galloped toward a tall hedge and jumped it.

  “I wouldn’t do that in a million years,” Kari said. “Not even for a million dollars.”

  “I would!” Molly exclaimed. “I hope I can ride like that someday.”

  They walked inside the barn. Kari sat on a bench by the barn door, and Molly joined the other kids. There were two girls and one boy.

  A woman stepped forward. “You must be Molly Burke,” she said. “I’m Ms. North. Everyone is here now, so we can get started!”

  Ms. North led a big gray horse out of a stall and clipped two ropes to his halter. “Riding is only part of good horsemanship,” she said. “Before you ride, you have to groom the horse.”

  Molly paid close attention as Ms. North moved a rubber curry-comb in slow circles over the horse’s neck, sides, and rump.

  “Does he like that?” Molly asked. “It kind of looks like it would hurt.”

  Ms. North laughed. “It doesn’t hurt at all. Casper loves it,” she said. “He loves it almost as much as he likes hay and oats. And he likes hay and oats a lot.”

  Ms. North brushed the loose dirt off Casper. Then she used a cloth to make his coat shine. Finally, the trainer combed Casper’s mane and tail with a metal comb and untangled the snags with her fingers. Molly wa
tched carefully.

  “Who wants to clean his hooves?” Ms. North asked. “Casper is old and lazy. He won’t kick.”

  Molly was the only one who raised her hand. “I will,” she said.

  “Great, Molly,” Ms. North said. “Come on up. I’ll show you what to do.”

  Molly did exactly what Ms. North told her. When Molly touched the back of Casper’s lower leg, he lifted his foot. Then she held his hoof and picked the dirt out with a metal hook tool.

  “Very good, Molly!” Ms. North said, smiling. “A horse with a stone in his hoof is like a car with a flat tire. It can’t go very far.” The teacher saddled and bridled Casper. “I’ll teach you how to tack up next time,” she said.

  “Tack something up on a bulletin board?” the boy asked. The girls laughed.

  “Saddles and bridles are tack, Max,” Ms. North explained. “Tacking up means putting them on the horse.” She gave Casper’s reins to Molly and said, “Take Casper to the riding ring.”

  Molly put one hand on the reins under Casper’s chin and held the long ends of the reins in the other hand. She stayed on the left by his head. She had to tug on the reins and make a clucking noise to get Casper to move.

  Kari hurried out of the barn ahead of them. “Horses sure are a lot of work,” she said. “We’ve been here for half an hour, and you haven’t even ridden one yet!”

  “I think this part is fun too,” Molly said, patting Casper’s neck. “Hey, touch his nose,” she told Molly. “It’s so soft and warm.”

  Kari shuddered. “No way,” she said.

  The students led their horses into the ring and lined up in the middle. Ms. North helped everyone get on. As soon as Molly was aboard Casper, she grabbed the front of the saddle. It was a long way down!

  “Remember,” Ms. North said, “horses are bigger, but people are smarter. So never blame the horse when something goes wrong, even if it is his fault!”

  Molly giggled. She was starting to feel more relaxed.

  Ms. North stood in the center of the ring and explained the basics of good form. “Sit up straight,” she told the class. “Keep your elbows in and your heels down. To make the horse walk, tighten your reins and squeeze your legs.”

  Molly squeezed her legs, but Casper didn’t move.

  “Just kick him with your heel, Molly!” Ms. North said.

  Molly kicked, and the big horse started walking — straight toward the fence! Molly panicked. Was the horse going to keep walking and crash into the fence? It didn’t seem like he was going to stop.

  “What do I do?” she yelled.

  “Pull back on the left rein,” Ms. North told her. “Don’t pull out! Pull back!”

  Molly pulled back on the rein in her left hand. Casper turned to the left and walked next to the fence. “Good job,” Ms. North called.

  The other three horses were faster. Molly couldn’t get Casper to speed up.

  “You’re all hunched over!” Kari said as Molly passed her. “And your reins are too loose.”

  When Molly shortened her reins and sat up straighter, Casper decided to catch up to the other horses. He broke into a slow trot, and Molly bounced up and down.

  “Pull back on the reins to make him walk,” Ms. North said. “And keep those heels down, Molly.”

  Molly flopped around like a rag doll, but she got Casper to walk again. Then she heard someone laugh. She looked over the fence.

  Gabrielle and Lily were riding in the Bay Meadow field. Their sleek horses pranced quickly, but both girls rode like they were glued to their saddles. They slowed down and watched Molly for a moment. Then they giggled again.

  Molly’s cheeks flushed. She was pretty embarrassed, but she was determined to get it right. After all, Gabrielle and Lily had been beginners once. If they could learn to ride, so could she.

  CHAPTER 4

  Aches and Pains

  The next morning, Molly woke up stiff and sore. Her muscles ached so much that it hurt to even brush her teeth. After she got dressed, she limped into the kitchen. Her family was already at the table.

  “What’s wrong?” Mom asked. She poured Molly a glass of orange juice.

  “My whole body hurts,” Molly moaned.

  “That’s because riding uses muscles you haven’t used before,” her father said.

  “No pain, no gain,” Ken added. “That’s what my football coach always says.”

  “My next lesson is in two days,” Molly said. “How can I ride if I can hardly walk?”

  “Take a hot bath after school,” her mother suggested. “That might help.”

  “How did the riding go yesterday?” Dad asked.

  “It wasn’t what I expected,” Molly said. “I thought I could just hop on and gallop off, but riding a horse is harder than it looks.”

  Her mother gasped. “Did the horse try to run away with you?” she asked nervously.

  “No!” Molly said. She rolled her eyes and laughed. “The horse I rode only has two speeds. Slow and very slow.”

  “Good,” Mom said, looking relieved. She paused. Then she said, “I know we’ve always said you have to finish what you start, but we won’t be mad if you want to quit riding.”

  “Quit? No way!” Molly exclaimed. She ached all over, and old Casper was slow, but Molly was already in love with horseback riding!

  * * *

  On the way to school, Molly started worrying. She wanted to ask Kari to come along to the next lesson, but Molly was pretty sure Kari had been bored during the riding class.

  What if Kari didn’t want to go again? Molly knew that riding wouldn’t be as much fun without her best friend.

  Molly didn’t say anything about it until they sat down for lunch. Then she asked Kari, “Are you busy Saturday?”

  “I don’t think so,” Kari said. “Why?”

  “I really want you to come to my next lesson,” Molly said. “It’ll make me less nervous if you’re there.”

  Just then, Gabrielle and Lily walked by with their lunch trays. They stopped and looked at Molly.

  “You’ll never learn to ride on that old horse you were riding yesterday,” Lily said. “He’s so old I bet he can’t even stand up for ten minutes at a time.”

  The insult made Molly mad, but she didn’t want Lily and Gabrielle to know. “Casper is quiet and calm,” Molly told them. “That’s why he’s good for beginners.”

  “Young horses can get too excited sometimes,” Kari said. “Sometimes they act up and buck or run away. Casper is a dependable horse.”

  Molly blinked. When did Kari become a horse expert? she wondered.

  “Good point, Kari,” Gabrielle said. “It’ll be a long time before Molly can handle a show horse like Rebel Wings.”

  Gabrielle’s horse, Rebel Wings, was a junior jumper. Jumpers had to get over fences without knocking down rails. Points were taken off if a rail fell. Points were called faults, and a round with no faults was perfect. If more than one horse had zero faults, the fastest horse won.

  Lily laughed. “There’s no way Molly would ever be able to ride Jubilee,” she said meanly.

  Lily’s horse, Jubilee, was a junior hunter. Hunters had to get over the jumps and mind their manners. If a hunter bucked, it didn’t win.

  “We’re riding in the Bay Meadows Junior Horse Show next week,” Lily added.

  “That sounds like fun,” Molly said, “but you’re right, Gabrielle. Rebel Wings is too nervous for me. I’m working really hard, though. I want to ride as well as you someday.”

  Molly could tell that the compliment surprised Gabrielle. Gabrielle just opened her mouth and then closed it again. Finally, she just mumbled, “Thanks.”

  Lily and Gabrielle walked away. Then Molly looked at Kari and asked, “When did you learn so much about horses?”

  “I listened to everything Ms. North told you,” Kari said. “Riding is a lot more interesting than I thought it would be.”

  Molly grinned. “Does that mean you want to ride?” she asked.

&nb
sp; “No!” Kari said loudly. She shook her head. “Absolutely not. But I will go to your lesson on Saturday.”

  “Great!” Molly said. But she was starting to realize something. Kari, who was usually not afraid of anything, was afraid of horses!

  CHAPTER 5

  Trail Trouble

  Kari went to every lesson with Molly for two weeks. Kari watched the class ride, played with Ms. North’s dog, and petted the barn cat. But no matter what, she wouldn’t ever touch a horse.

  Molly liked having Kari’s company at the stable, so she didn’t tease her friend about being afraid of horses. Molly understood. After all, horses were really big! Molly loved them, but Kari didn’t have to.

  “I offered to feed the horses and do the barn chores at North Star today,” Molly told Kari one Monday. “Kids who help out get extra riding time. Ms. North has parent-teacher meetings after school. Do you want to help?”

  “Sure,” Kari said, “but I’m not going anywhere near the stalls.”

  “You won’t have to,” Molly said. “Promise.”

  After school, Ken drove Molly and Kari to the stable. When Molly walked into the barn, she felt really nervous. Even though Ms. North had shown Molly what to do, she was nervous about doing the chores on her own. She didn’t want to mess anything up.

  “Where do we start?” Kari asked. She followed Molly into the tack room.

  Rows of saddle and bridle racks covered the walls. Three dirty bridles hung down from a hook on the ceiling.

  Molly pointed at the bridles. “Let’s clean tack,” she said.

  “I’ll get the hot water,” Kari said.

  Kari filled a bucket at the sink and set it down. Molly unhooked the bridles. Then Kari washed dried grass off the metal bits. When she finished cleaning the bits, she put the bridles back on the hook.

  Molly rubbed a bar of orange saddle soap with a wet sponge and cleaned the leather straps. After she rinsed off the soap with another sponge, Kari dried the straps with a cloth and rubbed in leather conditioner. Finally, they hung the clean bridles on the wall.