Spirit Riding Free

by G. M. Berrow

  “Guess she’s not a packhorse.” Abigail sighed.

  “Do you think she’s a riding horse?” asked Lucky.

  “We could try leading and groundwork,” Pru suggested. “But we don’t have tack small enough to fit her.” Pru frowned. “Or a rider who is small enough to ride her.”

  “That’s where you’re wrong!” a squeaky little voice responded.

  “Snips!” Abigail stomped over to the freckled little boy who had suddenly appeared on the fence. She groaned. “What are you doing here?”

  “Came to see what all the commotion was.” He leaned over the wooden railing and offered Sandy a carrot. The horse neighed, chomped down on the offering with one bite, then began to sniff Snips’s hair for more hidden treats. “Señor Carrots and I were just minding our own business when we heard a whole bunch of it.” Snips took a bite of a fresh carrot. “You oughta train that horse.”

  “We’re trying.” Lucky groaned. Then she furrowed her brow. “Wait—do you actually think you could ride her, Snips? It would really help us with her training.”

  “No, ma’am. No way I’m getting on that little horse.” Snips shook his head. “But I know someone who probably would.”

  Pru and Abigail seemed unsure of Lucky’s plan. They knew she was desperate to prove herself by becoming a Trail Trainer, but involving Snips in the process was a whole new barrel of apples. However, it didn’t change the fact that they had promised Al Granger and Mr. Rollins that they would be responsible for Sandy’s training. After all the begging she’d had to do, Pru couldn’t just quit on the first day!

  “Okay,” Pru said with a determined nod. “But first we need something for the rider to ride on. Let’s go visit Turo. We can use the money we saved up for custom Sandy-size tack. Then we can move on to more circle work and lunging. Then, who knows? After she gets used to the saddle, I might even be able to get Sandy to do some dressage moves!”

  “Turo will know what to make!” Abigail echoed. Their friend was a very talented blacksmith and leathersmith. He’d even made Chica Linda’s saddle when Pru was only eight years old. “Let’s go! It’s only two weeks, one day, and three hours until Sandy has to be trained for Mr. Rollins at the Founders’ Day Parade!”

  Chapter 5

  The blacksmith was only about ten minutes from Pru’s stables, but the horses were desperate to go for a walk. Pru measured Sandy for her saddle while Lucky helped Abigail tack up Boomerang and Chica Linda. Spirit was spending some time with his herd, so Lucky would go on foot. Everyone agreed that it would be best if Sandy stayed behind in the barn to get some rest after all that rearing and bucking. Also, they didn’t want to chase her through the streets of Miradero.

  When they arrived at the shop, they saw Turo was already busy helping another customer. Lucky noticed that the girl, who was about the PALs’ age, was sitting in a wheelchair. She had shiny black hair plaited into twin braids and wore a pale-green dress that complemented her deep-brown eyes. She had a friendly face, but a shy demeanor. Lucky couldn’t be sure, but she thought she’d seen her around Miradero before.

  “I’ll be with you ladies in just a moment,” Turo said as he smiled and waved to Lucky, Abigail, and Pru. “Just finishing up with Caroline here.” Turo made some notes in his ledger and handed her a ticket. “I should have that new set of horseshoes for your grandmother ready by next week. By the way, these are my friends Lucky, Abigail, and Pru.”

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Caroline smiled. She thanked Turo and wheeled toward the door.

  “Let me get that for you!” Abigail reached around her and pushed the door open.

  “Thanks,” Caroline said, ducking her head shyly. She looked as if she wanted to say more, but instead just added, “See you around.” She wheeled herself out.

  Lucky and the others quickly filled Turo in on their unusual needs. He would need to craft a custom miniature saddle, bridle, bit, and headstall. Since he was their friend (and loved a challenge), Turo gave them a discount and promised to get started right away. “Shouldn’t take too long if these measurements you’ve given me are correct. Are you sure she’s this little?”

  “Yup, definitely. Checked them twice just to be sure,” assured Pru. After spending her whole life around horses, she had learned some very unusual equestrian-related skills. Turo had a lot of work to do, so the girls said a quick good-bye.

  Caroline was still outside. She was entranced by Boomerang and Chica Linda. She reached up to pet their silken manes and kept giggling every time they snorted near her head.

  “Caroline, right? Lucky remarked. She pointed to the horses. “They’re cute, huh?”

  “Adorable!” Caroline nodded. “What are their names?”

  “That’s my horse, Boomerang, and Pru’s horse, Chica Linda,” said Abigail as she pointed to each. “Want to feed them some biscuits?” She procured a wax paper square from her pocket and unfolded it to reveal a neat stack of oat biscuits.

  Caroline happily obliged. “I’ve always wanted a horse. You guys must have so much fun taking care of them! Especially during the summertime.” Caroline sighed. There was sadness in her voice. “This whole summer is going to be so… boring.”

  “Why’s that?” wondered Lucky.

  “Well”—Caroline sighed again—“I just got to Miradero. I always spend the summer here with my grandparents. This year was going to be special. My cousin William and I were even going to build a Founders’ Day Parade float to kick off the summer… but he got stuck with a bunch of makeup work so he doesn’t end up in summer school, and now I’m stuck reading and teaching piano lessons.”

  Abigail handed Caroline a few more biscuits so Boomerang would stop trying to lick the poor girl’s braids. “That doesn’t sound so bad.”

  “It’s all right, but I still really wish I was spending my time planning for the Founders’ Day Parade. I just love the beautiful floats, and I’ve wanted to be in it ever since the first time I saw it,” Caroline admitted wistfully.

  “Tell me about it!” Pru agreed. “The parade is the best! I remember when I was seven, Mr. Winthrop made this float that looked like a giant ice cream sundae. The people who rode on it threw saltwater taffy out to us. Ugh, my mouth is watering just thinking about it! Someday, I hope Chica Linda and I will be chosen to ride in the front.”

  “Me too!” Abigail blurted out. “But teaching piano seems fun, too, though.”

  Caroline smiled, but her eyes kept darting back to the horses. “Oh, it is! It’s really exciting when a student finally learns to play a melody! When the notes just click for them—there’s nothing like it.”

  Lucky knew exactly what she meant. That’s why she was so eager to teach Sandy. She was positive the horse would become well-trained with a little time and effort. Plus, that time and effort could turn Lucky into a great trainer as well. “Practice makes perfect, right?”

  “Exactly. Practice, practice, practice!” said Caroline, trying to hold back her giggles. But it wasn’t because what Lucky said was funny. It was because Boomerang was licking the crumbs off her hands and it tickled. She seemed to be a natural with the horses. “Boomerang, you’re so silly!”

  “Hey, you should come by my dad’s stables sometime and meet the others,” offered Pru.

  “Definitely…” Lucky added, thinking of today’s training with Sandy and how it had gone so differently than she’d hoped. “But maybe you’d better give us a few days first. Our new horse is, um… how do I put it lightly?” Lucky bit her lip. “A little unruly.”

  But that could all change with a little practice, practice, practice.

  Chapter 6

  “Special delivery!” Turo held up a shiny new saddle and accessories, beaming with pride. He sized up Sandy and broke out in a wide smile. “Wow, you weren’t kidding. That horse really is tiny and cute.”

  It had been only three days since Lucky, Abigail, and Pru had placed their order, but it felt like three weeks. Every morning, they’d gotten up early to tra
in Sandy and stopped only for lunch. They couldn’t do much except lead her with a rope around the run and work on touch exercises, brushing her mane and hide to build trust. That is, when they could get her to hold still. She had so much energy for such a little horse that she was exhausting all three of them as well as the rest of the horses in the barn. The PALs didn’t care to admit it, but the path to becoming a Trail Trainer required a lot more work than they’d bargained for.

  “It really is a pity Sandy won’t just keep the baskets on her back,” Abigail had lamented on the second day, after their seventh attempt at the exercise. “She’s so strong, she could definitely be a packhorse if she just put her mind to it!” They’d tried putting other items instead of rocks inside the baskets; everything from stuffed animals to books to oat cookies. That last idea had proven to be a really poor choice. Sandy had just immediately flung the baskets across the ramada and cantered around, eating the snacks off the ground while the girls stood there laughing.

  But today would be different. It was time to try Sandy with a rider.

  “Thank you, Turo!” Lucky squealed as she rushed to inspect the goods. It was well-known in Miradero that everything Turo made was of top-notch quality—and these were no exception. The rich brown leather of the miniature saddle was even stamped with the letters of Sandy’s name on the back. The bridle and bit were just her size and made with extra care. “They’re perfect.”

  “Well, let’s try them on first before you say that,” Turo said with a laugh. He stepped up onto the wooden rail of the fence and hoisted himself over it into the pen.

  Sandy was busy munching on some weeds near a stack of barrels. Pru coaxed her over to Turo with a slice of apple. The little horse responded immediately. She trotted happily, shaking her mane and doing her signature spin on the way. But as Lucky and Abigail slid the bridle and headstall over Sandy’s tawny muzzle, she began to writhe around as if the thing were made of snakes instead of soft, molded leather.

  “Whoa, girl. It’s all right now,” Turo assured her with a gentle pat. “That’s it.”

  The saddle was a little easier to secure than the bridle, but Sandy still didn’t like it. She started wriggling around and kicking her back legs out unhappily.

  “That’s the horse you expect one of us to ride?” a voice asked.

  The PALs turned and saw Snips, Bianca, and Mary Pat walking toward the pen.

  “Snips, what are they doing here?” Abigail asked.

  “I said I knew someone who could ride your little horse. Here are two someones!” Snips replied.

  “Yeah, except there’s no way we’re getting on that little thing,” Mary Pat said. “Right, Bianca?” Bianca frowned and looked from the horse to Snips and back again. “Right, Bianca?!” Mary Pat urged.

  “Well… she won’t throw me, will she?” Bianca asked.

  “She won’t,” Pru assured her.

  “If Snips wants me to ride this little horse, then I’ll do it!” Bianca declared. Mary Pat sighed heavily and rolled her eyes.

  “All right, just nice and steady now,” Lucky reminded the nervous girl. “Slow.”

  Bianca stepped forward and carefully mounted Sandy. She gently nudged the horse’s sides with her feet and Sandy began to walk. Bianca managed to guide Sandy around the pen almost twice before everything fell apart. Sandy stopped to munch some more weeds and refused to listen to any commands. Nothing Bianca tried seemed to work.

  “I know how to make this horse walk!” Snips hollered. He raised a stick above his head. A carrot tied to a long string was attached to the end of it. The idea was that the horse would try to reach the carrot with her mouth and would, in turn, walk forward. It worked on some horses and Snips’s donkey, Señor Carrots. Bianca was hesitant, but she took the stick from Snips. As she dangled the carrot in front of the horse, Sandy took off in a canter, trying in vain to reach the treat. When the horse couldn’t get it, she ran even faster and broke out into a full gallop. But there was nowhere in the pen for her to go. Sandy came to a screeching halt to avoid colliding with the wooden fence. Bianca went soaring right over it!

  Luckily, Turo had quick reflexes. He leaped forward and caught her. “You okay, little buddy?”

  “That. Was,” Bianca replied, wide-eyed. “Awesome!”

  The PALs sighed in relief. Al Granger, who had been watching the scene from inside Pru’s house, rushed outside to check on Bianca. He brought his first-aid kit and helped Bianca bandage up the one small scrape she had gotten when her knee brushed the wooden fence.

  “Maybe it would be best if you girls gave the training a rest,” Mr. Granger suggested. He didn’t look too happy. “I hate to say it, but maybe Mr. Rollins was right. You should just leave Sandy alone until he comes to pick her up on Founders’ Day. She might be too much for you girls to handle.”

  “Dad, no!” Pru protested. “We can do this. We’ve only been trying for a few days.”

  “Sandy just needs more time!” Abigail added.

  Mr. Granger finally agreed under one condition—they had to take regular breaks. Sandy was probably just too overwhelmed and confused to figure things out. The PALs admitted that he had a point.

  As soon as Turo, Mr. Granger, Snips, and the twins all left, the girls suddenly felt exhausted. They brought Sandy back to the barn, undid her tack, and began to brush her down.

  “So Sandy’s not a packhorse and she’s not a riding horse,” Lucky conceded, feeling discouraged. She couldn’t bear to give up on the little horse now. Lucky was positive that Sandy was meant for something special. She reached out and brushed her fingers through Sandy’s soft mane. “What kind of horse are you, girl?”

  A true Trail Trainer wouldn’t give up that easily. One way or another, you could bet your bridle that Lucky would figure it out.

  Chapter 7

  Chica Linda, Boomerang, and Spirit seemed to be enjoying the trails even more than usual today. The horses had spent a lot of time in the muggy barn recently, so the girls promised to take them out for an extra-long ride. As they rode across the wild terrain, Spirit led the way. He took them on a brand-new route that followed the path of a pretty stream, lined with patches of purple and yellow flowers under shady trees. The girls made lots of stops to rest, eat snacks, and wade through the cool waters. Summer truly felt as if it were just around the corner.

  Still, Lucky couldn’t help thinking about Sandy back at home, even though she tried her hardest to push the training dilemma from her mind and enjoy the trail ride with her best friends. She knew that Sandy was safe with Buster the Clydesdale and Mr. Granger. She was probably doing her signature twirl and trying to beg Al for treats like a puppy at this very moment.

  On the way back, Pru noticed that their route would take them right past the Calloway Barn on the outskirts of Miradero. The Calloway Barn was enormous and was no longer used to keep horses, so old Mr. Calloway was kind enough to let the townspeople of Miradero build and store their Founders’ Day Parade floats there in preparation for the big day. That way, everything would be a surprise. Of course, Maricela had gone to nose around at the barn last year. She had delighted in telling everyone that she knew exactly what the floats were before they did. Pru didn’t care much about that, but it did sound like a really cool and interesting thing to see.

  “Let’s stop and take a look around,” Pru insisted as the barn came into sight. “Please?” Lucky and Abigail didn’t protest, as long as they weren’t going to get in trouble for looking. The girls crept to the big barn door and stood to the side to peer in.

  The floats were magnificent. Some were covered in paper flowers, like the one in the shape of a giant basket with daisies tumbling out. Others had painted scenes of the founding of Miradero on the sides, surrounded by ribbons and fringed streamers. But Mr. Winthrop’s float looked like a cloud with a big red orb in the middle. Not quite as cool as the one from when Pru was seven.

  “Oh, I get it!” Abigail nodded. “It’s scoops of vanilla with a cherry on top! H
e just hasn’t added the stem yet.” Suddenly, a guy carrying a big curved red stick walked past and attached it to the top of the ball. But it wasn’t just any guy—it was Turo!

  “Hi, girls,” Turo said.

  “What are you doing here?” Pru asked.

  “I agreed to build parts for some of the floats, so I’m just making a few deliveries and helping out where I can,” he replied. “Wanna take a look with me?” The PALs all nodded wildly.

  As Turo showed them around, Lucky felt a weird mixture of emotions. She had a mounting sense of excitement for the parade, but also dread at the thought that Sandy might have to be given back. “Who’s riding up front this year?” Abigail whispered to Turo as they admired the “basket of flowers” float. “Do you know?”

  “I think it’s a surprise. No one knows who’s even choosing the riders.” Turo shrugged and changed the subject. “Hey, how is Sandy doing? I see she’s not out on the trail ride with you.”

  “She’s just resting today,” explained Lucky. She forced a smile. “Then we’ll try again with a new training style tomorrow. It seems as if Sandy really doesn’t like carrying too much on her back. But she’s so strong!”

  “Hmmm…” Turo looked around thoughtfully. “What if instead of carrying something, Sandy pulled something? If she’s as strong as you say she is, do you think she would be good with a cart?” He pointed to a row of old wagons that were once used for hauling goods. They still had attachments on the sides so that they could hitch to a horse’s saddle.

  It was exactly the reason Mr. Granger bought Buster—to be a draft horse and to pull things like wagons—but the girls had never considered that job for Sandy. Even though she was so strong, she was so tiny that the idea almost sounded silly! But what if it was just silly enough to work?