The Palomino Pony Rides Out

by Olivia Tuffin

  Suddenly, like a miracle, the vet appeared, wading through the ankle-deep water in the yard.

  “I called him, Mum,” Sophie said, popping her head over the stable door.

  After briefly filling the vet in on the dilemma, Georgia yelped as the water started to swirl around the door to Lily’s stable. She could hear Wilson snorting next door as Callie gave another shrill cry. There was no time to lose. Dan had already phoned his dad, who was on his way with the trailer.

  Nodding grimly, the vet agreed to allow Lily to be moved but only if he rode in the trailer with her.

  “And me, please,” Georgia said, clutching Lily’s lead rope tightly. She didn’t want to let her out of her sight.

  “Good idea,” the vet nodded. “We need to keep her as calm as possible.”

  Just at that moment, headlights flooded the yard, filling Georgia with relief. It was Mr Coleman in his Land Rover, towing the small cattle box behind him.

  “Here, girl,” he breathed as Georgia led Lily out, her legs bandaged to keep her as safe as possible for the short journey. Melanie was holding Wilson and Callie who were snorting in alarm as they high-stepped through the rising waters towards the horsebox parked up by the house.

  The floodwater was nearly up to little Callie’s hocks. Her nostrils flared and she gave a shrill whinny as she fought her way out of the yard.

  “Come on, darling.” Georgia hugged her pony as she led her up the shallow ramp of the trailer. She thought back to when they’d had to rescue Lily from the Welsh river. Lily had instinctively known that Georgia and Dan were helping her then, just as she seemed to know it now. Looking at Georgia with huge dark eyes, Lily gently nuzzled her hand.

  “How much further?” Georgia asked impatiently.

  “Not long now, Georgia,” said Mr Coleman. He was a steady and patient driver. Shifting slightly from side to side, Lily stood quietly as the cattle trailer rumbled down the farm lane. They were safely out of the floodwater that had engulfed the little yard at Redgrove. Poor Melanie and Simon, Georgia thought. She hoped they had managed to get Wilson and Callie out too, and she hoped their house was going to be OK.

  As soon as the Land Rover reached the farm, Dan leapt out of the front seat and opened the door to the calves’ stable. It was beautifully clean.

  “Welcome to your new abode, madam.” He grinned as the vet and Georgia carefully unloaded Lily.

  The palomino mare gave a sigh as she walked into her stable, but it wasn’t long before she began pacing again, checking her flanks.

  “Got her here just in time,” Mr Coleman said, leaning over the stable door. He looked completely worn out.

  “In more ways than one,” the vet agreed, pulling on his flat cap. “One minute longer and we would have needed a raft down at Redgrove Farm.” He carefully watched the little mare, whose breath had quickened. “Easy girl, easy.”

  The minutes ticked by. Georgia had read in her foaling book that mares were supposed to foal within half an hour of showing signs and it had been at least twenty minutes now.

  Apart from a gentle grunting sound coming from Lily, the stable was completely silent as everyone held their breath, only interrupted by the dark green lorry pulling into the yard with Wilson and Callie aboard.

  Dan hurried to his feet to direct the ponies into another couple of stables before rushing back to Georgia, who was muttering under her breath, “Please Lily, please.”

  Her teeth were chattering, she was chilled to the bone, but that didn’t matter. Nothing mattered apart from Lily and her foal. Dan put an old Barbour around her shoulders and she smiled at him gratefully. “I’ve rung your mum – she’s on her way.”

  Georgia grinned at her friend. He was so thoughtful – even when his own life was being turned upside down. It would be great to have her mum there and she wanted her to share in the momentous event of Lily’s foal being born.

  At that moment, Lily groaned and slumped down, lying on her side, her flanks heaving.

  “It’s OK, it’s OK,” the vet said, seeing Georgia’s stricken face. “This is normal. It’s good. This is an early foal, but I think it’s going to be OK.” He pressed a finger to his lips and beckoned Georgia into the stable.

  Melanie and Sophie were standing huddled outside with Dan and his dad, a mixture of concern and excitement on their faces as they watched, all silently willing for the little mare to be OK.

  Squinting into the gloom, Georgia tried to make out what the vet was pointing at. Then she saw! A tiny little hoof, pointing downwards!

  “A good sign,” the vet smiled. “We need them pointing downwards and one slightly in front of the other.”

  Georgia thought her heart would crash out of her chest, it was pounding so loudly. She heard a hushed gasp come from the enchanted group of spectators outside the stable, all as enraptured as her.

  “That’s a girl, that’s a girl,” the vet was crooning, talking to Lily all the while. Her neck was now slick with sweat and her breath was coming in ragged gasps. Surely it couldn’t be long now!

  With one final heave and push, a small pink nose appeared, followed by the gangly, slippery body of the most perfect baby horse ever.

  Georgia cried out as the foal was finally born, landing gently on the soft, pale straw.

  The vet quickly set to work clearing the airways and rubbing the foal’s tiny body gently, before a small kitten-like sound came from its throat.

  Lily was too exhausted to move and was lying flat out with her head resting on a bank of straw. However, the little sound from her baby drove her to her feet, till she was whickering and calling for the foal.

  “A colt!” the vet grinned. “And a really strong lad as well!”

  Georgia looked up. There at the door beaming back at her were Dan, Mr Coleman, Melanie and Sophie – all of them reduced to tears by the birth, and, best of all, standing next to them was her mum. “I got here just in time, darling,” she said. “And I’m so glad. That was the most amazing thing that I’ve ever seen.”

  Tears streamed down Georgia’s cheeks as she nodded at her mum, then she turned back to watch Lily gently nudge and lick her foal dry as he tried to clamber to his feet. He was the colour of autumn leaves.

  “He’s so beautiful,” Georgia breathed, unable to drag her eyes away from the pair.

  Gently, the vet encouraged the foal to suckle, then quietly he let himself out of the stable, reassuring Georgia that she could call at any point if she was worried.

  Melanie yawned. It had been a long, long day.

  “Please let us stay with her,” Georgia pleaded – looking from her mum to Melanie.

  “Why break a habit of a lifetime?” Mrs Black smiled, referring to Lily’s first night at Redgrove when Georgia had stayed with her all night following her colic. “That is – if it’s OK by you, Melanie?” she asked her friend.

  Melanie nodded and chuckled. “It’s fine by me. But mother and baby need to have some rest now.”

  “The hayloft’s next door,” Dan said. “We could keep an eye on them from up there, without disturbing them.”

  “I’d like to stay as well, Mum,” said Sophie.

  Melanie laughed, then she looked a bit worried again. “Guess I’ll head off, then, see how Simon’s getting on at home.”

  “I’ll keep an eye on things here,” Dan’s father reassured the two mums, still watching the foal as he spoke and smiling for the first time in weeks.

  “That would be great,” said Mrs Black. “I can drive home and fetch blankets and some food.”

  “No need at all – we’ve got plenty of blankets in the house and we’ll heat up some soup for everyone. Nice for me and my boys to have company tonight,” Mr Coleman added a little sadly.

  “Thanks so much, Mr Coleman.” Georgia sighed gratefully. What would she do without all of her incredible friends?

  It was almost dawn when Georgia was woken by a noise from below. She quickly glanced down into the barn.

  Lily was standing quiet
ly at the back of her stable, keeping a watchful eye on her foal. Nothing was amiss. Sophie was asleep beside her in the hay loft, curled up in a nest of blankets, her hair fanned out like a halo, the hood of her university hockey club sweater over her nose to keep off the chill and Dan was stretched out in the corner, his hands behind his head and his breathing even.

  “Georgia, Georgia!” The whispering was faint but the voice was familiar.

  “Emma? Is that you?” Georgia had been dozing but her senses were on full alert in case anything happened with Lily or the foal. In all of the excitement of the previous evening, Georgia had put her concerns about Emma to the back of her mind, but just before she’d drifted off to sleep she’d felt a twinge about the fact that her best friend hadn’t been there for the birth of Lily’s foal. And she wanted to get to the bottom of what had happened at the Show and Emma’s involvement in it all. Now she sat bolt upright and peered through the darkness, hoping that it really was her friend.

  It was! Emma was climbing up into the hay hatch, and there was someone else with her. “Lexie?”

  Lexie was all in black, her chestnut bob hidden beneath a dark grey beret. She was pale, her green eyes were huge in her face, and she looked as though she had been crying.

  “I tried calling you, G, but I couldn’t get a connection. So I rang Melanie and she told me what had happened. Georgia, please listen…” Emma’s voice was urgent as she looked from Georgia to Dan, who had woken with a start and crawled over to see what was up. “Lexie’s got something to tell you guys.”

  Lexie gave a small sob and collapsed on to the floor, waking Sophie who blinked in surprise.

  Lexie was really crying now, burying her face in her hands.

  “What is it?” Georgia said gently, feeling sorry for the girl.

  “It’s … it’s…” Lexie said, unable to get her words out.

  “What, Lexie?” Dan said a bit more forcibly.

  She gulped and raised her eyes to look at him, the tears streaming down her cheeks.

  “It’s my stepdad, Joe. I’ve found out he’s behind the farm takeover!”

  The small space in the loft hatch suddenly closed in on Georgia. Dan had turned white, and Sophie looked bewildered, trying to take in the news. No one spoke for what seemed like an age before Dan hissed in a quiet voice.

  “What did you just say?” His hands were trembling.

  “I found out just before the championships,” Lexie muttered miserably. “That’s why I had to get away. Joe was making me ride more and more, getting me out of the way, but not coming to shows any more. I thought he wanted me to be a showjumper like him, but then I saw a draft sale advert for River on the laptop, a few weeks ago. Then last night, while Joe was out talking to Jason, I had another look in the office to see if the advert was still there…”

  Dan shook his head. “What’s the sale of the pony got to do with the farm?”

  “River was being sold,” Lexie sobbed, looking at the ground, “to pay off some of the debts. Joe’s company is in massive trouble. He needed to buy some land cheaply so he could sell it on to the supermarket in town at a profit and make money again. It was all a done deal.”

  “And what about the rumours that were being spread around about us?” Dan asked grimly.

  Lexie nodded miserably. “It was all Delta Developments,” she said, sounding distraught.

  “And the break-in?” Dan had his eyes closed, as if he couldn’t quite believe what he was hearing.

  Lexie started crying again. “I’d like to think Joe wasn’t behind that but…” Her voice trailed off.

  “Of course!” said Dan. “The ‘DD’ on your lorry. It stands for Delta Developments, doesn’t it?”

  “Yes,” Lexie sniffed miserably. “Joe sits on the board. It’s his company.”

  “And River?” Georgia said.

  “All I needed to do at the Championships was jump River and win, and according to my stepdad, his price would quadruple in value,” she sniffed. “I just couldn’t go through with it, though – it would have meant giving him up for ever.”

  Emma started to speak. “Lexie didn’t mean to put me in danger or mess up the team’s chances,” she explained. “But she knew that River wouldn’t jump without her and that it would put buyers off.”

  “I wasn’t just being selfish,” said Lexie. “That’s why I had Em ride him a few times before – I thought that she might try to take my place on the team so that you could all still stand a chance in the competition and then I wouldn’t have to let you all down. I can see now how stupid that was – how I could have put Emma or River in real danger. I’m an idiot, but I just didn’t know what else to do.”

  “It’s all right, Lexie,” Em said, giving her friend a hug.

  Georgia felt a twinge of jealousy, but then stopped herself. She had been so busy thinking about herself and her chances on the team or about Lily being pregnant that she hadn’t noticed just how miserable Lexie was, nor had she realised that Emma wasn’t giving up on their friendship, she was just trying to help another friend. Which was no more than Georgia would do for Dan. She hung her head. It all made sense now.

  Georgia felt a pang of love for her best friend who had obviously tried to do the right thing, and all the time she’d been put out that Emma wasn’t there for her at every given moment. She squeezed Emma’s hand, who in turn gave her a grateful hug. There’d be plenty of time for them to talk later, but the important thing now was the future of the Colemans’ farm.

  “One thing I don’t understand … Seven Birches…” Georgia trailed off, not being able to put into words what she wanted to say, but Lexie seemed to understand.

  “Joe always has to have the best,” she said, “whether he can afford it or not.” She chewed on her thumbnail. “He’s overstretched himself buying that place but he was so desperate for me to follow in his riding footsteps, and to give the right impression to his clients…”

  “…and you hated it,” Georgia said, remembering Lexie’s white face and terrified expression at pony club.

  “Yes,” Lexie said, knitting her fingers together. “I hate riding in competitions and jumping. All I want to do is ride bareback and be at one with my horse.”

  “But you look so relaxed when you ride,” said Georgia.

  “Only on the flat,” said Lexie. “I’m not into jumping like you…” She brushed a tear from her cheek. “All I wanted was it to be me and River, bareback riding, no competing, but my whole life Joe has pushed and pushed me.”

  “I hope you can forgive me for taking Em away, Georgia,” she added, looking at her with huge dark eyes. “She was the only friend I ever had in my whole life. I’ve never had the kind of friendship the two of you have.”

  Georgia smiled kindly at Lexie. How wrong she had been – thinking that Lexie had everything that she could wish for and more. Georgia and her mum may not be rich and Lily may only be on loan to her, but she had never felt luckier in her whole life!

  “OK!” Dan clapped his hands, snapping her out of her thoughts and making them both jump. “That’s enough about that. We’ll sort out River for you later, Lexie,” he promised her. “But first … we need to save the farm!”

  Emma looked a little shy. “Actually, you don’t need to worry about that,” she said. “Dad’s on to it,” she said mysteriously. “Lexie and I have been with him tonight. He’s got together the proof that the burglary and the rumours were deliberate to make your dad sell the farm. He’s coming over first thing in the morning to stop the takeover!”

  “Really?” Dan’s eyes widened. “I can’t believe it! I have to go and tell Dad!”

  There didn’t seem much point in trying to go back to sleep now. Instead, Emma and Georgia grabbed a moment to creep down to see Lily while Sophie looked after Lexie. Dan had hurtled out of the hay barn to go and share the news with his dad and brother.

  The perfect little colt twitched and stirred as he slept soundly at Lily’s hooves. Although she was alert, clearly
protecting her newborn, the palomino’s cream-coloured tail swished contentedly as she stood over her foal.

  “He’s amazing,” Emma breathed.

  “Isn’t he?” Georgia replied. She didn’t think she had ever seen such a precious thing. Lily looked up and whickered very quietly at Georgia in greeting.

  Emma tucked her arm through her friend’s. “I wish I had been here for the birth.”

  “I’ve missed you so much,” Georgia said to her.

  “I know, and I’m so sorry.” Emma looked upset. “I was jealous that you got all the attention at Redgrove, but I should have talked to you about it.” She looked ashamed. “At first, it felt really good to be riding at Seven Birches. I missed you too, but I felt I had to stay for Lexie – she was so unhappy but she wouldn’t tell me why, and I thought she was going to do something stupid, like…”

  “Run away?” Georgia said.

  “Yeah,” Emma smiled. “And I guess I know why now.”

  It was still only first light when the two girls made their way up the drive to the Colemans’ farm. Dan and his father and brother stood in a huddle, deep in conversation. Georgia guessed that Dan had caught up with them while they were doing their routine dawn round of all of the animals. They looked as though they hadn’t slept much, but there was something much more positive about Mr Coleman’s stance, like the weight of the world was beginning to lift off his shoulders.

  “Morning, girls,” Mr Coleman greeted them. “We were just on our way inside. The agents from Delta Developments will be here any moment. We were due to sign the deal first thing this morning.”

  While Mr Coleman made a pot of tea, he asked Emma to go over the details of what she and Lexie had found out.