by Jake Maddox
They rode out to the ring. Mia reminded herself that she couldn’t make any mistakes. Diamond could not be allowed to get too close to other horses.
That meant that Mia had to stay alert. She had to be careful the entire time.
You can do it, Mia told herself. Stay focused, stay calm.
Mia controlled her breathing. Her body steadied. She felt her hands steady, too. Diamond relaxed. He lowered his head and chewed the bit.
Mia and Diamond entered the ring. Sky smiled at them. She was riding Trixie. Mia grinned back. But she took her eyes off the scene in front of her. She almost walked Diamond into Bobby, a big bay horse.
Quickly, Mia turned before they could get too close. Shoot! One mistake, right at the start. This wasn’t looking good for her and Diamond.
“All right, everyone!” Maren called. “Let’s start with a nice walk around the ring.”
She eyed the riders. After a moment, she called, “Okay, very nice. Let’s have a posting trot!”
Gently, Mia squeezed Diamond into a trot. She watched the horse in front of them. When they got a little close, she swung Diamond off the rail. They trotted across the ring to a big open space.
“Very good, Mia!” she heard Maren call. “Nice watching.”
Mia’s face flushed with pleasure. She warned herself not to get too confident.
Just then, Bobby trotted right up behind Diamond. His rider, Erin, was staring out at the trees.
Mia felt Diamond’s body tense. She saw his ears flatten. Any second now, he was going to try to bite Bobby. That would be the end of them both.
Mia thought fast. She turned Diamond out into the middle. She looked for an open spot on the rail. Her heart was hammering. If she hadn’t seen Bobby, Diamond would have bitten him.
I never would have noticed that before, Mia thought.
Maren propped two white poles in a low X in the center of the ring.
“All right, everyone,” she called out. “We’ve been practicing jumping position for a few weeks now. Let’s try it over a crossrail.”
Sky and Mia exchanged excited glances. Ever since they started riding, they’d been dreaming of jumping.
The riders lined up. One by one, they trotted their horses carefully down the center of the ring and over the crossrail.
Erin’s horse refused to trot over the rail. He stepped over it instead. Trixie went around it, even though Sky was directing her straight ahead.
When it was Mia’s turn, she pressed her heels gently into Diamond’s sides. She was careful to keep her hands low and still as he trotted.
Mia rose out of the saddle. She leaned forward. She pressed her heels down and kept her eyes up.
Then Diamond made a little leap. They were over!
“Very nice, Mia!” Maren called. “Pull up near the gate, please, everyone.”
The riders clustered around their instructor. “As you all know, the Rocky Ridge Rumpus is tomorrow,” Maren said. “You all may register for your class on the clipboard outside my office. Nice job today!”
“Are you going to do the crossrail class, Mia?” Sky asked.
“Do you think I should?” Mia said.
Sky nodded. “Yeah,” she said. “Mia and Diamond take Rocky Ridge Riding Center by storm!”
Mia laughed. For the first time, she let herself believe that her crazy plan was going to work out.
Chapter Eight
TRUST
“Mia, are you sure you want me to leave you so early?” Mom said the morning of the show. “There’s nobody else here.”
Mia nodded. “I’m sure, Mom,” she said. “I need some extra time with Diamond.”
“All right,” Mom said. “Dad and I will be back later. We’ll be watching for you!”
Mia waved as Mom drove away. But as soon as the minivan was out of sight, she frowned.
Diamond still wouldn’t let her bridle him. It was so frustrating! She’d been so careful. She hadn’t made one careless mistake. And he’d made so much progress.
But she couldn’t ride him in the show if she couldn’t get his bridle on. And something told her that Maren wouldn’t be around to rescue her today.
Diamond pricked his ears as she slid back his stall door. He nuzzled her pocket for his treat. She quietly patted his neck.
“Big day today, boy,” she told him.
He crunched his carrot noisily. Little bits of orange fell from his lips.
“I need some help, okay?” she said to him. “I need you to trust me.” She looked into his huge brown eyes. He gazed back calmly.
Mia grabbed the grooming box. She curried Diamond’s coat until it gleamed. Then she combed out his long mane and tail. She lifted the saddle into place and buckled the girth.
She could hear other riders arriving. They were loudly talking to each other. Stall doors clanged everywhere.
Sky’s face appeared at Diamond’s stall door. “Hey!” she said. “Trixie rolled in the pasture. She’s got dried mud all over her. How’s Diamond?”
“Great,” said Mia. “He hasn’t tried to bite once. But then again, I haven’t tried that yet either.” She nodded toward the bridle hanging outside the stall door.
“Remember what Maren said. He just has to trust you,” Sky reminded her.
“I know,” Mia said.
“Got to go. I have to start washing Trixie. See you in the ring,” Sky said as she waved goodbye.
Mia took a deep breath. She lifted the bridle off the hook. Diamond eyed the bridle suspiciously.
“Just you and me now, boy,” she muttered.
Mia draped the reins over Diamond’s neck. She steeled herself. Then, carefully and slowly, she fit the bit into his mouth. She brought her hand up over his forehead. This was the hard part.
Diamond didn’t move. He stood, tense. Mia sensed he was about to try to jerk away. But instead of getting tense in return, she forced her body to relax.
Her hands were soft and steady. She murmured, “There now, there now,” over and over.
Mia felt the muscles in Diamond’s neck relax. Then he actually lowered his head a few inches. This was it! Mia knew she’d only get one chance. If she didn’t get the bridle on the first time, she wasn’t going to get it on at all.
Mia put her hand on Diamond’s long, velvety ears. He held still. She could feel his breath whooshing in and out. It was hot on her arm. She slid the bit into his mouth. No problem there.
She slowly reached her hand gently up his face toward his ears. She slid the headstall into place over one ear. She expected him to jerk away. But Diamond didn’t move.
Now the other ear. There it was! She did it! Mia smoothed his forelock. She buckled the throatlatch. She stood back, breathing hard. She did it!
Diamond looked back at her as if he didn’t believe what had just happened. Three days ago, Mia would have hugged him around the neck. But now she just patted him calmly.
“Good boy!” she said in a low, happy voice.
Just then she heard Maren call, “Okay, riders, let’s go!”
Mia buckled on her helmet. She took hold of Diamond’s reins. It was showtime.
Chapter Nine
THE ROCKY RIDGE RUMPUS
Mia rode into the ring. The bleachers where full. Banners draped on the rails of the ring. The sun was bright.
Mia sat as straight as she could. She spotted her parents as she turned onto the rail. Mom snapped picture after picture.
Maren stood at the center of the ring. Mia spotted Sky on Trixie. Then she saw Bobby with Erin on his back. She didn’t know they were going to be here.
Mia shook her head. She couldn’t worry about them. She just had to focus on showing Maren that she and Diamond had improved. That would be even better than a blue ribbon.
“Trot, riders!” Maren called out.
The horses began trotting around the ring together. Mia posted smoothly. Diamond moved at a gentle, steady pace. They trotted around the ring five times.
Then Maren lifted
the white rails into place. Mia’s heart sped up. This was it!
“Riders, line up for jumping!” Maren called out.
A ripple of excitement went through the riders. Mia reminded herself to stay calm and relax. “Slow and steady,” she whispered.
The first horse came down the line. He hopped neatly over the rails. Then it was Sky’s turn. Trixie knocked one of the rails with her foot. But they made it over. Everyone applauded.
Mia gathered up her reins. Only one more horse. Then it was her turn. She sat forward in her saddle. She reminded herself to keep her heels down. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw a brown blur. Bobby had spooked.
He jumped close to Diamond and knocked Diamond off-balance. The crowd gasped. Diamond whinnied. He leapt to the side. Mia saw his big neck coming up toward her.
The reins slipped from her hands. She saw the brown sand of the ring rushing toward her as she fell.
Chapter Ten
ANOTHER CHANCE
Mia sat in Maren’s office. She held an ice pack to her shoulder. Sky sat next to her. Neither of them spoke. They both knew what Maren was going to say when she came in.
After Mia fell, she had gotten up and made her way from the ring. Maren had taken Diamond. She told Mia to wait in the office. Sky came for support.
They’d been waiting for fifteen minutes. But for Mia, it felt like a year. She wondered if she’d be able to visit Diamond at his new home after he was sold.
As soon as Maren walked in, she asked, “Mia, how’s your shoulder?”
“Okay,” Mia mumbled.
Mia thought Maren seemed awfully cheery for someone about to get rid of one of her volunteers and one of her horses.
Maren shuffled papers around on her desk. “Now, Mia,” she said. “I’ve just been doing up the volunteer schedule for next month. I was wondering if you could increase from two days to three. We’re going to be doing a spring cleaning of the stalls.”
Sky and Mia looked at each other.
“Wait,” Mia said. “I’m sorry, Maren, you mean Sky, right?”
Maren shook her head. “No, Mia,” she said. “I mean you.”
“But,” Mia spluttered. “I fell off! It was a complete disaster.”
“Mia, think about what happened,” Maren said. “Bobby ran into Diamond. All Diamond did was try to step out of the way.”
“But I lost my balance,” Mia said. “I fell off my horse.”
“That is nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, I was proud of you for riding so carefully. And I was proud of Diamond for not biting Bobby,” Maren said.
“Me, too,” Mia said.
“Yesterday I saw that you and Diamond had improved,” Maren said. “I knew that if Diamond came out today wearing his bridle, then he must have learned to trust you. And you could only achieve that by being careful and slowing down.”
Mia couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “So, Diamond . . . ?” she asked.
“— is staying,” Maren finished, grinning. “You both are.”
“Yippee!” Mia couldn’t help shouting. Next to her, Sky’s face was plastered with a huge grin.
Mia started to leap up from her chair. She almost knocked it over. But halfway up, she stopped herself.
“Can I try that again?” she asked Maren.
As her instructor and her friend watched, Mia sat back down. Then, slowly, she rose and gave Maren a hug.
Maren laughed. “I can see you’ve taken this week’s lessons to heart,” she said.
“That’s right,” Mia agreed. “Maybe I should try people training next.”
Maren and Sky broke into laughter.
“I think you should stick with the horses,” Sky said. “Maren, can we go tell Diamond the good news?”
“Yes, go on,” Maren replied, smiling. “Just —”
“— be careful!” Mia finished. “Don’t worry. If I forget, Diamond will remind me.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Emma Carlson Berne has written more than a dozen books for children and young adults, including teen romance novels, biographies, and history books. She lives in Cincinnati, Ohio, with her husband, Aaron, her son, Henry, and her dog, Holly.
ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR
Katie Wood fell in love with drawing when she was very small. Since graduating from Loughborough University School of Art and Design in 2004, she has been living her dream working as a freelance illustrator. From her studio in Leicester, England, she creates bright and lively illustrations for books and magazines all over the world.
GLOSSARY
bridle (BRYE-duhl) — straps that fit around a horse’s head and mouth
forelock (FOR-lok) — the part of a horse’s mane that falls forward between the ears
girth (GURTH) — the part of a horse’s saddle that goes under the horse’s stomach to secure the saddle
grooming (GROOM-ing) — brushing and cleaning a horse
headstall (HED-stawl) — the band that is part of a bridle that fits around a horse’s head
halters (HAWL-turz) — straps that enclose an animal’s head
muzzle (MUHZ-uhl) — an animal’s mouth, nose, and jaw
reins (RAYNZ) — straps that help control a horse
saddle (SAD-uhl) — a seat that goes on a horse
stable (STAY-buhl) — a place where horses are kept
throatlatch (THROHT-lach) — a piece of the bridle that goes under the horse’s throat
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Sky didn’t seem excited when Mia explained her new plan. Why do you think Sky responded that way? Was it right for Mia to be upset by her friend’s response?
Mia felt confident and was riding well when Bobby got in her way. Were you surprised when Mia fell off of Diamond? Why or why not?
Do you think horseback riding seems difficult? Discuss your answer and reasons.
WRITING PROMPTS
Mia has a problem with doing things too fast and carelessly. Write about a time when you were careless. What happened?
In the end, Maren gives Mia another chance. If you were Maren, would you have done the same? Write a paragraph explaining your answer.
Mia and Sky volunteer at the stables. Write about a place you would like to volunteer.
HORSE FACTS
Horses swish their tails and stomp their feet on the ground when they are in pain.
When horses are angry or about to bite, they pull their ears back and show the white in their eyes.
Most horses have brown eyes. Only spotted horses, albino horses, and a few other breeds have lighter-colored eyes.
A horse’s heart weighs about 10 pounds! A human heart weighs less than 1 pound.
The height of a horse is measured in hands. One hand is equal to 4 inches. The tallest horse ever recorded was Firpon. He stood 21.25 hands high and weighed 2,976 pounds.
A racehorse can lose between 15 and 25 pounds in a single race!
The average horse’s stomach can hold about 5 gallons of water at one time. On a hot day, a horse can lose that much water in less than an hour!
Horses usually give birth at night. This is the time when a herd is least likely to be on the move.
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Jake Maddox books are published by Stone Arch Books
A Capstone Imprint
1710 Roe Crest Drive
North Mankato, Minnesota 56003
www.capstonepub.com
Copyright © 2012 by Stone Arch Books
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Maddox, Jake.
Horseb
ack hurdles / by Jake Maddox ; text by Emma Carlson Berne ; illustrated
by Katie Wood.
p. cm. -- (Jake Maddox sports story)
Summary: Mia has been volunteering with her best friend Sky at the Rocky Ridge Riding Center for three months, but she keeps getting in trouble because of her lack of focus--can working with the troubled horse, Diamond, help her to save both of them for the Riding Center?
ISBN 978-1-4342-3294-6 (library binding)
ISBN 978-1-4342-3905-1 (pbk.)
ISBN 978-1-4342-8920-9 (ebook)
1. Horses--Juvenile fiction. 2. Riding schools--Juvenile fiction. 3. Human-animal relationships--Juvenile fiction. 4. Self-confidence--Juvenile fiction. 5. Best friends--Juvenile fiction. [1. Horses--Fiction. 2. Horsemanship--Fiction. 3. Riding schools--Fiction.] I. Berne, Emma Carlson. II. Wood, Katie, ill. III. Title. IV. Series.
PZ7.M25643Hp 2012
813.6--dc23
2011032222
Designer: Heather Kindseth
Production Specialist: Michelle Biedscheid
