She heard a high-pitched cough and looked up. Tallulah Starr, looking as smart as ever on her patient grey pony, Diamond Starr, stood in front of her.
“So, you’ve decided not to enter for the Cup, I see,” Tallulah scoffed, looking at the ring for fun classes that Alice was waiting by. “I am, of course, but I’m not surprised that you’re in this class. More on your pony’s level, I guess. I mean, he hasn’t got the scope that I’d be looking for in a top-class jumper – I’d get rid of him if I were you.”
Alice smiled to herself. After all, her love for Scout had nothing to do with how high or how wide he could jump. But Alice didn’t bother to try explaining that to Tallulah; somehow Alice knew that she’d never understand.
At that moment, Poppy rode past on Moonlight. She’d called Alice the evening before to find out the latest, and had rushed up to give her a hug as soon as she’d seen her at the show that morning. Hearing Tallulah going on about entering the Cup, Poppy winked at Alice, then headed on towards the warm-up area. But Tallulah caught sight of her rival and, midsentence, kicked Diamond Starr on, leaving Alice hanging as she trotted nearer to Poppy.
Alice shook her head and turned her attention back to the ring. A portly judge waved and called over to her and the group of ponies and horses waiting in a group nearby.
“Can we have all entries for the ‘Pony With the Shiniest Coat’ please!”
“We are going to have so much fun, I promise!” Rosie beamed, getting excited as they headed in. “And anyway, it’s about time we entered something that me and Dancer actually have a chance of winning!”
“Okay, come on then, let’s go for it!” Charlie laughed. Pirate jigged along behind Dancer. The mare’s strawberry roan coat gleamed in the sun, after Rosie had spent ages polishing it that morning. Alice rode in behind them with Mia, and stood Scout squarely for a moment. The judge stepped along the line. She admired the variety of ponies in front of her then asked everyone to walk around the ring while she contemplated her decision.
Rosie was called in at the front of the line by the judge, winning her first red rosette of the summer. Over the moon, Rosie took off on the slowest ever lap of honour waving one hand wildly, and whooping as Charlie and Mia cheered her on. Alice laughed, patting her pony’s sturdy, solid neck. She felt as delighted as Rosie as she stood in the ring with her three best friends, feeling like the luckiest girl in the universe. Alice leaned down and kissed Scout’s neck, hugging him tightly. She knew now that there could be no more secrets about his past. And while she might not know yet what her grey pony’s future would hold, one thing was certain – it would always be with her.
Alice’s Guide to the
Perfect Jumping Position
1 Keep the weight in your heels. This will help you keep your lower leg still and make you secure in the saddle.
2 Soften your hands in the last stride and let them follow the movement of your pony’s head. This will allow him to stretch his neck over the fence.
3 Fold from your hips when your pony jumps. Don’t fold before this, or you’ll put more weight onto his shoulders just when he’s trying to lift them off the ground!
4 Keep your head up and look where you’re going.
Jock’s Guide to Hooves
A farrier, or blacksmith, is an expert in hoof care, including trimming your pony’s hooves and fitting his shoes.
Frog: The squashy frog acts as a shock absorber. It also helps circulation and grip.
Wall: The wall of the hoof is insensitive (a bit like fingernails), so this is where horseshoe nails go.
Sole: The sensitive part of the hoof.
White line: A farrier must make sure the horseshoe nails don’t press on this – if they do a pony could go lame.
Signs that a pony needs the farrier to visit:
Clenches (the ends of the nail which you can see on the hoof wall) become raised.
The shoe gets worn and thin.
The shoe becomes loose (it makes a shallow sort of noise on roads), or falls off!
Did you know?
Some racehorses wear glued-on shoes when they race!
How to Tell if You and Your
Pony are Best Friends
Does your pony:
come over to see you when you visit him in the paddock?
rest his muzzle on your shoulder?
look after you when you’re riding and slow down if you’re in danger of sliding off?
Do you:
take ages grooming your pony, just so you can spend lots of time with him?
know his favourite treats and where he likes to be tickled?
spend every spare second with him (although you make sure he has pony time on his own and with his friends, too)?
Yes to any of these? Then you and your pony are BPFFs! (Best Pony Friends Forever!)
A TEMPLAR BOOK
First published in the UK in 2012 by Templar Publishing,
an imprint of The Templar Company Limited,
The Granary, North Street, Dorking, Surrey, RH4 1DN, UK
www.templarco.co.uk
This ebook edition first published in 2012 by Templar Publishing
All rights reserved
Copyright © 2012 by Belinda Rapley
The right of Belinda Rapley to be identified as author of this work has been asserted in accordance with Section 77 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988
www.pony-detectives.co.uk
Cover design by Will Steele
Illustrations by Debbie Clark
Cover photograph by Samantha Lamb
This ebook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights, and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.
ISBN (ePub) 978–1–84877–838–2
ISBN (Mobi) 978–1–84877–839–9
Scout and the Mystery of the Marsh Ponies Page 10
