Horse Spy Read Online Free Page B

a more welcome interruption.
    “How’s Polaris doing, Carole?” she asked.
    “He’s doing wonderfully,” Carole assured her. “Stevie’s riding him this morning, and he warmed up smoothly. Max is working on balance, and then next come the suppling exercises. I don’t think we’ll be able to do any more than that before we have to get to school, but this afternoon we’re going to go through jump routines.”
    “Oh, I wish I could be there!” Lucy said.
    “Sometimes I wish so, too,” Carole told her. “Especially at five-thirty when I have to get up to get here by six-thirty! But now that it’s practically the middle of the afternoon”—she glanced at her watch, which said 7:00—“I don’t mind at all.”
    “Do you mind me calling?”
    “Not a bit,” said Carole. “If it were my horse, I’d be doing exactly the same thing.”
    “I can’t wait to get there.”
    “And I promise you, you’ll be pleased with all the progress Polaris is making.”
    “Just talking to you makes me feel better.”
    “No problem, but I’ve got to go now.”
    “Bye and, uh, thanks again,” said Lucy, and she hung up.
    It was the same almost every morning. They’d get a call from one or the other of the mothers, and then they’d hear from the girls. Each mother only seemed to want to be assured that her horse was getting better treatment than the other—as if the competition existed only between their daughters. As for Lucy and Ellen, they seemed to be friends as well as friendly competitors.
    By 7:25, they had nearly completed their morning session and Max had the riders walking the horses to cool them down.
    Max’s newest student, Frieda, had showed up and was leaning against the fence. Carole was pleased to see her. She always liked it when a new rider took so enthusiastically to the sport. Frieda had signed up for daily lessons at eight o’clock during the week and had come early every time. Carolewaved to her, inviting her to come over to the fence where Carole was now perched, finishing up her notes on the morning workout.
    “So, what are you all up to?” Frieda asked.
    Carole showed her the chart. “It’s a combination of stretching and suppling,” she explained. “Anything that will help keep the horses in tip-top condition is what we’re after.”
    “And there’s no problem having them work together?” Frieda asked.
    “No, it works well,” Carole said. “See, it’s an easy way for Max to be sure they both get the same amount of attention, and we switch off riders at every session so they have different experiences.”
    Frieda glanced at the chart, studying it for a few seconds, and then shrugged. “It’s all Greek to me,” she told Carole.
    “I can explain if you’d like,” Carole told her. Carole liked sharing her knowledge about horses with people, especially when it was as interesting as the lesson plan chart for these two championship horses.
    “No, that’s okay,” Frieda answered. “Remember, you’re dealing here with someone who has just learned about mounting a horse from the left side!”
    “I saw you working with Max yesterday,” Carole said. “I think you’re well beyond that!”
    “Not much,” Frieda said quickly. Carole thought she was being a little hasty. For a beginner, she seemed to be a quick learner.
    Carole slid down off the fence, tucking the clipboard under her arm. “Time to give those horses a little treat and then get ready for school,” she said. “See you tomorrow, I guess.”
    “Do you come after school, too?” Frieda asked.
    “We do,” Carole told her. “We get here about four. This afternoon I’m riding Blue, and Lisa will be on Polaris.”
    “I may stop by to watch that,” Frieda told her.
    “Great!” said Carole. As she walked back into the stable, she smiled, thinking about what a great rider Frieda was going to be—just because of her attitude. All riders should be as eager to learn as she was.
    A few minutes later Frieda helped