Horsing Around Read Online Free Page B

riders. The kids weren’t strong enough to hold on to the reins.
    Which meant the ponies were free!

Chapter 9
    A moment later, five wild ponies were stampeding into the ring. And Katie was leading them! Woo-hoo!
    The sound of the ponies’ hooves hitting the dirt was like a drumbeat. Katie was happy to be part of the rhythm.
    “Please stop, Brownie!”
    Katie turned her head. Becky was running several yards behind the ponies. So were the other kids. But Katie didn’t stop. She couldn’t. It felt too good to run. She didn’t even care about eating the sugar anymore. All Katie wanted to do was gallop as fast as she could.
    Clip-clop. Clip-clop.

    Katie loved the way the sun felt on her back. And the way her legs stretched out with every stride. Mostly she just loved the freedom of running around the ring. Being cooped up in that little stall all day wasn’t any fun.
    Okay, so it hadn’t been Katie who had been cooped up all day. It had been Brownie. But right now that was the same thing. And whether she was Katie or Brownie, this pony wanted to run!
    The fun came to an end when several grown-up horse trainers ran into the ring. As one of them pulled the reins on her bridle, Katie halted, coming to an abrupt stop.
    Becky looked horrified!
    While the trainer led Katie back to Brownie’s stall, she heard kids talking.
    “This is all Becky Stern’s fault,” the girl with the long brown hair said.
    “Becky doesn’t know anything about training horses,” a boy in a black riding helmet added. “She shouldn’t have left Brownie alone in the waiting area.”
    Katie put her head down. Poor Becky. Everyone was blaming her for the pony stampede.
    But it wasn’t Becky’s fault. It was Katie’s.
    Unfortunately, at the moment, she was the only one who knew that.
     
    As the door shut on Brownie’s stall, Katie went over for a big drink of water. In the distance, she could hear Becky talking to someone. It sounded like Mrs. Stern.
    “I’m giving up riding!” Katie heard Becky cry out. “Did you hear what all those kids were saying about me?”
    “Becky, this wasn’t all your fault,” Mrs. Stern told her daughter. “That man shouldn’t have had sugar in his pocket when he came near the horses. He told you that. And he said he was sorry.”
    “But it was Brownie who started misbehaving,” Becky insisted. “That means I didn’t train him well enough. And I should never have left him—even to go to the bathroom.”
    Katie tried to frown. But her horse lips wouldn’t turn down that way. Still, she was definitely frowning on the inside. Poor Becky. She had loved horseback riding—until Katie ruined everything.
    Just then, Katie felt a cool breeze blowing on her long horse neck. It felt good. She was kind of hot after her run.
    But that breeze didn’t feel good for long. A moment later it was blowing wildly. In fact, it turned into a tornado. A tornado that was blowing only around Katie.
    The magic wind was back!
    Katie’s horse ears perked up. The whooshing of the wind was really loud now.
    It was so strong it could have blown all the leaves off a tree in one big whoosh. Katie had never heard anything like it.
    Then the noise stopped. So did the tornado. Just like that. The magic wind was gone.
    Katie Carew was back!
    Brownie was back, too. The poor little pony seemed very confused.
    But there was nothing Katie could do about that. She couldn’t even explain the magic wind to her human friends. So what could she possibly say to a pony?
    Besides, right now, Katie had to find Becky. She needed to convince her to get right back up on that horse and ride in the competition.
    But Katie was going to need help to do that. This was too big a job for just one fourth-grader!

Chapter I0
    A few minutes later, Katie and the other kids found Becky standing all by herself behind the stalls. She was crying.
    “Becky, there you are,” Katie said. She tried to sound cheerful.
    “Hi,” Becky mumbled. “Um . . . I’m sorry