Saddle Sore Read Online Free Page B

turned him around and galloped straight back. He did large fast circles droppinginto slow small ones, he changed leads at a gallop, and he spun in circles. The girls applauded.
    “If we had a cow, I could show off Stewball’s cutting skills,” Stevie told Emily.
    “I’ll get some,” John volunteered. He rode out the gate, and in a few minutes he was back, herding three young calves in front of Tex. The calves trotted into the ring and stood in a confused-looking miniature herd.
    “We had them up by the barn to get vaccinated,” Kate explained. “Go for the one with the white ear, Stevie.”
    Stevie pointed Stewball at the calf with the white ear. Then, to make a point, she tucked her reins loosely under her knee and crossed her arms over her chest. While Stevie sat motionless in the saddle, Stewball moved in on the calf. He dodged right, left, and left again, and suddenly the calf was trotting in front of him, away from the other two.
    “Wow,” Emily said. “I’ve never seen anything like that. He does it entirely on his own, doesn’t he?”
    Stevie picked up the reins and gave Stewball a hug. “He certainly does. All you have to do isstay out of his way. But he’s not an autopilot horse, except when there are cows around.”
    “You show us something, Kate,” Carole asked. She gave Berry’s neck a warm pat. Part of what she always looked forward to about the Bar None was seeing how Kate and John trained the horses. Carole liked riding English best because she loved to jump, but she was always interested in learning new things. Someday she’d like to try her hand at reining, too.
    “Moonglow doesn’t do reining moves as well as Tex,” Kate said, “and she doesn’t cut as well as Stewball. But here’s one thing she does better than either of them. Move away from that barrel, Emily.” Emily jogged Spot away from one of the three barrels in the middle of the ring.
    “Hi-yahiiyi-yah!”
Kate shouted to Moonglow, and the mare burst forward into a gallop. When they were even with the first barrel, Kate pivoted Moonglow tight around it. She galloped toward the second, spun around it, then spun around the third and galloped back toward the others. “Whoa,” Kate said softly, and Moonglow dropped back to a walk.
    “So
that’s
what those barrels are for,” Emily said.
    “Yep.” Kate was slightly out of breath. “We’re going to barrel race at some horse shows this fall.” She settled her cowboy hat more firmly on her head. “This has been fun, but hadn’t we better get going? Emily, you look like you were born in that saddle. Let’s hit the trails.”
    Jogging Stewball around the clumps of sagebrush that dotted the ranch landscape felt like heaven on earth to Stevie. She couldn’t believe how lucky she was. In front of her, Emily swayed slightly in the saddle in time to Spot’s long-reaching walk. Behind her, Carole hummed contentedly beneath her breath. Lisa, John, and Kate rode ahead. Most of the people she most enjoyed riding with were right here, around her, under this deep-blue bowl-shaped sky. Stevie’s heart soared.
    “Hey, Stevie, remember the time we were camp counselors out here?” Carole’s voice cut into Stevie’s reverie.
    “Ugh—don’t remind me.” A few years ago, Eli Grimes, one of the Bar None’s former wranglers, had invited The Saddle Club to be junior counselors at a camp he was running. It had been a difficult week, to say the least. “At least
I
didn’t fall off leading a trail ride,” Stevie said.
    Carole laughed. “Don’t remind me.”
    Emily twisted in the saddle. “You fell off? Carole, I didn’t think you ever fell off.”
    Carole rolled her eyes. “Please. I’d be the only rider ever who hadn’t. But it wasn’t much fun getting dumped in front of a bunch of sniggering little brats, I’ll tell you. They were all convinced they could ride better than me.”
    The trail widened, so Carole and Stevie came up beside Emily. Emily waved her crop in the