took over, keeping the new, smaller group of horses separate from the main herd.
Stevie was enjoying herself immensely. It seemed that all she had to do was point Stewball at a horse and he took care of the rest. John had been right; most of the horses put up far less resistance than Midnight had. They were used to being rounded up and didn’t seem to mind it. Still, Stevie estimated that she and Stewball brought them in almost twice as fast as John and Peanuts did.
“That horse is about one-half quarter horse and three-quarters sheepdog,” Walter remarked as Stevie and Stewball brought in a frisky chestnut mare.
Stevie thought that while Walter’s math left something to be desired, he was absolutely right. “He’s some horse, isn’t he?” she commented proudly, giving Stewball a fond pat. Then Frank pointed out a pinto he wanted brought in, and Stewball darted off in pursuit.
When they had finished, they rode back toward the ranch, herding the auction horses before them. As they reached the edge of the pasture, they saw Kate and Carole waiting at the gate. The two girls waved.
“We thought you’d never get back,” Kate called out with a grin.
“Yeah,” Carole added. “We’ve been waiting for ages!”
They swung open the pasture gate, and Kate ran ahead to open the one to the corral. Before long all the horses were inside.
“Guess what job Kate and I just volunteered us all fornext,” Carole said, hurrying over to join Stevie and Lisa as they dismounted.
“We’re supposed to groom all these horses so they’ll look their best for the customers,” Kate answered before Stevie and Lisa could guess.
“Great,” Stevie said. “But first I want to give Stewball a good grooming. He’s been working hard and he deserves it.”
She led him into the barn. Lisa followed with Chocolate. Carole and Kate volunteered to take care of the other three horses so that Frank, Walter, and John could get started on the next of the dozen things they had to do before the customers started arriving.
The four girls chatted as they unsaddled and groomed the horses. Stevie and Lisa described their cutting expedition, and Carole and Kate described all the scrumptious things they had helped Phyllis to prepare.
Carole interrupted her praise of Phyllis’s secret-recipe blueberry cobbler to comment, “Hey, Stevie, Stewball seems a little restless.”
It was true. While the other horses were relaxed and seemed to be enjoying their grooming, Stewball kept impatiently shifting his weight, shaking his head, and generally fussing and fidgeting.
Stevie shrugged. Carole noticed that her friend had a slight frown on her face. But Stevie answered cheerfully enough. “He’s still excited about the roundup,” she explained. “Besides, Stewball isn’t a fussed-over kind of horse.”
Lisa raised her eyebrows and glanced at Stewball over Chocolate’s back. “That’s odd, isn’t it? I thought most horses loved to be groomed.”
“Remember, Max is always telling us that every horse is an individual,” Stevie said. “Stewball just asserts his individuality by not liking to be groomed much. He cares more about how he works than how he looks.”
Lisa raised her eyebrows even higher at that, but didn’t reply.
“I guess he won’t be winning many ribbons in Fitting and Showing back East, will he?” Kate commented quietly. An impeccable grooming was essential to doing well in a Fitting and Showing event in a horse show.
“Don’t be silly,” Stevie replied with a touch of annoyance in her voice. “He’ll stand still to be groomed if he knows it’s important. Besides, Stewball will blow them away in the more exciting events. He’s already proved how naturally talented he is in dressage and jumping, right?”
“Well, all right,” Kate said noncommittally. Stevie didn’t seem to notice that it really wasn’t much of an answer.
Stevie reached into her pocket and found the sugar lump she had put there at breakfast.
Stevie was enjoying herself immensely. It seemed that all she had to do was point Stewball at a horse and he took care of the rest. John had been right; most of the horses put up far less resistance than Midnight had. They were used to being rounded up and didn’t seem to mind it. Still, Stevie estimated that she and Stewball brought them in almost twice as fast as John and Peanuts did.
“That horse is about one-half quarter horse and three-quarters sheepdog,” Walter remarked as Stevie and Stewball brought in a frisky chestnut mare.
Stevie thought that while Walter’s math left something to be desired, he was absolutely right. “He’s some horse, isn’t he?” she commented proudly, giving Stewball a fond pat. Then Frank pointed out a pinto he wanted brought in, and Stewball darted off in pursuit.
When they had finished, they rode back toward the ranch, herding the auction horses before them. As they reached the edge of the pasture, they saw Kate and Carole waiting at the gate. The two girls waved.
“We thought you’d never get back,” Kate called out with a grin.
“Yeah,” Carole added. “We’ve been waiting for ages!”
They swung open the pasture gate, and Kate ran ahead to open the one to the corral. Before long all the horses were inside.
“Guess what job Kate and I just volunteered us all fornext,” Carole said, hurrying over to join Stevie and Lisa as they dismounted.
“We’re supposed to groom all these horses so they’ll look their best for the customers,” Kate answered before Stevie and Lisa could guess.
“Great,” Stevie said. “But first I want to give Stewball a good grooming. He’s been working hard and he deserves it.”
She led him into the barn. Lisa followed with Chocolate. Carole and Kate volunteered to take care of the other three horses so that Frank, Walter, and John could get started on the next of the dozen things they had to do before the customers started arriving.
The four girls chatted as they unsaddled and groomed the horses. Stevie and Lisa described their cutting expedition, and Carole and Kate described all the scrumptious things they had helped Phyllis to prepare.
Carole interrupted her praise of Phyllis’s secret-recipe blueberry cobbler to comment, “Hey, Stevie, Stewball seems a little restless.”
It was true. While the other horses were relaxed and seemed to be enjoying their grooming, Stewball kept impatiently shifting his weight, shaking his head, and generally fussing and fidgeting.
Stevie shrugged. Carole noticed that her friend had a slight frown on her face. But Stevie answered cheerfully enough. “He’s still excited about the roundup,” she explained. “Besides, Stewball isn’t a fussed-over kind of horse.”
Lisa raised her eyebrows and glanced at Stewball over Chocolate’s back. “That’s odd, isn’t it? I thought most horses loved to be groomed.”
“Remember, Max is always telling us that every horse is an individual,” Stevie said. “Stewball just asserts his individuality by not liking to be groomed much. He cares more about how he works than how he looks.”
Lisa raised her eyebrows even higher at that, but didn’t reply.
“I guess he won’t be winning many ribbons in Fitting and Showing back East, will he?” Kate commented quietly. An impeccable grooming was essential to doing well in a Fitting and Showing event in a horse show.
“Don’t be silly,” Stevie replied with a touch of annoyance in her voice. “He’ll stand still to be groomed if he knows it’s important. Besides, Stewball will blow them away in the more exciting events. He’s already proved how naturally talented he is in dressage and jumping, right?”
“Well, all right,” Kate said noncommittally. Stevie didn’t seem to notice that it really wasn’t much of an answer.
Stevie reached into her pocket and found the sugar lump she had put there at breakfast.
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