horses wouldn’t have as many choices.
Lisa shortened Diablo’s reins and shifted her own weight forward and up in the stirrups. Diablo didn’t hesitate. He knew exactly what was expected of him, and Lisa knew how to tell him to do it. As they neared the fence, a low wooden divider, she rose in the saddle and leaned forward, giving Diablo as much rein as he would need. Keeping herself well balanced and her weight centered above his withers, she let the horse do what she had told him to do. His front legs rose up off the ground, and then she felt the powerful surge of his rear legs impelling them forward and upward. They lifted off—two beings working as a single unit—and seemed to float over the fence. Diablo’s front legs struck the ground first, and then his rear ones followed, seeming to be cantering even before Lisa realized they had landed. It was as if the horse hadn’t missed a beat of the gait. Lisa sighed with pleasure. She had never felt anything so wonderful in her life as jumping with Diablo. From that moment on, what she most wanted to do on her fox hunt was to jump. Fortunately for her, it appeared that the fox was cooperating. The hounds led the riders over six more jumps before temporarily losing the scent.
Lisa wasn’t sorry for a little time to rest while the hounds figured out what had happened to their quarry.She’d discovered that exhilaration could be exhausting.
“I can’t believe how much fun this is,” Carole said, drawing close to Lisa, Stevie, and Phil. “But I’m having a problem.”
“What is it?” Stevie asked, concerned.
Carole took a deep breath. “Well,” she said. “As you, my best friends, know, I’ve been unable to decide what I want to be when I grow up. I can’t decide among being a veterinarian, a show rider, a breeder, or a trainer.”
“So?”
“Now I have to add fox hunter to the list,” Carole said. “That’s going to make it even tougher to decide!”
“Poor girl!” Stevie teased. “What a decision you’re going to have to make
in ten years
!”
“So, in the meantime, you’re going to have to spend all your spare time trying each of them—over and over again,” Phil suggested.
“Isn’t that just terrible?” Carole said, trying to hide her smile.
Stevie clapped her on the back. “It’s a tough job, but somebody’s got to do it,” she said.
“For my part, I think I’ve made a decision,” Lisa said. Her friends looked at her. “I want to jump horses—specifically Diablo.”
“Oh, I forgot to mention that when I recommendedhim to you, didn’t I?” Carole asked. “He is a wonderful jumper, so he’s perfect for fox hunting.”
“It’s like flying.”
“That’s the way good jumping should be,” Carole said. She patted Starlight’s neck as she spoke. Carole thought Starlight was a great jumper, certainly a very strong one, if not quite as smooth as Diablo. She didn’t want her horse to have hurt feelings.
“Don’t worry,” Stevie said, seeing what she was doing. “He may appear to be nearly human sometimes, but I don’t think he can understand what we’re saying.” Starlight lifted his head and seemed to give Stevie a dirty look as if she’d just insulted him.
Lisa and Phil laughed. So did Carole. Stevie wondered briefly if Carole had given Starlight a signal with the reins that made the horse look at her, but it didn’t really matter. It had been funny, and she didn’t mind being teased a little. She pretended to sulk and looked away from her friends.
It was a good thing she did because just at that moment, she spotted some motion in the grass about a quarter of a mile across the field. She squinted and shaded her eyes, wondering if the bright sunshine was playing tricks with her vision.
It wasn’t. There was more movement and then the unmistakable look of a long furry tail.
She was so excited she could barely talk. “It’s a … a … Did you see …? Over there …” She pointed.
“Strange
Lisa shortened Diablo’s reins and shifted her own weight forward and up in the stirrups. Diablo didn’t hesitate. He knew exactly what was expected of him, and Lisa knew how to tell him to do it. As they neared the fence, a low wooden divider, she rose in the saddle and leaned forward, giving Diablo as much rein as he would need. Keeping herself well balanced and her weight centered above his withers, she let the horse do what she had told him to do. His front legs rose up off the ground, and then she felt the powerful surge of his rear legs impelling them forward and upward. They lifted off—two beings working as a single unit—and seemed to float over the fence. Diablo’s front legs struck the ground first, and then his rear ones followed, seeming to be cantering even before Lisa realized they had landed. It was as if the horse hadn’t missed a beat of the gait. Lisa sighed with pleasure. She had never felt anything so wonderful in her life as jumping with Diablo. From that moment on, what she most wanted to do on her fox hunt was to jump. Fortunately for her, it appeared that the fox was cooperating. The hounds led the riders over six more jumps before temporarily losing the scent.
Lisa wasn’t sorry for a little time to rest while the hounds figured out what had happened to their quarry.She’d discovered that exhilaration could be exhausting.
“I can’t believe how much fun this is,” Carole said, drawing close to Lisa, Stevie, and Phil. “But I’m having a problem.”
“What is it?” Stevie asked, concerned.
Carole took a deep breath. “Well,” she said. “As you, my best friends, know, I’ve been unable to decide what I want to be when I grow up. I can’t decide among being a veterinarian, a show rider, a breeder, or a trainer.”
“So?”
“Now I have to add fox hunter to the list,” Carole said. “That’s going to make it even tougher to decide!”
“Poor girl!” Stevie teased. “What a decision you’re going to have to make
in ten years
!”
“So, in the meantime, you’re going to have to spend all your spare time trying each of them—over and over again,” Phil suggested.
“Isn’t that just terrible?” Carole said, trying to hide her smile.
Stevie clapped her on the back. “It’s a tough job, but somebody’s got to do it,” she said.
“For my part, I think I’ve made a decision,” Lisa said. Her friends looked at her. “I want to jump horses—specifically Diablo.”
“Oh, I forgot to mention that when I recommendedhim to you, didn’t I?” Carole asked. “He is a wonderful jumper, so he’s perfect for fox hunting.”
“It’s like flying.”
“That’s the way good jumping should be,” Carole said. She patted Starlight’s neck as she spoke. Carole thought Starlight was a great jumper, certainly a very strong one, if not quite as smooth as Diablo. She didn’t want her horse to have hurt feelings.
“Don’t worry,” Stevie said, seeing what she was doing. “He may appear to be nearly human sometimes, but I don’t think he can understand what we’re saying.” Starlight lifted his head and seemed to give Stevie a dirty look as if she’d just insulted him.
Lisa and Phil laughed. So did Carole. Stevie wondered briefly if Carole had given Starlight a signal with the reins that made the horse look at her, but it didn’t really matter. It had been funny, and she didn’t mind being teased a little. She pretended to sulk and looked away from her friends.
It was a good thing she did because just at that moment, she spotted some motion in the grass about a quarter of a mile across the field. She squinted and shaded her eyes, wondering if the bright sunshine was playing tricks with her vision.
It wasn’t. There was more movement and then the unmistakable look of a long furry tail.
She was so excited she could barely talk. “It’s a … a … Did you see …? Over there …” She pointed.
“Strange
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