Free Stable Farewell by Bonnie Bryant

think we’re about to find out.”
    As Veronica brushed by them on her way to Danny’sstall, she shot them all a look of pity. “I would ask if any of you wanted to talk to the special farrier I’ve hired, but his rates are probably too high for you. It’s lucky nothing’s too good for Danny, because special horses have very specific shoeing requirements, you know.” She paused and smiled sweetly. “Or, actually, maybe you don’t: You three ride such ordinary horses.”
    At Veronica’s words, Stevie nearly flew into a fury. The worst thing was that there was nothing they could say. In the past, when Veronica had bragged about Garnet, they could remind her that their ordinary horses had beaten her purebred Arabian on countless occasions. But if Danny went over as well at shows as he did in lessons, it might be a very different story. How could they compete with the perfect horse? “I’d love to see Danny do one little thing wrong. Veronica would probably fall off!” Stevie muttered. “ ‘Ordinary horses’! If Belle heard that, she’d go on strike for a month.”
    “So would Prancer—either that or she’d take a chunk out of Danny’s perfect coat,” Lisa said. “And I can’t say I’d blame her.” She and Stevie looked at Carole to see how she would defend Starlight, but Carole was quietly brushing the gelding’s bay coat. She hardly seemed to have heard what Veronica had said. Lisa and Stevie exchangedconcerned glances. It wasn’t like Carole to space out, at least not around the stables.
    “Carole, is anything wrong?” Lisa asked gently.
    “Yeah, you seem like you’re in another world,” Stevie added.
    Carole stopped grooming and looked up at them. To her surprise, she felt her eyes well up with tears. When she had choked them back, she explained, haltingly, about Cam. It took a while because she kept having to bite her lip. Lisa and Stevie were full of sympathy.
    “I can’t imagine how miserable I would be if Phil moved away,” Stevie said glumly, referring to her longtime boyfriend.
    Sniffing hard, Carole thanked them for listening. “You’d better hurry and get Belle and Prancer ready. The lesson starts in five minutes.”
    “But what about you?” Lisa asked.
    “Yeah,” Stevie said, “are you sure you’re going to be all right?”
    When Carole nodded, they each gave her a quick hug and went to tack up. “If anything will cheer Carole up, it’s riding,” Stevie predicted.
    L ISA AND S TEVIE had planned to talk to Carole more after the lesson. They wanted to find out the details of Cam’smove. But as soon as they had put their horses away, it was time to get Garnet out again: The new prospective owner had arrived. Luckily Carole seemed to be in better spirits. In the lesson Max had said that Starlight was listening to Carole better and that had helped.
    To the delight of The Saddle Club, the new buyer was dressed in normal clothes for trying out a horse: well-broken-in boots and casual breeches. She was a young woman, about the right height for Garnet, and very talkative. In fact, she seemed more interested in her own qualifications than in Garnet’s. As soon as Carole had finished relating Garnet’s experience, the woman launched into a long description of her own skills. “So, anyway, I’ve showed all over the country in hunters, jumpers, dressage, and equitation, and I also do three-day events when my schedule permits—”
    “Wow,” Lisa breathed, “you must be amazing. I can’t imagine doing all of those—”
    “—and of course I do combined driving and long-distance trail riding and ride western. I do gymkhanas, vaulting”—here the woman paused for breath and beamed at the three girls—“I guess you could say ‘the works,’ huh?”
    Lisa looked completely enthralled by the woman’s list of riding activities. Anyone who did all those things must be decent—or better than decent. “Did you hear that? Shesounds perfect,” she whispered to Stevie and