Free A Horse for Mandy by Lurlene McDaniel Page A

color, with a black mane, tail, and stockings. “Oh, Daddy,” Mandy whispered, “she’s SO perfect!”
    Solana’s natural curiosity brought her over to the door of the stall. Mandy stroked her soft muzzle.
    Dr. Wilson looked pleased. He said, “She’s a great little horse, honey. Pasos are very affectionate, you know. Sometimes they act more like puppies than horses. She’ll follow you around once she gets attached to you. They’re very intelligent, too.”
    “Can I ride her right now?” Mandy asked eagerly. Then her face fell. “Oh, no. I don’t have any tack.” Mandy knew how expensive saddles and bridles were.
    “That’s the best part about Pasos,” her father said. “Solana can be ridden with a rope rein. Here, slip this on her.” He removed a handmade rope rein from a nail next to Solana’s stall.
    Mandy opened the stall door, slipped the gear over Solana’s head, and led the horse outside. Dr. Wilson gave her a leg up, and Mandy sat tall on Solana’s bare back. “Go on, Mandy. Give her her head.”
    Mandy clucked softly and Solana began a smooth, natural, relaxed gait. As Mandy rode around the yard she marveled at how comfortable Solana’s gait was. There was no teeth-jarring bouncing like other saddle horses, just a smooth, flowing ride.
    Suddenly, Mandy saw the familiar form of her friend Laura hanging over the pasture fence. She tugged slightly on the left of the rope rein. Solana responded instantly and headed toward the fence. Mandy pulled her to a stop in front of Laura.
    “Well, what do you think? Isn’t Solana just beautiful?” Mandy asked eagerly.
    “She’s okay,” Laura offered. “Kind of a runt, though, don’t you think?”

Two
    “W HAT do you mean?” Mandy asked. She felt her cheeks become flushed with anger.
    “Oh, nothing,” Laura shrugged. “She seems so much smaller than Diablo.”
    “Well, she is a lot smaller than Diablo,” said Mandy. “Pasos only stand about thirteen to fifteen hands high.”
    Laura eyed Solana, mentally measuring the distance between the ground and the top of her shoulders. “I guess she’s less than fourteen hands,” she said. “Diablo measures in at sixteen.”
    “Do you want to ride with me?” Mandy asked, changing the subject.
    “Sure. Let me saddle up.”
    Mandy watched Laura trudge off toward Diablo’s stall. Mandy still felt a little hurt by Laura’s attitude. After all the times they’d taken turns riding Diablo, Mandy thought that Laura would be thrilled that Mandy had her own horse. Why would Laura act this way? Mandy wondered. She again turned the problem over and over in her mind.
    Mandy remembered all the summers she and Laura had groomed Diablo together, preparing him for the fall circuit shows. And she remembered how proud she had felt when they had brought home the coveted blue ribbons. She also remembered how tall Laura sat on Diablo in the shows . . . how smoothly he went through his classic gaits . . . how thrilled she felt whenever the judges called out Diablo’s name as Best in Show.
    Her thoughts were interrupted by Laura riding up on the big red-gold stallion. He snorted and pawed the ground restlessly. Solana responded with her own soft whinny.
    Laura looked good sitting high in her Plantation saddle. Mandy felt a little dwarfed on Solana’s bare back. But she clucked loudly and the little Paso Fino responded at once.
    Together the two girls rode their horses around the Callahans’ front yard. The Walker shifted into his distinctive running walk and the Paso into her smooth-flowing gait. Mandy felt her spirits soaring. She was certain that this was the happiest moment of her whole life. She was riding her own horse, chasing the wind through a sunlit June afternoon.
    When they finally reined in their mounts, Mandy turned excitedly to Laura. “Isn’t this wonderful?” Mandy asked.
    But Laura seemed distant. “Of course,” she said. Yet Mandy couldn’t help but sense that something was