itâs
your
turn.â
While Sarahâs riding experience was limited to lessons at Brookmeade, Kayla had gotten her first pony when she was seven. Kaylaâs father had attached a modest two-stall barn to the back of their garage so her motherâs horse could be stabled at home, and not long after the barn was finished, Kaylaâs first pony, Fuzzy, had moved in. When Kayla outgrew the pony, a small horse named Chubs took his place. Sheâd moved up to her Quarter Horse two years ago. The Romanos didnât have much land, just enough for a small turnout area and riding ring, but they lived close to an undeveloped land preserve where they could hack on miles of trails. Last year theyâd invested in a horse trailer so Kayla could take Fanny to Brookmeade for lessons and go to a few horse shows.
âAre you sure you canât come with me to the track tomorrow?â Sarah asked. She studied Kaylaâs face closely, hoping for an encouraging response.
âI promised Iâd babysit for the Nelsons almost a month ago, and I canât back out now. I wish I could. Iâm coming right over to Brookmeade as soon as I get home.â
âOh, Kayla, I canât believe the DeWitts are doing this for me! Iâve dreamed of getting a horse for so long, and now itâs actually going to happen.â
âYeah, itâs awesome! Itâs been totally different for me,â Kayla said. âHaving a mother who rides makes a big difference.â
âYouâve had your own horse for so long. Did you ever get a little bored with riding?â
âIf I did, I knew better than to tell my mother. Actually, I remember getting tired of riding Chubs. He was fat and lazy, and it wasnât much fun taking him for a trail ride. My mother bought him because she thought he was a safe ride. He sure wasâall he wanted to do was walk. Having Fanny has made all the difference.â
âI always thought you had it made,â Sarah said. âIf you werenât my best friend, Iâd have been pretty jealous.â
âNow everyone at the barn thinks
youâre
the lucky one!â replied Kayla with a grin. âBut maybe they donât realize youâll have to work to pay for board and lessons. Just think, youâll get to choose from four horses! Before long weâll be able to go riding on the trails and maybe even go to shows together.â
The girls moved out of the way of customers headed for the door, some with large bags. One woman struggled by them laden with a dressage saddle, a saddle rack, and a grooming caddy.
Kayla looked around. âIt looks like this place has tons of stuff. You should be able to get everything youâll need right here. And maybe I can find a set of green polo wraps for Fanny.â
âGreen goes great with a chestnut,â Sarah said. âBut I donât even know what color my horse will be. Mrs. DeWitt said I should wait on some things, until I know more about the horse. She said that of the four horses, two are chestnuts, oneâs a dark bay, and the fourth is gray.â
âWow!â Kaylaâs hazel eyes widened as she looked at Sarah. âMaybe the gray will have dapples and a silver tail, something like Quarry. That used to be my favorite horse color until I got Fanny.â
The girls moved to a display of wrap-around shipping boots. âYouâll need a set of these for trailering the horse from the track. And the sign says theyâre half price!â
âThey come in quite a few colors,â Sarah said, hesitating.
âHow about black?â Kayla suggested. âBlack is good with any color horse. And that style gives great protection.â
âGood idea,â Sarah said, as she plopped a set into her basket. âAnother thing on my list is a lead shank. Jack said that each horse at the track has his own halter, but not a shank. He said not to get a rope lead, but to find a