Free Crown Prince by Linda Snow McLoon

it’s
your
turn.”
    While Sarah’s riding experience was limited to lessons at Brookmeade, Kayla had gotten her first pony when she was seven. Kayla’s father had attached a modest two-stall barn to the back of their garage so her mother’s horse could be stabled at home, and not long after the barn was finished, Kayla’s first pony, Fuzzy, had moved in. When Kayla outgrew the pony, a small horse named Chubs took his place. She’d moved up to her Quarter Horse two years ago. The Romanos didn’t 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 they’d invested in a horse trailer so Kayla could take Fanny to Brookmeade for lessons and go to a few horse shows.
    â€œAre you sure you can’t come with me to the track tomorrow?” Sarah asked. She studied Kayla’s face closely, hoping for an encouraging response.
    â€œI promised I’d babysit for the Nelsons almost a month ago, and I can’t back out now. I wish I could. I’m coming right over to Brookmeade as soon as I get home.”
    â€œOh, Kayla, I can’t believe the DeWitts are doing this for me! I’ve dreamed of getting a horse for so long, and now it’s actually going to happen.”
    â€œYeah, it’s awesome! It’s been totally different for me,” Kayla said. “Having a mother who rides makes a big difference.”
    â€œYou’ve had your own horse for so long. Did you ever get a little bored with riding?”
    â€œIf 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 wasn’t much fun taking him for a trail ride. My mother bought him because she thought he was a safe ride. He sure was—all he wanted to do was walk. Having Fanny has made all the difference.”
    â€œI always thought you had it made,” Sarah said. “If you weren’t my best friend, I’d have been pretty jealous.”
    â€œNow everyone at the barn thinks
you’re
the lucky one!” replied Kayla with a grin. “But maybe they don’t realize you’ll have to work to pay for board and lessons. Just think, you’ll get to choose from four horses! Before long we’ll be able to go riding on the trails and maybe even go to shows together.”
    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. “It looks like this place has tons of stuff. You should be able to get everything you’ll need right here. And maybe I can find a set of green polo wraps for Fanny.”
    â€œGreen goes great with a chestnut,” Sarah said. “But I don’t 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, one’s a dark bay, and the fourth is gray.”
    â€œWow!” Kayla’s hazel eyes widened as she looked at Sarah. “Maybe the gray will have dapples and a silver tail, something like Quarry. That used to be my favorite horse color until I got Fanny.”
    The girls moved to a display of wrap-around shipping boots. “You’ll need a set of these for trailering the horse from the track. And the sign says they’re half price!”
    â€œThey come in quite a few colors,” Sarah said, hesitating.
    â€œHow about black?” Kayla suggested. “Black is good with any color horse. And that style gives great protection.”
    â€œGood idea,” Sarah said, as she plopped a set into her basket. “Another 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