Free Emily and Emerald by Kelly McKain Page B

I hung back behind Sally as we neared them. I wish I could just talk to new people like that, as if I’ve known them for ages. Frankie and the others make it look so easy.
    Everyone had already introduced themselves, but Sally got them to say their names to me, too, which made me the centre of attention and left me feeling completely embarrassed!
    The other girls are:

    Harriet said she and Chantelle and Elena (she’s Spanish so you say it as Elay-na) are all 12 and in the same class at school. They’re sharinga room in the farmhouse, too. Madison and Morgan are 8 and 9, and they’ve come all the way over from New York. They’re staying with their English grandma for the summer, and she had the idea of sending them to Pony Camp. I just love their American accents! They’re sharing the other room with Neema, who’s only-just-9. Me and Frankie are both 10-nearly-11 so our room is the middly-aged one, which we’re sharing with Millie.

    The girls all seemed really nice, and as Sally read out the Safety on the Yard rules I wished I could just pile on to the bench, too, but I stayed put. I didn’t quite dare join in with everyone, in case one of them shoved me off. Maybe that sounds a bit of a strange thing to say, but the older girls at my last yard seemed nice at first, too, and they turned out to be really horrible, so I can’t help thinking that kind of stuff.
    Luckily, everyone had to get up then ’cos we were going on a tour around Sunnyside. We found out about the fire drill meeting points, and we were learning the safety stuff as we went round – like in the tack room Sally told us that we must put any brushes or numnahs and things away after using them, and in the yard she showed us how to tie up a pony safely.
    As we walked around, everyone was chattering together in a big group, so I just smiled and tried to join in here and there. When Sally showed us the barn everyone went completely crazy over the ponies that were being tacked up for us. But I was just gazing at Emerald, who was standing in her little pen, looking back at me.
    Then it was time to get matched up with our ponies. Back in the yard, everyone started to pull on their hats and gloves, chatting excitedly. Sally got her list and read out who was on who, asJody and Lydia, the stable girl, led the ponies out.
    This is who everyone got:

    We all mounted up and rode out into the manège. As we began walking round the track, with Chantelle and Charm leading the way, I sat up nicely on Flame and tried to concentrate on riding really well, to prove to Sally that I’m good enough to handle Emerald.
    When we’d walked round on both reins and done a few circles and walk to halt transitions, Sally called out for each of us to trot to the back of the ride in turn. When it was my go, Flame had a little buck and skitter and went sideways, and she wouldn’t go into trot. I got a bit flustered in case Sally thought I was rubbish for not making a nice transition, but then I made myself take a deep breath, get down into my seat and steer Flame back on to the track. I took half the long side to get a really forward-going bouncy walk so that when I asked again she trotted on without messing around. And it worked!

    â€œGood girl, Emily!” Sally called out.

    â€œYeah, go, Ems!” whooped Frankie.
    â€œErm, excuse me, who’s the teacher here?” said Sally sternly, but she wasn’t really cross.
    Frankie giggled and I couldn’t help smiling, too. I think maybe she is a really truly nice girl and not just nice to you when she feels like it.
    The rest of the lesson went quite well, although Flame had a bit of a freak-out when I asked for canter. But I kept calm and asked again in the next corner, and then we got it OK.
    After the assessment, I was worried about not doing everything perfectly on Flame, but Sally smiled at me on the way back to the yard. She said she was impressed, but she just