Hoof Beat Read Free Page B

alone with Samson and Delilah today. Carole, she knew, was at the shopping center, volunteering for the library. Lisa had promised to come help Stevie later. She’d called Stevie in the morning, saying something about an appointment. She had been awfully vague. Normally, this would have upset Stevie, partly because of her curiosity and partly because she had been counting on Lisa’s help. However, she was excited about being the only person working with Samson. She’d watched Carole the day before and was sure she could do it. It would be a lot of fun, too.
    “Hi, there,” she said, greeting mother and son in their paddock. Delilah glanced at her with little interest. Samson snuggled up to his mother’s side.
    The first thing Stevie did was to put a halter on Delilah, then she fastened the lead rope to the fence of the paddock. Delilah cooperated the way she always did. There was no problem at all.
    “Good girl,” Stevie said, patting her firmly on the neck. She wanted to show Samson that she was friends with his mother. “See, boy, you can trust me. Your mom and I are old pals.”
    The foal ducked around his mother’s rear.
    “I mean it,” Stevie said to him. “We’ve ridden together lots. She’ll tell you. As a matter of fact, she even tried to throw me once, but I held on!”
    That was a vivid memory to Stevie. The first year she’d been a rider, she’d ridden Delilah on a trail. She had been wearing sneakers and her foot had slippedout of the stirrup and the stirrup had started banging on Delilah’s belly. Not surprisingly, the horse hadn’t liked that at all and had started acting up. Stevie had held on to her mane for dear life, and most important, she’d gotten her footing again. It had been enough to make her want to wear cowboy-style boots with a high heel now when she rode.
    “Good old pals,” Stevie repeated. Then she climbed up over the fence and into the paddock. She walked along Delilah’s side, approaching Samson slowly. She didn’t want to frighten him. She held the halter in her left hand, behind her back. She showed him her empty right hand. He didn’t seem very interested in it. He stepped back, away from her.
    Stevie stepped toward him. He stepped back again. She tried again. He did it again.
    “This is almost like dancing class!” she said.
    She moved to the right. He moved to the left. She shifted. So did he. She giggled.
    Stevie hopped a few inches off the ground. Samson fled, running all the way around the ring until he came to the far side of his mother. Then he snuggled up to her.
    Stevie crept around Delilah’s rear. Softly, she put her hand on Samson’s flank. He moved away from her again.
    She loved to watch him move. There was something about the colt’s gaits that was different from an adult horse’s gaits. Stevie realized that it must have to dowith the proportions of the animal. The colt’s legs were relatively longer than his mother’s, and he almost seemed to bounce as he moved. Stevie could have watched him for hours.
    Samson took cover next to his mother. Stevie peered under Delilah’s belly at the colt.
    “Peekaboo!” she said, startling the colt. He bolted, quickly circling the paddock. He returned to his mother, staying on the side away from Stevie. Once again, she peered under Delilah’s belly. This time, Samson was waiting for her. He peered right back at her. “Peekaboo!” she said, and he circled the paddock.
    “Smart boy!” Stevie said, genuinely impressed that the colt had learned the game so quickly. Playing with Samson was as much fun as playing with a puppy, and Stevie quickly found that he liked fun and games.
    Stevie slung Samson’s halter over the edge of the paddock fence and the lead rope with it. It was going to be easier playing games without being bothered by those things.
    Stevie tried several varieties of peekaboo—sometimes meeting up with Samson under his mother, sometimes in front, and sometimes behind. Delilah stood