Horse Blues Read Free Page B

we will be in three months. But winter is the time for us to get our act together for the spring rallies and other competitions.” Max looked down at the clipboard he washolding and consulted a list. “At the very least, we must beg, borrow, or steal the following for the spring season of events: new matching saddle pads and cross-country hat covers; new tires on the two vans; money to pay whoever teaches our dressage clinic in April; entry fees for the events on our summer schedule.… I could go on, but I think you get the picture.
    “Now, I don’t want to make the situation sound worse than it is. This club has a lot of talent and dedication. But my mother and I have been working double time to fill in the gaps you all leave, and we can’t anymore.” Max gestured to his mother, Mrs. Reg, who was listening in the back of the room. Mrs. Reg was a favorite among The Saddle Club. It was no surprise that she had been helping Max run Horse Wise. She could always be counted on in a pinch. If The Saddle Club happened to be hanging out at Pine Hollow, Mrs. Reg would put them right to work cleaning tack, scrubbing buckets, or giving the stalls a once-over. She worked right beside them. If there was anyone whom they hated to disappoint more than Max, it was Mrs. Reg.
    “And so,” Max was saying, “after a lot of thinking, I’ve decided to put the club on trial for an indefinite period of time. You—all of you—are goingto have to show me that you want this club as much as I do. If it turns out that that’s not the case …” Max paused and cleared his throat, then continued, his voice strained with emotion, “then we’ve all learned a lot and had a good time up until now. At least,” he added softly, “I know I have.”
    Lisa, Stevie, and Carole exchanged looks of dismay. None of them had missed the note of resignation in Max’s voice. “He’s really choked up!” Carole whispered.
    In a moment, Max had regained his composure. He surveyed the room briefly, looked down at his notes one more time, then concluded, “That’s really all I have to say. I’ve got horses to exercise, so I’ll be on my way.”
    After Max left the room, there was a moment or two of stricken silence. Everyone seemed to realize that they had taken Max and Horse Wise for granted. Nobody seemed to know what to say. They were used to Max telling them what to do. Carole was lost in thought. Stevie knew that a joke at a time like this would be inappropriate. Lisa racked her brains, trying to think of something practical that would rally the Pony Clubbers and their parents.
    “Excuse me?” a woman said timidly.
    The group turned. It was Mrs. Atwood. Lisa did a double take. Usually Mrs. Atwood left the riding to Lisa and concentrated her energies on school fairs for the parent-teacher association. She wasn’t like the mothers who knew about horses and helped look after their children’s ponies. She looked out of place in the stables—even today she was wearing a wool suit and high heels. But, Lisa thought, listening to her mother’s words, she
did
know a heck of a lot about organizing people.
    “I don’t know anything about horses,” Mrs. Atwood began, “but from what Max said, it sounds to me as if the main thing we need right now is money. I have a suggestion for how to raise some. It’s not a new idea, but it’s simple and it’s fast and it works.”
    “Yes, Mrs. Atwood?” one of the parents asked politely.
    “We could have a bake sale,” Lisa’s mother said. “On a Saturday,” she added. “At the Willow Creek shopping center.”
    Stevie raised her eyebrows. “Now, that’s my kind of suggestion!” she murmured to Carole and Lisa.
    Mrs. Atwood looked around the room. “So, do I have any takers?”
    “I think that’s a wonderful idea,” Mrs. Reg respondedimmediately. “What does everyone else think?”
    “Hear! Hear!” said Colonel Hanson.
    Mrs. McLean, the mother of one of the younger girls in Horse Wise, spoke