Horse Fever Read Free Page B

every day, walk, trot, canter, two cross rails, that’s that. Horses are like people: They get bored if they do the same thing over and over, just the way you would. I’m mentioning it now because it’s more of a problem in winter than in summer. In winter you’re riding indoors more, taking fewer trail rides, going to fewer competitions. Horses can get barn fever, which can make them cranky and stubborn. By throwing in a few surprises, like trotting poles in a dressage lesson, you can liven things up.”
    “Is that what torturing your students does?” Stevie moaned. “Livens things up?”
    “What? By riding without stirrups?” Max grinned. “No, that
toughens
things up—namely, your legs and seat. I can’t have Pine Hollow turning into a bunch of couch potatoes just because it’s January!”
    “Couch potatoes!” Stevie wailed. “I feel more like
mashed
potatoes!”
    “Well, Stevie, you’ll have plenty of time to recover. First of all, I want everyone to take tomorrow off. It’sSunday. Give yourselves a rest. And secondly, I have an announcement to make: This will be your last lesson for two weeks.” Max paused, looking slightly sheepish at the murmurs that followed. “No, I’m not going off to hunt in Ireland or teach clinics in England or judge an international Pony Club competition. I won’t be anywhere near horses for two weeks. I’m, uh, going on vacation.”
    There was a spontaneous burst of applause from the group. Like many horse people, Max Regnery
never
went on vacation—except to take a busman’s holiday.
    “Who talked you into it, Max?” Lisa inquired, though she had a pretty good idea of the answer.
    “Deborah,” Max replied, as Lisa had thought he would. “Naturally.”
    “Do you need a baby-sitter?” Stevie asked.
    Max smiled. “No, but thanks for asking. We’re taking Maxi with us. We’re going up to Vermont to visit Deborah’s parents. The Hales would never speak to us again if we left their granddaughter with a sitter.”
    Maxi was the Regnerys’ baby girl. The Saddle Club had been there when she was born, and they had taken her on her first horseback ride. Sometimes they felt like Maxi’s aunts.
    “But,” Max continued, “getting back to the two weeks I’ll be away, I expect you all to work very hard. Your next lesson will be the Saturday after next.” He paused andseemed to be thinking. The Saddle Club waited nervously. The words
work very hard
followed by a silence could mean only one thing: Max was devising a scheme to
ensure
that they worked very hard. A moment later he spoke up again. “I want you all to work very hard,” he repeated. “So why doesn’t everyone plan on
demonstrating
what he or she has worked on? Instead of your usual lesson, I’ll expect a performance of sorts from each of you. It will be a little test to see how you do without supervision.”
    Stevie, Lisa, and Carole exchanged glances. They weren’t fooled for a minute by that word
little
. Max would expect real progress.
    “Max?” Veronica said. “I’m afraid my performance will have to be on the slopes. You see,” she added with a giggle, “I’m going skiing out West for the next ten days.”
    “I thought you already went on vacation!” Stevie blurted out indignantly.
    Veronica smiled sweetly. “I already went on vacation to the Ca
rib
bean. I haven’t taken my ski holiday yet.”
    “Yes, well, you’ll have to do the best you can, Veronica,” Max said shortly.
    “All right, Max, I’ll try my hardest,” she promised.
    “Is Red going to be in charge?” Carole inquired, ignoring the gagging noises Stevie was directing at Veronica.
    “Yes—Red and my mother. Stevie,” Max asked, “is something the matter?”
    “Oh, no, Max. I was just wishing Veronica a great trip.” The change in Stevie’s expression from disgust to innocence was so fast that Carole and Lisa had trouble keeping straight faces. “You have a great trip, too, Max,” Stevie added.
    “Thanks,”