by Kate Lattey
“Take him for a trot, get the tickle out of his toes,” she bossed me, striding into the middle of the paddock and shoving poles and jumps around. My heart sank as I realised that she was going to expect me to jump him again today. I’d been hoping I’d get away with just having a flat lesson, which was bad enough and always left me with aching arms and frazzled nerves. But adding jumping to the equation made Misty ten times stronger and more excited, and me at least ten times more likely to fall off. Not to mention Hayley ten times more likely to scream at me for ruining her pony.
I let Misty trot on, and tried to convince myself that I was having fun. I tried to be like my sister, who enjoyed the antics of the pony cavorting beneath me, but I couldn’t make my brain believe it. Misty’s hooves sprang up from the grass like he was stepping on hot coals, and he got faster and faster as he trotted around the perimeter of the jumping paddock. I took a contact on the reins, giving them a firm squeeze to slow him down. It would’ve worked on Rory, who would’ve lowered her head and stretched, mouthing softly at the bit and letting me use my seat and legs to bend her body to my will. But Misty’s cresty neck was made of solid muscle, and it only came up higher in front of me, as hard as a block of wood and twice as strong.
I shortened my reins, and he lifted his head more, until it felt as though his short mane was about to brush against my face. I swallowed hard and tried to make myself let his head go, but as soon as I relaxed my hold on the reins he shot forward into a canter. I gripped with my legs and pulled back on the reins, trying to get him back to a trot. I’d won plenty of Best Rider classes on Rory, and was often commended on my balanced and natural position in the saddle, but five minutes on Misty’s back always made me feel like a beginner again. The aids I used on Rory, and every other normal pony I’d ever ridden, simply didn’t compute with Misty. There was no line of communication between us, no common language that we both understood. Misty’s stride shortened and he strained against the tight reins. My brain told me to relax and let him go forward, but I couldn’t make my body comply. I just kept pulling, even as Hayley started up yelling at me again.
“For crying out loud Tess, let his head go!”
I wanted to, but I couldn’t. Misty took shorter and shorter steps until it felt like I was sitting on top of a pogo stick that was powered by a jet engine, waiting for the whole thing to explode.
Eventually Misty decided that if he wasn’t allowed to go forwards, he’d go backwards instead. He stopped bouncing and went into reverse, backing halfway across the paddock before I got brave enough to kick him forward. He lurched into his springy trot, and I slipped sideways and lost a stirrup.
Hayley stood with her hands on her hips, shaking her head at me. “Why are you so useless? I thought you could ride? What’s wrong with you?”
I wished I knew. I shoved my foot resolutely back into the stirrup as Misty bounded past her, and gritted my teeth.
Seven more weeks, I told myself, and then this will all be over.
Mum ended up fixing lunch on her own, because Hayley wouldn’t let me get off Misty until I’d taken him around the course of jumps that she’d set up without falling off. I managed it in the end, although it had been messy and we’d knocked two rails down. In the end she’d told me that watching me attempt to ride had brought her headache back, and she was going inside for a shower. I was left to untack Misty, but I didn’t mind. Handling him on the ground wasn’t exactly easy, but it was definitely preferable to being on his back. I washed him down thoroughly, scrubbing every trace of dirt and sweat from his coat, then found my scraper and sluiced the water off. He stood happily in the yard while I worked on him, his eyes half-closed as the sun warmed his broad back.
“See, you like this,” I told him. “If Hayley wasn’t so lazy, she’d do it every time she washed you.”
Misty swished his tail at me, and the wet strands slapped my cheek, making my eyes water. Ungrateful animal.
I turned him out with Rory, and he immediately went to the dustiest part of the paddock and rolled, undoing my grooming efforts in a matter of seconds. I shook my head at him as he worked the dirt into his coat, wriggling around on his back with his legs tucked up against his stomach and getting all the spots that he thought I’d missed. Only once he was completely filthy did he stand up and shake, sending a cloud of dust up around him. His gleaming white coat had turned patchy brown, and he looked deeply satisfied.
I tidied all of our gear away, then went up to the house, hoping Mum had left some lunch for us. Colin followed me to the door, then lay down on the front porch and rested his chin on his paws, watching me dolefully as I went inside.
“I’ll come back and eat with you,” I told him, eyeing up the hammock that was strung across one corner of our porch. It was my favourite reading spot, and I was in the middle of a really good book. Hayley was still in the shower, as evidenced by the steam puffing its way out of the half-open bathroom window, and my stomach rumbled as I kicked off my boots and went inside, hoping she hadn’t eaten lunch yet because chances were she’d have taken the lion’s share.
I was in luck. There were two large pieces of bacon and egg pie sitting on the bench, with a note on top that said ONE EACH! in Mum’s handwriting. I reached for the bigger slice, then realised that my hands were filthy and covered in grey horse hair. I turned to wash them at the kitchen sink, only to find that the soap container was empty. Great. And now the sound of running water was making me need to pee as well.
I went down the hall and banged on the bathroom door as hard as I could.
“Hurry up and get out of the shower, or I’ll eat all the pie!”
There was no reply, and I wondered if Hayley had heard me. Then I heard a thump as she banged on the shower wall in response, and I stuck my tongue out at the closed door. Fine then, I’d go and use Mum and Dad’s ensuite. I wasn’t supposed to, but it wasn’t like I had much of a choice.
Hayley banged on the wall again, twice. “I get the point, sheesh,” I muttered. I turned away, then back again as Colin came scrabbling down the hall towards me with an anxious expression.
“Hey! You’re not supposed to be inside,” I reminded him, but my dog ignored me. His eyes were fixed on the bathroom door, and he stopped and scratched at it, whining loudly.
“What are you doing?” I asked him. “Do you need to pee as well?”
I was joking, but Colin wasn’t. He became more agitated, whining again and then letting out a short bark.
“What’s wrong?” I asked him. He was starting to scare me, and I knocked on the bathroom door again. “Hayley? Are you okay?”
No response. I pressed my ear against the door and tried the handle, but it was locked. Another muffled thump, and I was starting to get worried.
“Hays? Shut up, Colin!” His whining was drowning out any sounds I could pick up through the door. He finally ceased his whimpering, and I listened to the water running from the shower head into the enamel bathtub. Then there was another strange thud, followed by a low moan that made my blood run cold. Something was seriously wrong. I yelled my sister’s name again and tried the door handle again, but it was still securely locked.
Think! Colin started barking again, and I remembered the open window. I ran back down the hall and outside, scrambling over the porch railing until I was under the bathroom window. They were the old-fashioned type with wooden frames that slid up and down, and Hayley had used an old piece of wood to prop the window open while she showered. I grabbed the windowsill and pulled myself up onto it, wriggling on my stomach until I was half in-half out of the bathroom window.
“Hayley?” Still no response, and I was really getting scared now. For once I wanted her to yell at me, but all I heard was running water, then another thud, another low moan.
Squirming desperately the rest of the way through the window, I jumped to the floor and ran to the tub, then pulled the shower curtain back. Hayley was lying on her side, convulsing. There was blood around her mouth and spatter
ed across the sides of the white enamel bath, and I stood there and stared in horror as the hot water kept pouring down.
Colin barked from the other side of the bathroom door, and I jerked back into action, turning the shower head off. Hayley’s head jerked back and forth, banging against the enamel bathtub, and I grabbed a towel from the hand rail behind me and shoved it under her head. I tried desperately to remember what to do when someone was having a seizure. We’d covered it in Health class at school, when we’d done First Aid, but I couldn’t remember. It was too late to try and stop her from biting her tongue, so I crouched, frozen, next to the tub as Hayley’s convulsing finally ceased.
Her eyelids fluttered, and she groaned again, a long, drawn-out sound like an animal in pain. I struggled to hold back tears as I reached a shaky hand out and put it on her damp arm.
“Hays? You okay?” She opened her eyes and looked at me. There was no recognition at first, and it chilled my blood to see those familiar blue eyes staring at me so blankly. I reached down and grabbed her hand, squeezing it in what I hoped was a reassuring way. She blinked a couple of times, and then my sister came back.
“Wha’ happened?” She struggled to speak through her bruised mouth, and I saw the confusion in her face.
I tried to speak calmly. “I’m not sure. Can you get up?”
She started to move, then lay back again. “No,” she said, sounding scared and bewildered.
“It’s okay. I’ll go get Mum.” Mum would know what to do, I was sure of it. I started to stand up, but Hayley gripped my hand tight.
“Don’ go,” she insisted, her fingers clutching mine like a vice.
“Okay.”
I didn’t want to argue with her just then, so I sat back down. After a moment, Hayley’s grip loosened, and her eyes closed again. She seemed to be falling asleep, even though she was still lying in the bath. Colin was still pawing desperately at the door, so I slipped my hand out of Hayley’s and stood up, my knees weak. I unlocked the door and let Colin into the room. He ran to the tub and put his paws on the edge, peering in concernedly at Hayley. He whined again, and looked at me.
“I know,” I told him. I was dangerously close to bursting into hysterical sobs, but I had to hold it together. I had to go and get help. “You look after her for me, okay? Good boy.”
Colin wagged his tail at me, then focused his attention on Hayley again. I grabbed a couple more towels and laid them over my sister, then touched her clammy shoulder.
“Hays? I’m going for help. I’ll be right back, I promise.”
Her eyelids fluttered but she didn’t reply. An overwhelming sense of desperation filled me, and I took a breath, turned towards the door, and started to run.
More books by Kate Lattey
available on Amazon
DARE TO DREAM
Saying goodbye to the horses they love has become a way of life for Marley and her sisters, who train and sell show jumpers to make their living. Marley has grand ambitions to jump in Pony of the Year, but every good pony she’s ever had has been sold out from under her to pay the bills.
Then a half-wild pinto pony comes into her life, and Marley finds that this most unlikely of champions could be the superstar she has always dreamed of. As Marley and Cruise rise quickly to the top of their sport, it seems as though her dreams of winning the Pony of the Year might come true after all.
But her family is struggling to make ends meet, and as the countdown to Pony of the Year begins, Marley is forced to face the possibility of losing the pony she has come to love more than anything else in the world.
Can Marley save the farm she loves, without sacrificing the pony she can’t live without?
Reviews for Dare to Dream:
“There are always two parts to a good horse story–the people and the horses. Sometimes authors get the horses right and Kate Lattey definitely knows horses. All the details are spot on. But for me, it was the people that made this book shine. The relationship and dynamic between the three sisters is filled with warmth, humor, and truth. I recommend this book for all horse-lovers.
– Kim Ablon Whitney, author of “The Perfect Distance”
“I absolutely loved Dare to Dream. I finished it in tears. It’s moving, wrenching, funny. Goodness, it’s good.”
– Jane Badger, author of “Heroines on Horseback: The Pony Book in Children’s Fiction”
DREAM ON
"Nobody has ever tried to understand this pony. Nobody has ever been on her side. Until now. She needs you to fight for her, Marley. She needs you to love her."
Borderline Majestic was imported from the other side of the world to bring her new owners fame and glory, but she is almost impossible to handle and ride. When the pony lands her rider in intensive care, it is up to Marley to prove that the talented mare is not dangerous - just deeply misunderstood.
Can Marley dare to fall in love again to save Majestic's life?
Reviews for Dream On:
“Kate Lattey has produced another tremendous, character-driven book, with every bit of authentic horsey detail you could wish for. I defy you not to cry at the end. If you haven’t already gone and loaded this on to your Kindle go and do it now. You won’t regret it.”
- Jane Badger, author of “Heroines on Horseback: The Pony Book in Children’s Fiction”
“Kate Lattey’s characters are convincing and engaging, and the storyline kept me hooked from the first page to the very satisfying epilogue. A deliciously enjoyable read.”
– Amanda Wills, author of the “The Lost Pony of Riverdale”
Clearwater Bay #1:
FLYING CHANGES
When Jay moves from her home in England to live with her estranged father in rural New Zealand, it is only his promise of a pony of her own that convinces her to leave her old life behind and start over in a new country.
Change doesn’t come easily at first, and Jay makes as many enemies as she does friends before she finds the perfect pony, who seems destined to make her dreams of show jumping success come true.
But she soon discovers that training her own pony is not as easy as she thought it would be, and her dream pony is becoming increasingly unmanageable and difficult to ride.
Can Jay pull it together, or has she made the biggest mistake of her life?
Reviews for Flying Changes:
“Excellent read in the traditional format: girl gets pony, works through traumas with the pony and in her own life. Brilliant New Zealand background, and excellent, accurate horse stuff.”
– Jane Badger, author of “Heroines on Horseback: The Pony Book in Children’s Fiction”
“Detailed and descriptive, it’s one of those books that once you start, you can’t put down.”
– The Children’s Bookstore
Clearwater Bay #2:
AGAINST THE CLOCK
It’s a new season and a new start for Jay and her wilful pony Finn, but their best laid plans are quickly plagued by injuries, arguments and rails that just won’t stay in their cups. And when her father introduces her to his new girlfriend, Jay can’t help wondering if her life will ever run according to plan.
As her friends battle with their own families and Jay struggles to define hers, it is only her determination to bring out the best in her pony that keeps her going. But after overhearing a top rider say that Finn’s potential is being hampered by her incompetent rider, Jay is besieged by doubts in her own ability…and begins to wonder whether Finn would be better off without her.
Can Jay bear to give up on her dreams, even if it’s for her pony’s sake?
Reviews for Against the Clock:
I absolutely love the books by this author! This is another fabulous story filled with ponies and the girls that love them. As always, the scenes of New Zealand countryside are descriptive and captivating, the characters are unique and compelling, and the horses are accurately depicted and eloquently wrought. Lattey manages to tell a horse story appropriate for a young audience without the stere
otypical storyline and awful romance of many young adult horse novels.
– Anne, via Amazon.com
This was fantastic – somehow even better than the first. I think what I like about Jay as a heroine is that she’s not the best rider – she has to work at it. There are so many YA horsey books where the main character is an OMG amazing, undiscovered, super-talented rider who just never had the chance and those can be really, really annoying because really? How common is that?? Jay screws up, she gets mad, she LEARNS. I love that.
– Jenn S, via Amazon.com
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Many thanks to Paula Riepen for the use of the cover image, and to Hilarey Barton for knowing way more about heart function than I do!
If you liked this story, please also check out my other novels, which are also available on Amazon. There are some familiar faces in those books, as everything I write ties into each other, so although they are focused on different characters, quite a few of the people you have met in the Pony Jumpers series will pop up in previous (and upcoming) books.
For more information on my other novels and the timeline that they fit into, check out my website at http://nzponywriter.com
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
I live in Waikanae, New Zealand and started riding at the age of 10. I was lucky enough to have ponies of my own during my teenage years, and I competed regularly in show jumping, eventing, show hunter and mounted games before finishing college and heading to Massey University, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in English & Media Studies.