Macaroni had spent a lot of time in the stable with Vanilla. He knew just how mean the horse could be and he knew just how fast he had to go to get away from him. May couldn’t believe how rapidly her pony’s short legs carried them to safety. He fled to the gate in the fence. May flung it open and they were through it before Vanilla knew where they’d gone.
Across the field Jasmine gave Outlaw a nudge. “Come on, boy, we’ve got to catch that pony!” Outlaw ran after Samurai. But Samurai ran like crazy.
Jasmine and Outlaw knew the field better than Samurai. They took a shortcut across the crest of the hill and moved alongside Samurai. Now Jasmine knew what to do. It was just like the flag race. She had to pick up something while her pony was moving. Only this time, what she had to pick up were Samurai’s reins.
The ponies were almost neck and neck. Outlaw was gaining on Samurai. Jasmine leaned forward and reached out her right hand to grab the reins. She couldn’t quite reach them. She leaned farther. Next to her, the runaway pony’s hooves pounded the ground. The reins dangled near those hooves. Samurai could almost trip on them. She couldn’t let that happen.
Jasmine shifted her weight forward and tried one more time. This time it worked! She had the reins.
Then, as suddenly as he had started, Samurai stopped. Jasmine slowed Outlaw to a trot. Samurai trotted right next to him. He was perfectly polite, as if he were trying to make up for running away.
“Come on, let’s find Corey,” she said to the pony.
She led the ponies back over the crest of the hill. Corey was standing motionless. She didn’t know which way to run. Vanilla wasn’t anywhere near her now, but he was watching her. Jasmine didn’t waste any time. She and the ponies rode over to Corey.
“Mount Samurai!” Jasmine cried.
Corey looked at her blankly.
“Hurry!” Jasmine said. “Vanilla will be back in a minute.”
That was the last thing Corey wanted.
She took Samurai’s reins from Jasmine and climbed into the saddle.
“This way,” Jasmine told her. She and Outlaw began galloping to the gate. Corey and Samurai followed.
May opened the gate for them and then shut it tightly the second the two ponies and their riders were through.
The girls sat in their saddles, breathing hard and not saying anything. Then all three of them spoke at exactly the same instant.
“I’m sorry,” each girl said.
Jasmine looked at May. May looked at Corey. Corey looked at Jasmine. Then they all spoke at the same time.
“Jake!” they cried, slapping their hands together.
“We didn’t mean the things we said,” said Jasmine. “We just didn’t think.”
“We were so stupid!” added May.
“And I didn’t think when I went into the field.” Corey shook her head. “I almost got us all killed.”
May looked again from Jasmine to Corey. “Friends?” she asked.
“And teammates!” Corey agreed. A wide smile broke out first on her face. Then it spread to May’s and Jasmine’s.
17 Mounted Games
Jasmine didn’t take her eyes off the handkerchief. The second it hit the ground, she was off. Outlaw was being fussy, though. He didn’t seem to see what the big hurry was.
“Come on!” Jasmine yelled. She pressed into Outlaw’s belly with her legs.
“Get going!” May yelled. Finally Outlaw got the idea. Then he decided to make up for lost time and bolted ahead. Jasmine was so startled, she nearly fell out of the saddle.
Jasmine loved the feeling of riding a horse at any speed, but top speed was best of all. She leaned forward in the saddle and kept her eyes on the red flag.
It was like grabbing for Samurai’s reins all over again. Only this time, the reins weren’t moving. But Outlaw was flying!
Jasmine gripped the reins tightly in her right hand so she could grab the flag in her left. She reached out, stretching her arm. Her fingers touched the wooden pole of the flag. She grasped it and pulled. She had it! Outlaw turned obediently and raced toward home. She handed the flag off to Jackie, and Jackie and Dime took off.
Corey waited by the starting line. She couldn’t cross it until Jackie gave her the flag. Then she had to get going as fast as she could. She held the reins tightly. Her legs hugged her pony’s sides. She looked ready.
“Here she comes!” said May.
Corey reached out. The second Jackie passed her the flag, she gave Samurai a kick. He burst into a gallop. She stayed right in the saddle. Her ride was smooth—and fast—the whole way.
May was the last team member to go. When Corey handed her the flag, Macaroni flew across the line, racing toward the far end of the ring. “Let’s go, boy!” she said. All they needed to do was win this race, and then Horse Wise would beat Cross County. It came down to this. It came down to May.
Next to her, Joey Dutton was riding Crazy for Cross County Pony Club and he was ahead. May had to win. She leaned forward in the saddle. Macaroni started going faster. It was as if he remembered his race to get away from Vanilla. The two of them swung around and turned at the far end of the ring. It was almost over; they’d almost won.
“Come on, May! You can do it!” Jasmine bounced up and down in her saddle.
“We’ve got ‘em beat!” shouted Jackie.
“Faster!” shouted Corey.
Macaroni went faster.
The next thing May knew, her teammates were out of their saddles, and jumping around hugging each other.
She’d won! Her team had won the race and Horse Wise had beaten Cross County.
Then all the riders and rooters from Horse Wise ran over to the junior team. Everyone was screaming and jumping with excitement.
May, Corey, and Jasmine gave each other high fives.
“Nice job, girls,” Max called. He smiled proudly.
May, Jasmine, Corey, and Jackie beamed with pride. Jumping and screaming was okay, but “Nice job, girls,” from Max was even better.
Later that afternoon the girls were untacking their ponies.
Max came over to congratulate them again. “You girls worked hard. You have obviously all been practicing this week, right?”
May, Jasmine, and Corey each thought of the rescue in the field and how that, in a way, had helped them to get ready for the race.
“Uh … sort of,” May said.
“Well, whatever you’ve done, it’s worked,” Max went on. “Maybe you can show the rest of the Pony Club some of the exercises you did.”
They all just nodded.
“Maybe,” Jasmine said. She tugged at Outlaw’s saddle. It was heavy for her, and sometimes she needed help.
Carole Hanson came over to give her a hand.
“Thanks, Carole,” Max said. “The Saddle Club team did well today, too. But maybe these girls showed even The Saddle Club a thing or two.”
“You could be right about that,” Carole told him. “The junior team won the games for Pine Hollow today.”
At that, May, Jasmine, and Corey exchanged another high five.
18 Best Friends
Inside her stable at home, Jasmine finished grooming and feeding Outlaw. She was still feeling wonderful from the good job they’d done against Cross County, even if it meant beating Joey Dutton. Now she wanted to be with her teammates. She walked over to Corey’s backyard and poked her head into the barn.
“You there?” she called into the stable.
“Yes. I’m just giving Sam some extra carrots,” Corey said.
Jasmine laughed. “I gave Outlaw three.”
May walked in the door of Corey’s stable then. “I brought Samurai some carrots,” she announced. Then she saw Jasmine there. “I have some for Outlaw, too,” she said.
This time Corey laughed. “Three great minds thinking exactly the same thing at the same time.”
“Aaah-ooooooooow!”
May and Jasmine looked at one another. It was the sound.
Corey grinned. “S
ome people might think that was coming from a monster,” she said. “But it’s only a dog. Would you like to meet Dracula?”
“Dracula?” asked May. “That’s his name?”
Corey shrugged. “What else do you name a dog who howls like that?
“Here, boy!” she called. Dracula raced into the stable from outside. He was a big black dog. His tail wagged wildly. The minute he saw Corey, he jumped up on her and began smothering her with kisses.
“He wouldn’t hurt a flea!” cried Jasmine.
Just for that, Dracula started licking Jasmine, too. She giggled when his wet tongue tickled her.
Then came the sound of a car’s brakes screeching.
May’s eyes opened wide. There was that sound again! Both she and Jasmine looked to Corey.
“That’s Bluebeard—our parrot. He knows how to make the weirdest sounds. He cackles like a witch and he does tires screeching.”
Then there was a whimpering sound. It came from behind the stable. May and Jasmine looked at one another. What now?
“Come see this, but be quiet, okay?” Corey said.
“Okay,” the girls agreed. They tiptoed out back. There was a large box there and in it was a golden retriever. She wasn’t alone, though. She was completely surrounded by tiny puppies.
“Oh!” Jasmine cried.
“They’re so cute!” said May.
“They were born last week,” said Corey. “Mom has to come out here every couple of hours to check on them. It’s a lot of work.”
“I bet it is,” said May. She remembered the lights that went on inside the house at night.
Jasmine thought about the person in a long robe who had walked from the house to the stable. There were no more mysteries. There were no monsters. There was no mad scientist. There was just Corey and now she was their friend. The best part was, Jasmine had a feeling she was going to be a really good friend.
“You know, I’ve been thinking,” May spoke up.
“Uh-oh,” said Jasmine. “What is it this time?”
May shook her head. “It’s not a crazy idea, I promise. I’ve just been thinking about us. You know how The Saddle Club is the head of Horse Wise?”
Jasmine nodded. “They’re all really good riders.”
“Aren’t they older than we are?” Corey asked.
“That’s the point,” said May. “If they’re the head, then what does that make us?”
“The tail?” Corey suggested.
“Right!” May grinned.
Then all three of them said exactly the same thing at exactly the same time: “We’re The Pony Tails!”
“That’s the only way to describe three pony-crazy girls like us!” Jasmine exclaimed.
Once again the three Pony Tails were thinking the same thing at the same time. This time it was how happy they were to be with their best friends.
MAY’S PONY GROOMING TIPS
My dad taught me that horseback riding isn’t only about climbing a horse or pony’s saddle. Being a good rider involves taking care of my pony, too. That means feeding Macaroni, making sure he sees the vet regularly, and grooming him every time I ride. This is how I do Macaroni’s regular grooming.
I keep all my grooming tools and brushes in a bucket. The first step in grooming a pony is using a tool called a hoofpick. That’s what you need to clean out a pony’s hooves. I do Macaroni’s left front foot first, then left hind, then right front and right hind. If I always do it in the same order, I don’t get mixed up and Macaroni gets used to it, too. When you’re picking up a pony’s foot, you have to run your hand down his leg so you don’t surprise him. Dad showed me how to use the hoofpick so it gets all the dirt and stones out of Macaroni’s hooves and doesn’t hurt him.
Macaroni’s coat is a light color so I always need to give him a sponge bath. If he’s really dirty, he gets a shower, too, but most of the time a sponge and a special pony shampoo do the trick.
After the sponge bath comes the currycomb. I put the currycomb in my right hand and start at the top of his neck. I rub in a circular motion. That loosens dirt and shedded hair. When the currycomb gets dirty, I clean it with another brush called a dandy brush and get back to work. First I do his left side, then his right. I don’t use the comb on his face or lower legs. It’s too harsh for those areas. I would never do anything that would hurt Macaroni.
Next comes the stiff dandy brush. It removes the dirt and hair that the comb loosened. I can use it on Macaroni’s legs because it doesn’t hurt. I also use that to brush Macaroni’s mane and tail.
Then comes the soft dandy brush. I use two at a time, one on each hand. They smooth Macaroni’s hair back down. Then I take a small sponge and clean his face. I have to be very careful there—especially around his eyes. He’s a good pony, though, and he stands completely still for me. I am so lucky!
If I’m getting Macaroni ready for a show or another special event, I’ll do some more grooming, like braiding his mane and putting polish on his hooves. But usually the last step is rubbing him all over with a towel until his coat gets neat and shiny.
Macaroni loves to be brushed and combed and I like to do it. I always feel proud of how handsome my pony looks!
Turn the page to continue reading from the Pony Tails series
1 May’s News
May Grover couldn’t wait to get to the school-bus stop. She had something really good to tell her best friends, Jasmine James and Corey Takamura. The three girls lived next door to one another, and they all went to the same school, though they were each in a different third-grade class. They were such good friends, they did everything together—especially ride their ponies.
Corey was at the bus stop when May arrived. So was Wil McNally.
“Oh, no,” muttered May. Wil was the biggest tease and bully in school. He never missed a chance to tease May and her friends.
May decided to ignore Wil. Instead she talked to Corey.
“Max called my mom last night,” May began. “And wait till you hear this!”
“I bet this has to do with your ponies.” Wil smirked as he interrupted their conversation.
“Yes, it does have something to do with our ponies,” May replied. “Not that it’s any of your business. …”
That made Wil step back a little. But it didn’t make him stop listening.
“Anyway,” May went on, turning her back on Wil, “Max called.” Max Regnery was the owner of Pine Hollow Stables, where the girls’ Pony Club had its meetings. “He wanted to borrow our instant camera. He told Mom we’re going to have a special kind of scavenger hunt at the next Pony Club meeting. Doesn’t that sound neat?”
“It sure does,” Corey said. “But what’s a scavenger hunt?”
Wil snorted.
May turned around to glare at him before she answered Corey’s question. “It’s a game. The leader—that’ll be Max—gives us each a list of things we have to find. And the team that gets the most things from the list wins a prize. Best of all, we’ll get to do the whole thing on our ponies.”
“So what will we have to look for?” asked Corey.
“A scavenger hunt can be for anything,” May replied. “Mom said she was on a scavenger hunt once, and she had to get an eagle feather and a 1958 penny. I don’t know what Max will put on the list.” May glanced at Wil. “But if he asks us to find an obnoxious boy, I know just where to look.”
Wil glared at May. She decided not to talk about the scavenger hunt in front of him anymore. That didn’t mean she wasn’t going to talk about ponies, though.
She and Corey began talking about the riding class they would take that afternoon with Jasmine. The three girls were so pony crazy, they called themselves the Pony Tails. They each had their own pony, and they took classes on Wednesdays at Pine Hollow. Then, on Saturdays, they had Pony Club. The name of their Pony Club was Horse Wise because that was what the members wanted to become—wise about horses.
Even though they all loved ponies, the three girls were very differen
t from one another. May could be stubborn. She usually said exactly what was on her mind. Not everybody liked that, and it sometimes got her into trouble.
Jasmine was almost a complete opposite of that. She was gentle and a little shy. She had a lot of model horses that she let her friends play with.
Not long ago Corey had moved into the house between May and Jasmine’s. Corey was very logical and reasonable. When May and Jasmine couldn’t find a way to agree on something, Corey could usually find the way for them. Not only that, she loved ponies and riding as much as the other girls did.
Each of the girls had her own pony. May had a golden-colored pony named Macaroni. Macaroni was as sweet and gentle as May was strong-willed. Jasmine’s pony was named Outlaw, because he had a white face that looked like a mask. He was sometimes hard to control. Corey’s pony was named Sam, for Samurai. He was a dark bay with a blaze on his face that looked like a Samurai sword.
“I wish Jasmine would get here,” May said, glancing over at Jasmine’s house. “I want to tell her about the scavenger hunt, too.”
“I hope Max puts brains on the list,” Wil said. “You girls could really use them.”
“Is he always like this?” Corey whispered to May. She was still getting to know Wil.
“Always,” May sighed.
2 Jasmine’s Model Horse
A few minutes later May and Corey heard Jasmine’s front door bang shut. Jasmine waved to her friends and skipped down the walk.
May could see that Jasmine was carrying something. It was one of her model horses. Jasmine had eighteen model horses and ponies. May and Corey had some, too. The girls often brought their horses over to one another’s house and played with them. Jasmine liked to make saddles, bridles, and all kinds of equipment for her horses. Today she was carrying a model of an Arabian.
“Look what I did!” Jasmine said proudly. She held up the horse to show her friends the Arabian-style outfit she’d made for it. The outfit even had golden tassels.
“That’s neat,” said Corey. “Did you do all the sewing yourself?”
Pony Tails 01- Pony Crazy Page 5