by Amanda Wills
‘Of course.’ Kristy had forgotten the local paper had run a story about the quadrille in its coverage of the Mayor’s New Year’s Eve show. The reporter who’d turned up at the stables to interview them had angled his story on the fact that Sofia, William and Norah had pooled their winnings to buy him for Kristy after he’d been abandoned by his old owner.
Ruth lifted the camera back onto her shoulder. ‘OK, so I’ll just ask you a few questions. All straightforward. Nothing to be worried about.’
Kristy untied Cassius. He gave her a gentle nudge and she plucked an errant wisp of hay from his mane and straightened his forelock. She licked her lips and gave Ruth the ghost of a smile.
‘Ready?’
‘As I’ll ever be.’
‘Righto. So, tell me Kristy, how did Cassius come to lose the sight in his eye?’
‘He had an eye infection and unfortunately the vet couldn’t save his sight.’
‘How does it affect him day to day?’
‘Horses adapt really well to losing their sight. I always approach him on his good side so he can see me, and I talk to him, so he knows I’m there. Sometimes he can be a bit spooky on his left rein but if I let him stop and look at stuff he’s fine.’
‘Did it impact on your training for the quadrille?’
‘A bit,’ Kristy admitted. ‘We had to get Cassius used to the others riding past his blind side. But we got there in the end.’
‘You certainly did. The Mayor says your routine was the highlight of the show.’
‘Cassius had the time of his life,’ said Kristy, rubbing the gelding’s ear.
‘He must trust you.’
Kristy smiled properly for the first time. ‘He does. I have to be his eyes, you see. He looks after me and I look after him.’
‘And your team-mates clubbed together to buy him for you, I believe?’
Kristy nodded. Sometimes she still couldn’t believe Cassius was really hers. ‘His old owner abandoned him when he lost his sight because she didn’t want to pay the vet’s bills. Emma, who’s the owner of Mill Farm Stables, needed to sell him to recoup the money. Luckily for me she sold him to us.’
‘I wonder if his old owner regrets her decision now.’
Kristy shivered. It was as if someone had thrown a bucket of icy water down her back. Her grip on Cassius’s reins tightened.
‘I don’t know. Probably. Wouldn’t you?’ She looked at Ruth desperately. ‘You won’t use that bit, will you?’
Ruth pressed a button on her camera and eased it onto the ground. ‘No, I only needed a soundbite. Let’s go and film the quadrille.’
For the next half an hour Ruth filmed them as they ran through their routine. She had them vaulting on and off until they were dizzy and made them repeat their serpentines and two-way crossovers until she was happy she had enough footage. Kristy thought she would be able to relax now her interview was over and she was doing what she loved most in the world - riding her beloved Percheron. But she felt anxious. The fluttering in her heart had been replaced by a leaden feeling, an inexplicable sense of dread as if she’d forgotten to hand in a vital piece of homework and was now going to fail all her exams. To make matters worse, Norah kept shooting her filthy looks, and every time she sneaked a peek at Ruth, the camera was trained on Cassius. Kristy had the horrible feeling he was the only reason Ruth was there.
Eventually Ruth called, ‘It’s a wrap,’ and they halted in front of her, their cheeks flushed and the ponies’ coats steaming.
‘Thanks guys, that was awesome. It’ll probably be reduced to two minutes by the time it goes out, but at least it’ll be an action-packed two minutes.’ Ruth smiled and stretched her back.
Kristy could feel Norah’s eyes burning a hole in her back as they led the ponies back to the yard. Suddenly she had an idea. ‘Sofia, can you take Cassius a sec? I need to have a quick word with Ruth.’
Not waiting for an answer, she flung her reins at Sofia and ran after Ruth, whispering in her ear. Ruth looked puzzled, glanced at Norah and her face cleared. She nodded and picked up the camera again.
‘Hey Norah, don’t forget I need a soundbite from you, too,’ she called.
‘That was a nice thing to do,’ said Sofia quietly as they untacked Cassius and Jazz.
Kristy shrugged. ‘Norah’s much better at this kind of thing than me. And we wouldn’t have won the quadrille if she hadn’t kept us all in line.’
‘Bullied us into behaving you mean,’ Sofia giggled.
It wasn’t until she was walking home that Kristy realised what had been bugging her. How could Cassius have sneaked into the kitchen if both the back door and the kitchen door were closed? There was a Shetland pony in the book she was reading that could undo quick release knots and bolts on stable doors in the blink of an eye. Maybe Cassius had taught himself how to slip open the bolt on his gate and had decided to go exploring?
Cassius was by far the cleverest horse Kristy had ever met. But even she, his number one fan, thought it was unlikely he’d worked out how to open not one but two doors all by himself.
3
Miss Raven’s Request
‘Kristy Moore!’ boomed a voice across the atrium outside the school hall. Kristy stopped in her tracks. She didn’t need to look around to know it was the voice of their head teacher.
The swarm of students heading out of assembly pushed past her, diverging like a fast-flowing river around a lichen-clad boulder. As she tried to turn her rucksack caught the shoulder of a sixth-former.
‘Oi, watch where you’re going!’ he cried, glaring at her.
‘Sorry,’ Kristy muttered. ‘I was just trying to -’
‘Kristy Moore!’ the voice bellowed again. ‘In my office. Now!’
Kristy felt a buzz of alarm. What had she done to incur the wrath of Miss Raven? She knew she had a tendency to daydream but she’d worked really hard to get her grades back up to where they should be. She’d had no choice - her parents had told her she’d have to stop working at Mill Farm if they didn’t improve. No, it couldn’t be that. Mr Baker had given her As for her last two assignments and he was easily the strictest teacher in school. She glanced down involuntarily. Nothing incensed Miss Raven more than school uniform violations. Turned up skirts could earn you a hefty ten behaviour points and forgetting your tie was a serious offence punishable by an after school detention. Rumour had it she’d once expelled a boy who’d dared turn up to school in roller shoes.
But Kristy’s uniform was all in order. White shirt, navy jumper, navy and plum tartan pleated skirt and navy tights. She’d even polished her shoes. OK, so her dad had, but Miss Raven needn’t know that. The point was they were so clean she could see her worried face reflected back at her.
Kristy took a deep breath and forced her way back through the throng towards the head’s office. Miss Raven ushered her in and motioned to a squishy armchair in front of her ornately-carved desk.
‘Make yourself comfortable, Kristy. I just need to make a quick phone call.’
Kristy sank into the depths of the armchair and scanned the room. The only other time she’d been in Miss Raven’s office was the day she’d visited the school with her parents just before they’d moved. To say she’d been a little in awe of her new head teacher had been an understatement. Miss Raven was a fearsome woman, with cropped pewter-grey hair and piercing blue eyes. When she looked at you, you felt as though you were walking through an X-ray machine at the airport. It was as if she could gaze right into your soul and read your innermost thoughts.
She’d asked Kristy if she’d been worried about leaving her private school to start at the state school on the other side of town. Kristy had shrugged. It wasn’t as if she’d had a choice. Since her dad had lost his job a lot had changed. But she loved their cosy apartment, even if her mum still hankered after their big detached house with a view of the hills. If they’d still had plenty of cash to splash she’d never have needed a job at Mill Farm Stables. And she would never have met C
assius.
Changing schools had been harder than she’d thought it would be, and it had taken her a long time to make friends. But now she had Sofia, Norah and William. Life was good.
Kristy realised with horror Miss Raven had finished her phone call and was perched on the corner of her desk looking at her expectantly.
‘So, what do you think?’
Kristy twiddled with the pleats of her skirt. ‘I’m really sorry, Miss Raven. I didn’t…I wasn’t…I mean, what did you say?’
The head smiled wryly. ‘I heard you were prone to daydreaming, Kristy Moore.’
Kristy blushed.
‘I was just explaining how I saw your quadrille team on the local news last night and I was very impressed. I wondered if you’d consider putting together a routine for the school’s centenary celebration next month?’
Kristy bit her lip. ‘Well, it’s not really -’
‘It’s invite only and you won’t be the only students on the bill, if that’s what you’re worried about. The school choir is singing a couple of numbers, Mrs Brown’s gymnastic’s squad is taking part, and the drama club is re-enacting a day in the life of the school a hundred years ago.’
‘It’s not that. The thing is, it’s not my team. Norah’s in charge.’
‘Norah Bergman in 9C?’
Kristy nodded. ‘It’s just she gets a bit -’ she fished around for the right word. ‘A bit sensitive when people assume I’m the leader, just because of Cassius. He’s my horse,’ she added.
Miss Raven steepled her fingers. ‘I see. So it would be more…diplomatic, shall we say… if I asked Norah and not you?’
Kristy bobbed her head vigorously. ‘Yes, Miss Raven. It absolutely would.’
When William passed her a note in chemistry and Kristy saw two words in Norah’s hastily-scribbled writing - Library lunchtime! - she knew Miss Raven had been as good as her word.
The bell for lunch was still ringing in her ears as she pushed open the door of the library. Norah was already sitting at their usual table, fidgeting in her chair like a cat on hot bricks.
Kristy slid into the seat next to her. ‘What’s up?’
‘Amazing news!’ Norah whispered.
Kristy nudged her. ‘Spill the beans, then.’
‘I can’t tell you until the others are here.’ Norah drummed her fingers on the table. ‘Where are they?’
William arrived next, followed by Sofia, who was looking around her distractedly.
‘You haven’t seen my PE kit, have you?’ she said.
‘Er, why would we?’ said William.
‘You’re hopeless,’ said Kristy. ‘Where did you last see it?’
‘Never mind that now,’ Norah hissed. ‘I’ve got something to tell you. Miss Raven came to find me after geography. You’ll never guess what she wanted.’
‘To make you head girl because you’re easily the bossiest girl in the school?’ said William.
Norah shook her head impatiently. ‘You’re being ridiculous. She only wants us to perform a quadrille in the school’s centenary celebration!’ She beamed at them all.
Kristy acted surprised. ‘You’re kidding?’
‘No, I’m not. She saw us on the telly and thought we were brilliant.’
‘That’s awesome!’ cried Sofia, her lost PE bag forgotten.
‘Fantastic!’ said Kristy, sending silent thanks to Miss Raven.
‘Is that it?’ said William, pushing back his chair. ‘I’m outta here. Time and tide and football wait for no man, you know.’
Norah glowered at his retreating back. ‘Sometimes I don’t think he’s on the same planet as us.’
‘Mars,’ said Kristy wisely.
‘What?’
‘You know the saying. Men are from Mars and women are from Venus. Different planets, like you said.’
‘Right,’ said Norah, but Kristy could tell she wasn’t listening. ‘Who cares what he thinks anyway. I’ve been planning some new moves we can incorporate in the routine. Half-passes and maybe even some flying changes. What d’you reckon?’
‘Maybe we shouldn’t be too ambitious. Better to perform a faultless simple routine than mess up a complicated one,’ said Sofia.
But Norah had the faraway look in her eye Kristy recognised only too well, and she knew it was only a matter of time before she handed them all colour co-ordinated folders containing diagrams so complicated they made IKEA flatpack instructions look like child’s play.
It’s funny, Kristy mused, as she led Cassius into the yard. He hadn’t escaped from his paddock once since the day Ruth had filmed them. She tied him up outside his stable, slipping the end of his lead rope through the loop in the quick release knot just in case he decided to practice his newfound escape artist skills while she fetched his grooming kit.
She’d raced through evening stables so she would have time for a quick schooling session before she went home. Norah’s hankering to include half-passes and flying changes in their routine had made her heart sink. Although Cassius was far more supple than he’d ever been, they hadn’t tried any lateral work.
‘How can I give you the correct aids when I don’t even know what a half-pass is supposed to look like?’ she said, leading him over to the mounting block. As they rode into the indoor school one of the strip lights flickered and died.
Remembering Sofia’s comment Kristy decided to stick to simple circles and serpentines and soon she was totally absorbed, making sure Cassius was balanced and working in an outline. She didn’t notice Emma slip into the school until she eased the Percheron into a walk and let the reins slip through her fingers so he could stretch his neck.
‘He’s looking great,’ the older woman said approvingly. ‘You work well together.’
Kristy glowed with pleasure. Emma didn’t hand out compliments often and when she did Kristy savoured them.
She ran a hand down Cassius’s neck and jumped off. They meandered back to the yard.
‘Emma, what is lateral work?’
‘It’s when you ask a horse to move forwards and sideways at the same time.’
‘So what’s the difference between a leg yield, a half-pass and a shoulder-in?’
Emma made a show of glancing at her watch. ‘How long have you got?’
Kristy’s shoulders slumped. ‘It’s complicated, then.’
Emma smiled. ‘It’s not something I can explain in five minutes, no.’ She thought for a minute. ‘Are you doing anything Sunday morning?’
Sunday was Kristy’s one day off at Mill Farm Stables.
‘I was going to hack out with the others, that’s all. We’re meeting at ten.’
‘Tell you what, if you’re here at nine come and find me. It’s easier to explain if I show you.’
4
Blue Lights
When Kristy pedalled into the yard at ten to nine on Sunday morning Emma was tacking up her big skewbald gelding, Jigsaw.
‘We used to do quite a bit of dressage, back in the day,’ said Emma, lengthening her stirrup leathers. ‘We’re a bit rusty, but we should be able to manage a bit of lateral work, shouldn’t we, my old friend?’ She gave the skewbald a brisk pat.
As she followed Emma and Jigsaw into the school, Kristy remembered the flickering strip light.
‘I forgot to tell you yesterday. One of the bulbs has blown,’ she said, pointing to the offending light.
‘I know. One of the liveries mentioned it, too. It’s top of my to do list.’
Kristy stood in the middle of the school, her hands deep in her pockets, and watched Emma circle the gelding at a walk and trot.
‘So, as I explained the other day, lateral work is when you ask the horse to move at an angle,’ said Emma, bringing Jigsaw back to a walk. Their transitions were as smooth as silk.
‘When it’s done properly, lateral work develops the horse’s muscles and balance and improves his suppleness. Think of it as equine gymnastics,’ Emma continued, changing diagonal and riding Jigsaw on the left rein.
She turned off the track just before C, along the three quarter line. ‘This is a leg yield. See, Jigsaw’s head is flexed slightly away from the direction of travel and his body is straight. See how his inside leg crosses over in front of his outside leg as he makes his way to the rails?’
Kristy was mesmerised. ‘How do you get him to do that?’
‘My left leg is behind the girth asking him to move sideways towards the edge of the school and my left rein is asking for a small amount of flexion. I’m using my right rein to control his shoulders and my right leg is on the girth to maintain forward momentum and to stop him falling out. Good lad!’ she said breathlessly as they reached the end of the school.
She changed rein again and talked Kristy through a leg yield on the right leg before bringing Jigsaw back to a walk.
‘I think I get it,’ said Kristy. ‘So what’s a half-pass?’
‘That’s more difficult to master. In half-pass, the horse’s body is bent towards the direction of travel. But you really need to master the shoulder-in first.’
Kristy’s brain felt as scrambled as the eggs she’d had on her toast for breakfast. ‘And a shoulder-in?’ she said faintly.
Emma chuckled. ‘It’s a lot to take in, isn’t it? For a shoulder in the horse should be bent around a rider’s inside leg so the horse’s inside hind leg and outside foreleg travel on the same line. Why do you want to know all this, anyway?’
Kristy told her about Norah’s plans for their school’s centenary celebration.
‘I’d love to learn all this, I really would. But the centenary’s only a few weeks away. There’s no way we’ll nail it by then,’ said Kristy.
‘I’m inclined to agree. I admire Norah for being so ambitious but she needs to be realistic. Leave it with me. I’ll have a word with her.’
Their Sunday morning hack was the highlight of Kristy’s week. Weekdays were hectic as she squeezed school, homework and her job at the stables into days that just weren’t long enough. She worked at Mill Farm from nine to three every Saturday and if she didn’t go straight home her mum started muttering about her spending more time with the horses than she did with them.