Pony Jumpers 5- Five Stride Line

by Kate Lattey

  “Must be nice, being a dog,” I told him, reaching down to pat his large head. He flopped his ears at me placidly, his eyes half-closed. “Sleep well, buddy.”

  And I walked back down the hall to my room, where I flopped onto my bed and stared at the ceiling, wondering what I was going to do next.

  Christmas Day dawned bright and sunny, the way it always should be but rarely is. Lexi woke me by banging on my bedroom door, demanding that I get up so that we could all congregate in the living room and start opening presents. I told her I’d be up in a minute, then rolled over and picked up my phone.

  Katy was already awake.

  Merry Christmassssssss! Thanks for being my friend even when I “sulk” haha, don’t know what I’d do without you tho honestly. Srsly feels like weve been friends since birth!! Love you, have a great day and see you this arvonoon. Squibblet had a Christmas apple already xxx

  I smiled and rolled onto my stomach to text her back.

  Happy xmas day to you too! I know so weird to think we only met in august now its like where wld I be w/out u??? thanks for putting up w me and squiblet and for alllllll your help and grazing and gear and transport and like everything u and your mum do for me, I don’t know how I can ever repay u!!! love u girl xo

  “AJ! We’re waiting for you!” Lexi called impatiently.

  I hit Send, then rolled onto my side and sat up. “I’m coming, keep your hair on!” I yelled back down the hall.

  “No yelling at Christmas!” I heard Mum yell back, and I started laughing as I opened my door and padded pyjama-clad and barefoot down the hallway to my family.

  Anders agreed to drive me over to Katy’s before lunch, which was probably a ploy on Mum’s part to make sure I didn’t just stay there all afternoon playing with Squib. She liked the whole family to spend the entirety of Christmas Day stuck in each other’s company, trying to be nice as over-exposure to one another flared our tempers.

  “Half an hour,” she’d told me firmly. “I want you back here by half past twelve at the absolute latest.”

  “I’ll try,” I said, rummaging through the pile of shoes at the front door, trying to find my jandals.

  “You mean Yes Mum, of course Mum, anything you say Mum,” she corrected me.

  I extricated one jandal from the stack and slipped it on. “Yeah, that.”

  “Come on then,” Anders said impatiently, jingling his keys. “Get a move on, we don’t have all day.”

  “Yeah all right, give it a rest,” I muttered, fishing out the second orange jandal as something whizzed over my head. I heard Anders catch it and stood up straight as another apple came flying towards me. Ducking just in time, it hit the wall behind me and bounced into the pile of discarded footwear.

  “Sorry love! Those were for the pony,” Mum said over her shoulder as she went back into the kitchen. Anders tossed the apple in his hand into the air and caught it again, grinning at me.

  “It’s not Christmas if someone doesn’t get hit in the head,” he said as I retrieved the second, slightly smashed apple and followed Anders out of the front door.

  “If you eat that before Squib gets it,” I warned him, then had to stand on tiptoes to catch it as he tossed it over his shoulder at me. I was sorely tempted to lob it at the back of his head and fulfil his prediction, but managed, with some difficulty, to restrain myself.

  Katy burst out of her house as we drove up, grinning widely with her skinny arms outstretched.

  “Merry Christmas!” She gripped me in a vice-like hug, then released me just as abruptly. “Come inside and get your present. Hi Anders,” she added, slightly more shyly. “Having a good Christmas?”

  “Not bad,” he said, getting out of the car as Deb came out of the house to give me her own felicitations.

  Inside, Critter was running around with a tinsel bow around his neck and wearing a tiny Santa hat that kept falling off. Katy thrust a package into my hands, and I handed my gift over to her while Anders presented Deb with the gift basket that Mum had put together for her. Katy and I tore the wrapping paper off our presents as Deb insisted that we shouldn’t have given her anything, but I could tell she was pleased. I was just glad that Mum had thought of it, although judging by the familiar looking basket and some of its contents, I suspected she’d cobbled it together this morning from stuff already in our house, probably feeling guilty after our conversation last night.

  “Oh wow!” Katy was holding the belt I’d given her and looking at the brass name plate with Molly’s show name Westbrook Double Trouble engraved on it. “This is so cool!”

  I’d opened the flat package she’d thrust at me, finding two items in there. The first was a flat, oddly-shaped object made of padded brown leather, and Anders stared at it as I lifted it out of the paper.

  “What on earth is that?”

  “It’s a stud guard,” Katy told him, saving me from having to ask. “It slides over your girth to protect Squib’s belly from the studs when he tucks his forelegs up really tight.” She looked slightly anxiously at me. “I know you haven’t decided yet whether you want to keep on with shoes and studs, but I figured you’d want it for during the trial period, and you can always sell it or something if you change your mind and go back to barefoot.”

  I nodded, smiling at her. “It’s great. Thanks.” I’d been wondering how I was going to get around that particular obstacle, because I had been horrified by the price of stud girths online. I knew Katy had a couple, but she used them regularly and I wasn’t sure that either would’ve fit around Squib’s ample belly in any case. I set the stud guard down and looked at what was underneath it.

  “Oh wow!” I cried, echoing Katy’s earlier exclamation. It was a framed photo of me and Squib in the Derby at Taupo, jumping over the ramp that led out of the arena and onto the grass. Squib’s eyes were up and his ears were forward, his knees tight and level, looking textbook perfect as he gave the jump heaps of air. My lower leg was forward and secure, my back flat and arms stretching forward in an automatic release. How had I improved so much in just a few months? It seemed amazing, even though I knew how much work had gone into it. As I stared at the photo, my eye was drawn to Susannah’s saddle, looking perfect and at home on Squib’s back.

  Anders leaned over my shoulder. “Is that you?” he asked, sounding incredulous. “When did you do that?”

  “Last weekend, at Taupo,” I told my brother. “It’s amazing Katy, I love it! Who took it?”

  She rattled off the name of a professional photographer that I hadn’t even realised was at the show. “I was looking through the pics online and I was going to send you the links, but then I saw that one and I knew I had to get it for you, so I didn’t tell you because I wanted it to be a surprise. Do you like it?”

  “I love it.” I couldn’t stop staring at it. I could take this home and show my parents, so that they could see how good Squib really was. It was such a far cry from the day I’d first ridden my pony, when he’d been bolshy and green and kept trying to bolt off on me. Mum had been in two minds whether he was the right pony, but I’d fallen in love with him and Dad said I might as well have a pony I liked, so after much pleading, they’d agreed to buy him.

  And now look at him, I thought proudly. Looking at the photo, you couldn’t tell that it was taken right before disaster struck, when he slipped and fell at the next fence.

  “This is the best present ever,” I told my friend. “Thank you so much!”

  “Even stevens,” she said, picking the belt up again. “Because this is the bomb. I wonder if I can get more name plates added onto it? Lucas will be feeling left out, and did I tell you? I get to ride him next week!”

  We went out to see the ponies, leaving Anders to have a coffee with Deb, and I fed Squib his apples, which he drooled appreciatively across my hands.

  “So what else did you get for Christmas?” I asked my friend as she rubbed Puppet’s ears.

  “New tall boots from Mum,” she said, sounding pleased. “And Dad
hasn’t given me anything yet. He’s coming over later for dinner, which is going to be awkward as hell, but he insisted. And Mum’s actually okay with it, which is suspicious.”

  “Hm. What d’you reckon he’ll get you?”

  “Who knows?” Katy shrugged. “I’ve got my fingers crossed for a really nice Grand Prix show jumper, but I don’t want to get my hopes up.”

  I laughed. “Good luck with that.” Her father was a wealthy man, but he didn’t seem to approve of her pony obsession. Despite having bought Molly for her, he had shown little interest in horses and show jumping, and the chances of him buying her another horse were basically non-existent. “Besides, when would you have time to ride another one?”

  “If I had a Grand Prix horse, I’d make time,” she assured me, running her fingers through Puppet’s thin mane. “How about you? Parents get you anything useful?”

  I shrugged, trying to hide my disappointment. “Yeah, a voucher from the tack shop,” I said. “Which was real nice of them, although I’m not sure how far a hundred bucks is really going to go. But it’s better than something I don’t want, so I’m not complaining.”

  Katy looked slightly taken aback. “Man, you got gypped. A hundred bucks?” She rubbed Puppet’s tiny white star, looking thoughtful. “Although I suppose there are five of you, so… well, that’s one upside to being an only child.”

  “Yeah, I guess it would be.” We both turned as we heard Anders calling for me, and I looked at the time. “Oh crap, it’s half past already. Mum’s going to kill us!”

  “How un-Christmassy of her,” Katy said drily, and I laughed, flinging my arms around her for one last Christmas hug.

  “Thanks again for the presents, I love them. And Merry Christmas!”

  * * *

  Three days later, I was mooching around the house when I received an unexpected phone call. Well, technically our house phone received the call, but when I grabbed it on my way down the hall, I was surprised to hear Harry’s voice on the other end of the line.

  “AJ! Just the person I wanted to talk to.”

  “Can’t say the same about you,” I quipped in response, unable to stop myself, even though the opposite was true. My hands were getting sweaty and my heart was pounding in my ears.

  “I’m crushed,” Harry replied cheerfully, sounding anything but. “How was your Christmas?”

  Resigning myself to a conversation, I leaned back against the wall and looked at the framed photo of Squib that I’d insisted on hanging in the entrance hall, so that everyone who came into the house could see just how awesome he was. My parents had been impressed, although they hadn’t been swayed on the great saddle debate. Yet.

  “Pretty good. Yours?”

  “Tedious. Good food though.”

  “Sounds familiar. At least the weather was nice.”

  “Spectacular,” he agreed. “A lot better than today.”

  I looked out of the window at the grey sky and drizzling rain. “I know. So much for summer, huh?”

  “It’ll come out stunning when we go back to school in a month,” Harry assured me. “Perfect timing, of course. What’re you up to today?”

  “Not much. Squib’s having a few days off, because Katy’s gone away with her dad for a long weekend,” I explained. “So the ponies are having a holiday, and I get to spend quality time with family.”

  “Poor you. I’ve had just about as much family as I can stomach,” Harry commiserated. “My sisters are driving me crazy.”

  “I forgot you had sisters,” I admitted.

  “I wish I could,” he replied. “Well if you’re not doing anything else, you should come to Salty Rock with us this afternoon.”

  I paused. “The indoor rock climbing place?”

  “Yeah, in Napier. Get you out of the house, you know.” His tone was casual, but I thought I could hear a nervous edge to his voice. But that couldn’t be right. I wasn’t sure that Harry ever got nervous, and he certainly didn’t seem to be the type to feel anxiety over asking a girl out. If that was what he was even doing…

  “We?” I queried.

  “Yeah, I’ve got some mates with me,” he said, sounding calm again. “I actually rang to see if the Cap wanted to come, but you’re more than welcome to tag along.”

  So much for being asked out. “Oh, right. Thanks, but I wouldn’t want to cramp your style,” I said quickly. “I’ll go find Anders, one sec.” But he spoke again before I could put the phone down and search out my brother.

  “No, wait. I really do want you to come,” he insisted, sounding sincere. “I’m glad you picked up the phone, actually, because it was going to be awkward to ask Anders to invite you. This way you can invite him.”

  “To hang out with his mates?” I asked. “I’m not sure how that one will play.”

  “AJ, you’re making this unnecessarily complicated,” Harry said, as though I was nitpicking rather than pointing out completely valid flaws in his plan. “Do you want to come rock climbing or not?”

  I hesitated for a moment, just to keep him in suspense. “Sure, why not,” I eventually agreed.

  “Don’t sound too enthusiastic,” he warned me. “You might give me the wrong impression.”

  “You’ve been giving yourself the wrong impression for weeks now,” I told him. “But your delusion seems to know no bounds.”

  “You say delusion, I say devotion,” he quipped.

  “You really do have an answer for everything, don’t you?” I asked, somewhat impressed.

  “It’s one of my most endearing qualities.”

  “Uh huh.” I was momentarily distracted by Anders walking down the hall, fresh out of bed in boxer shorts and a faded t-shirt. “Hey bro, you want to go rock climbing with Harry today?”

  Anders blinked at me a couple of times, then shrugged. “Yeah, alright. After breakfast.”

  “It’s almost midday.”

  “After lunch, then,” he amended as he walked into the kitchen.

  “We’ll be there,” I told Harry down the phone. “But only because I’ve been wanting to try that climbing wall out for ages.”

  “You keep telling yourself that,” he replied easily. “We both know you’ve got an ulterior motive.”

  “You’re the one trying to suck up to my brother,” I said.

  “Your brother is not the person I’m interested in,” Harry replied, any trace of nerves absent from his voice now, making me even more convinced that I’d imagined it in the first place. “So it’s a date. A date that you’re bringing your brother to, but I’ll take what I can get. Meet you there in an hour.”

  He hung up before I could say anything else, and I shook my head and returned the phone to its cradle, then went to hurry Anders along with his breakfast, not quite able to contain my smile. After the frustrations and indecisions of the past couple of weeks, this was going to be something to look forward to.

  THE END

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  I hope you enjoyed this latest instalment in the Pony Jumpers series.

  Please note: Everyone in the equestrian field has different methods and techniques. What works for one horse may not work for others. The opinions expressed in this book regarding the use of shoes and studs are my own, but they are not necessarily applicable to everyone. I have done a lot of research into barefoot trimming and shoeing, and Squib’s story is taken from personal experience with my own horse. However I would never presume to know what is better for someone else and their horse. If you disagree with the opinions expressed herein, know that I fully respect your right to do so, and support your right to have come to different conclusions. There is no wrong way to do something with your horse, as long as it works for your particular horse. The goal is, always, to have a happy, confident horse.

  Check out videos of the Pony Derby at the Taupo Christmas Classic on YouTube – it’s always a long, challenging course and a whole lot of fun!

  Cover image from Shutterstock.

  PONY JUMPERS

&
nbsp; Follow AJ, Katy, Susannah and Tess

  as they negotiate the ups and downs of

  life, love and show jumping.

  #1 First Fence

  #2 Double Clear

  #3 Triple Bar

  #4 Four Faults

  #5 Five Stride Line

  Coming Soon:

  #6 Six to Ride

  Reader reviews:

  “Kate Lattey’s ability to write from the different views of her characters is phenomenal.” – Reader review on Amazon.com

  “One of the things I love about this author’s writing is that all of the characters are very much individuals. Each new narrator allows the reader to experience this world from a unique perspective. Lattey definitely takes a very realistic angle on the horses, they are not brilliant winners every time and have their issues, but that is all part of working with horses and something these girl narrators are all learning in their own ways!” – Reader review on Amazon.com

  Keep reading for a sneak preview of the next book in the series, SIX TO RIDE.

  Preview of Pony Jumpers #6

  SIX TO RIDE

  * * *

  CHAPTER ONE

  The road stretched out ahead of us, glimmering slightly in the heat as we drove further north. I knew from looking at my phone this morning that it was overcast and drizzling back home, and had sent Mum a text to make sure she put the appropriate rugs on all the ponies. I didn’t like being away from them, but Dad had insisted on this father-daughter road trip, as he was calling it, and for reasons known only to himself and my mum, they’d joined forces to make me go along with it.

  I half-closed my eyes behind my sunglasses, wondering why he was bothering. I hadn’t seen much of my Dad since I was seven years old, until he’d reappeared a couple of months ago and decided he could just waltz back into my life. I had to admit that there were upsides to this. For one, he was loaded from his years of working in Australia - and from shirking on his child support payments – which meant he could afford to buy things that Mum had been telling me for years were too expensive. An iPhone, for one, which was now one of my most prized possessions. And Molly, for the other, who was infinitely more valuable than any piece of technology. He’d saved the day on that one, for sure, buying my superstar lease pony from her owners so I wouldn’t lose the ride. So I had to appreciate him for that, and I did.