by Paula Boer
She splashed him back. That set Ben off. Water flew as the two friends tried to out-do each other with how much water they could throw from their cupped hands. Within moments, humans and horses dripped from their antics. Ned pawed at the water, throwing up freezing cold fountains. Snip created almost as much mayhem as he spun and stomped up to his knees.
Ben stopped splashing Louise and held up his hands in defeat. “Enough! I give in!” He dragged his horse to the bank and flopped onto a rock.
Louise wrung out her pony tail as she laughed at Ben. “That cooled us all down.”
Ben stood and remounted Snip. “Yeh. Let’s leave this note for Harry then have a snack at Kingfisher Lake. I promise not to try and drown you there!”
Setting a steadier pace, Ben trotted along the creek and made his way up to the message tree. Its gaunt branches pierced the sky with pale grey fingers, the eagle’s nest of tangled twigs abandoned at the top. Jumping off Snip, Ben placed his note for Harry and a small parcel from Louise under the agreed rock, while she set out the branches nearby that signalled a message to be collected.
When Louise rejoined him, he dusted his hands off on his jeans before remounting. “I hope Harry comes soon. The vet comes again on Monday and this time Dad wants to be there.”
He didn’t want to add the other thing that had been troubling him—that there was no sign of any wild horses in the park—not only the grey stallion’s herd seemed to be missing.
Chapter 11
The morning ride filled Louise with joy. Being out in the mountains in the summer, with no-one but Ben and the horses, was pure pleasure. She only wished that the brumbies roamed free. The flower-covered meadows in the valleys didn’t seem the same without the wild horses.
She wanted to tell Harry about the brumbies being trapped by Mr Smythe-Waters, but hadn’t yet said anything to Ben. Pleased that she had found the miniature pottery wombat in the gift shop in Crowhurst, she wished she had hidden a note inside the present. Ben didn’t seem to think anything could be done about the horses, but she was determined to try anything she could. Knowing the ranger was busy with the levy bank, Louise hadn’t contacted him yet, but she knew she couldn’t leave the situation much longer. At any time, Mr Smythe-Waters could send the brumbies to the slaughterhouse; maybe he already had.
As usual, the ride home passed more quickly than on the way out. Louise and Ben had another gallop across the open plains, but this time Snip stayed back with Ned. After washing the horses down and giving them a feed, Ben and Louise rode them bareback to the paddock.
Ben had arranged for John to collect him from home so they could continue working at the old homestead. “Mum and Mrs Smythe-Waters have already established a canteen, so I’ll have lunch there. Sorry we can’t ride together this afternoon.”
Louise straddled her bike, holding it upright with one foot on the ground. “I want to get to Patti’s anyway. Call me later if you’re free tomorrow.”
Leaving Ben at Tumbleford Farm, Louise started the long cycle to Goldriver. The journey didn’t worry her as she was extremely fit and the time passed quickly as she thought about all she wanted to achieve that afternoon.
Patti sat in the kitchen eating her lunch when Louise arrived. She knocked on the open door and popped her head in. “What would you like me to do today?”
“Louise, have you had lunch yet? I’ve plenty here.” Patti retrieved another glass from the cupboard and poured lemonade over ice without waiting for Louise’s answer.
Louise joined Patti at the table. “I’ve brought sandwiches and stuff. I want to work Honey and Lady today so I’d better not hang around.”
Forking a slice of quiche to her mouth, Patti waved her food in the air. “There’s no rush. I’ve worked all the horses I need to today, so we can concentrate on you. You worked really hard for me the other day and only had a short lesson.”
Clipping closed her lunch box, Louise ate quickly. “I need to be home before five o’clock because my aunt and uncle are coming for the weekend. We don’t see them very often.”
“Do you have cousins?” Patti carried her dirty plate across to the sink and stacked it in the dishwasher after rinsing off the crumbs.
“Not from this side of the family. My cousins are on Dad’s side. This is Mum’s sister.” After tidying up her place at the table, Louise slung her pack over her shoulder. “I’ll get both mares in, shall I?”
Leading Honey and Lady in from the paddock, Louise had the same problem with the chestnut mare snapping every time the brumby came too close. Despite walking between them, Louise couldn’t stop the part-Arabian’s bad manners.
Patti met her at the stable block and took Honey’s lead rope. “I’ll put Honey away while you tack up Lady. I think we need to deal with this attitude of hers.”
For the next hour, Patti had Louise work Lady in the arena, constantly changing the exercises; trotting figures of eight, transitions from walk to canter, and extending over trotting poles. Louise didn’t think she had ever ridden so hard. Her legs ached as she breathlessly spun Lady around another barrel and changed direction.
“That’s much better. Walk her on a loose rein while I go and get Honey.”
Patti returned with the buckskin and handed the lead rope up to Lady along with a short crop. “Go wide and keep Honey on the inside of the arena. If Lady puts her ears back or tries to bite, smack her on the shoulder.”
Louise rode to the outside track with Honey trailing behind. She tugged the mare closer to her knee, causing Lady to swing her rump and threaten the other horse with a swish of her tail and a lifted leg. Shortening her reins, Louise transferred them to her left hand and gave Lady a tap on the shoulder.
“No, no, no! It must be straight away. Don’t tickle her; you’re trying to tell her off. Instantly! Make her walk on again.” Patti stood in the centre of the arena and continued to shout instructions.
Numb from tiredness, Louise tried to do as asked, but nothing seemed to work. Finally her anger boiled over. She booted Lady in the ribs and whacked her hard on the neck. “Leave Honey alone.”
Lady baulked and threw up her head, dancing sideways along the wall. Louise reined her in, jabbing her in the mouth.
“Whoa! Don’t lose your cool. You’ll only make things worse. You need to find the middle ground, firm but kind.” Indicating for Louise to stop, the instructor walked over to where Louise sat with the two horses.
Louise quivered, her face flushed and hands shaking. This was too hard! Biting her bottom lip, she stroked Lady’s neck. “I’m sorry; I just don’t know how to do it right.”
“Here. Let me give it a go. Hang on to Honey for a minute.” After fastening her helmet, Patti mounted Lady. After crossing the stirrups over the mare’s neck rather than bothering to adjust them, she pushed the mare through her paces, collecting her up and making her perform on the bit.
Returning to Louise, Patti held out her hand. “Give me Honey. Let’s see how we go.”
As soon as Honey approached, Lady went to snap at her, but Patti reprimanded her straight away and set her off at a trot. “I’ll give her something else to think about.”
Louise watched as Patti had both mares trotting over poles and round the barrels. Honey matched Lady stride for stride, both behaving perfectly. Trying to see exactly what Patti did, Louise started to understand where she had been going wrong.
“Now you try again.” Patti leapt off and held the horses while Louise remounted.
This time, when Lady tried to have a go at Honey, Louise was quick to tell her ‘no’ and make her do something else. Although the horses weren’t quite as coordinated as when Patti had ridden, Lady didn’t try to misbehave again.
“Well done, Louise, that’s terrific. Let’s call it a day with Lady.” Patti went and held Honey, giving Louise a chance to relax.
“I think I need a drink of water
before we do any more.” Suddenly realising how tired she had become, Louise dragged her feet as she led Lady to the wash bay, but the effort had been worth it.
After a break, Patti suggested they take Honey outside to the round yard. The brumby had barely warmed up with her efforts in the arena. “Don’t tack her up. I’ve everything we need there.”
Louise led her horse outside, wondering what she was about to learn. Adjusting the cavesson as Patti had shown her, she trotted Honey on the lunge in both directions for a few minutes. Bringing Honey back to a walk, Louise brought her in to the centre of the round yard.
“Up you get.” Patti held out her hands to give Louise a leg up. After buckling an old stirrup leather around Honey’s neck, Patti unclipped the lunge rein from the noseband.
Louise went rigid. “What are you doing? Aren’t you going to lunge me?”
Patti shook her head. “You gave her all the instructions last time. It’s no different. Off you go, get her walking around the outside.”
To start with, Honey dawdled around with no sense of direction. Louise kept one hand on the neck strap as she tried to keep the buckskin to the edge of the yard. “It’s not working.”
Folding her arms in front of her, Patti shook her head. “I’m not helping you. You managed fine when you thought I was controlling her in the arena. Push her on, she’s being lazy. You’ve got to mean what you tell her.”
Louise gritted her teeth and sat deeper. Riding without a saddle and bridle felt so weird and scary! But she supposed it wouldn’t matter if she fell off in here. Driving Honey on with her legs, she asked her to walk faster. Once the mare had a swinging stride, Louise found it easier to move her sideways and get her to walk where she wanted to.
“That’s better. Now change direction.” Patti moved out of the way so as not to obstruct Louise as she rode across the centre.
Honey worked out what was required and cut the corner before heading off in the opposite direction. Louise grinned at her success. “I did it.”
“No you didn’t. She did. What I saw was you suggesting a change of rein and Honey taking control. Try again, but this time tell her exactly where you want her to go every stride.”
Louise’s control of Honey improved and she managed to do three full laps of the yard and turn her across the centre at will.
Patti left the round yard and leant on the gate. “Now try it at trot.”
As Honey broke in to a trot, Louise held on to the neck strap. Looking down, she saw the ground blurring past and started to tense. As she stiffened up, she started to bounce, and Honey veered from side to side.
“Relax! Relax!” Patti shouted encouragement from where she watched.
Despite knowing what she should do, Louise panicked. Grasping the neck strap tightly, she felt herself slip to one side. As Honey passed Patti, she shied, depositing Louise in an untidy heap on the ground.
Unhurt, Louise leaped to her feet and waved Honey to a halt. She turned towards Patti with a shrug of her shoulders.
“Never mind. Use the mounting block and get back on. Remember, you must stay soft. It’s no different to when she’s on the lunge. It’s all in your mind. A saddle and bridle won’t hold you on.”
Patti worked Louise and Honey in the round yard for another half hour. By the time they finished, Louise could change direction at will, but still needed to hold on to the neck strap. “Perhaps you’ll find it easier to let go of your hands at canter. We’ll try that tomorrow.”
By the time Louise had helped Patti with the afternoon chores and cycled home, it was well after five o’clock. Seeing the silver sports car in the driveway, Louise realised her aunt and uncle had already arrived. She knew her mother would be cross.
Putting her bike away in the garage, she went through the back door to clean up in the bathroom.
Her mother’s voice called out from the living room, a false cheeriness detectable in her tone, “Is that you, Louise? Come and say hello.”
After hugging the visitors, Louise gave her mother a kiss. “Sorry I’m late, Mum. But Patti—”
“I don’t want to hear your excuses. Never mind, you’re here now, and you can stay home tomorrow too.” Turning away to resume her conversation, Mrs Hardy ignored Louise’s protests.
Stomping from the room, Louise crossed to her bedroom to change. That wasn’t fair, making her stay home a whole day just because she was a little bit late. She had promised to help Patti with the jumps tomorrow while she schooled the horses.
Taking a deep breath to calm herself down, Louise re-entered the lounge and sat next to her father. “You should have seen me on Lady today. We did barrel racing, and I rode Honey without a saddle or bridle.”
Mr Naylor put his arm around Louise and gave her a hug. “I guess from your grin that’s a good thing. How does that work?”
Louise chattered on and told her father about her day, except about falling off. “I really need to work more with Honey tomorrow, Dad. Can I, please?”
Mr Hardy shook his head. “No, love. We want you to stay here. It’s not often Jan and Ian come to see us. It won’t hurt you to have a day off from the horses.”
“But you don’t understand, Dad. I need to keep working Honey or she might forget her lessons.” Louise’s fight went out of her as she saw her father’s face. It was no good; she wouldn’t be allowed to go to Gold River Run tomorrow. “Can I call Patti and tell her, then?”
“Of course. You can go Monday. It’s only one day off.” Mr Hardy stood and walked to the cabinet to offer his guests another drink.
Louise went through to the kitchen to make her call. Before she could dial, the phone rang. “Hello, Louise speaking.”
“Louise! Bad news!” Ben’s voice sounded unusually high.
“What’s happened? Not Brandy?” Louise imagined Brandy hurting himself again in the stable, slipping on the cobbles, or trying to scramble out over the door.
Ben answered in a rush, “It’s Dad.”
“He’s not saying Brandy must be gelded is he? Or put down?” Louise knew that Ben had big plans for the brumby stallion, even if he didn’t talk about it much. He had seemed certain he’d be able to get him well.
“No, no. Dad’s had an accident and is in hospital. The bulldozer slid down a bank and rolled. The safety bar stopped it killing him but he’s really badly hurt. Mum’s with him at the moment. They’re going to have to operate.” Ben sounded more distraught than Louise had ever heard him.
“That’s awful!”
“Can you come over tomorrow and help out? I need to fix fences from the floods and move the stock back to their own paddocks. John and Uncle Graeme are still working on the levy bank and it’ll be easier with two of us.”
“I’m supposed to be grounded. Hang on, I’ll go and tell Mum and Dad what’s happened.” Taking the cordless phone with her, Louise ran in to see her parents.
Interrupting their conversation, Louise told them the news about Mr Naylor. “Ben needs me to help him tomorrow. I won’t go to Patti’s, I promise, but can I help Ben?”
Mr Hardy reached for the phone and spoke to Ben. “That’s terrible news, lad. Is there anything I can do to help?”
Louise followed her father out into the corridor as he found out more about the accident and what was going on at the levy bank. Hanging up, he turned to Louise. “It sounds like Graeme and John have everything under control with the earthworks, it’s moving the stock that’s the issue. You go and help Ben in the morning but make sure you’re back by lunchtime. Your mother is likely to ground you for a month if you’re late again.”
Chapter 12
Sunday morning produced another beautiful day, but Ben didn’t feel like whistling along with the birds. His mother had returned home late the previous night after waiting for his father to come round from surgery. The doctors had said that Mr Naylor would need to be
in traction for his broken leg for weeks at the hospital, but they were more concerned about possible damage to his spine.
Ben’s brother wound down the side window of Graeme’s four-wheel-drive. “We’re off then. We’ll go and see Dad after we’ve finished. Do you want us to pick you up?”
“I’ll cycle in once I’ve moved the stock. Has Mum already gone in?” Ben hadn’t seen his mother that morning, so he assumed she was already back at the hospital.
“She wanted to see Dad before she went out to the old homestead. She still insists on doing food for the volunteers.” John shrugged, waving as the car pulled away.
Ben loaded the fencing gear onto the back of Mr Naylor’s ute which John had driven home yesterday. Both boys had learnt to drive around the farm as soon as their legs had been long enough to reach the pedals.
Louise cycled into the yard just as Graeme and John drove through the gate. She waved at them as she rushed over to Ben. “How’s your Dad? Is there any more news?”
After sharing the doctors’ diagnosis with Louise, Ben told her what they needed to do. “When we’ve made the fence stock proof, we can move the cattle and sheep back to the paddocks where they were before the floods. We need to bring the geldings back here, too, so they’re not so far away. There’s not a lot of feed in that bush paddock anyway.”
Louise slung her pack onto the back of the ute. “Where’s Snifter?”
“He’s still chained up. I’d better get him.” Ben strode across to the kennels and released his blue heeler who bounded out to greet Louise. Ben had never known his dog to like anyone other than him before; he supposed he spent so much time with Louise that the dog had come to know her well.
Louise ruffled Snifter’s ears before climbing into the front of the ute. “Where are we going first? I’ve only got until twelve o’clock.”