Hide & Seek - Alyssa Brugman [36]
The two boys spilled into the car. Blake was wrig-gling with excitement. 'First we hit the ball with our feet, and guess what we did after that, Mum?'
'What?'
'No, you have to guess!'
'Umm . . . Did cartwheels?'
'No, guess again.'
'Had a lamb roast?'
'No, silly! We hit the ball with our heads!'
'Did it hurt?' she asked.
Blake shook his head. 'Nuh-uh.' He licked his lips, which were chapped and red, so it looked as if he had pink lipstick on. 'A little bit, but it was fun anyway. What's for dinner?'
'Rissoles,' his mum answered.
'Again?' Shelby complained.
'Your brothers like them.'
'Yeah, we love 'em, so tough,' Connor said.
The two boys began an earnest discussion about the merits of gravy over tomato sauce as an accompaniment to a variety of meat dishes. Shelby tuned out.
After a few minutes her mother said to Shelby, 'That was interesting what Zeb's son said about strays, though, don't you think? He could have meant Diablo.'
Shelby was glad that her mother had been listening after all. 'Then wouldn't he have said "stray horses"? No, I bet he stole Diablo. I bet he doesn't want me there because he's doing illegal stuff and he knows I'm onto him.'
They drove on in silence.
'Well, that's that then.'
Shelby looked out the window, still fuming just thinking about it.
Behind her the boys had moved on to a critique of the various barbecue sauce brands available.
'Big Ricks is awesome,' conceded Blake, 'but I think I prefer the one in the yellow bottle with the honey.'
'Taste-wise yes, but in a sandwich it's too runny,' Connor added.
Blake stroked his chin. 'Ah, yes. Good point.'
Her mother sighed. 'I really want to know what happened to Diablo now. It will always bug me.'
23 Boundless Plains
'Sit back. Push into your seat, now ask for canter. No! You're leaning forward! You shifted your balance. See how you made her trot really fast? Do it again. Sit down. Now, just think canter. That's it!'
Shelby pulled her shoulders back and lifted her chin, enjoying Penelope's rocking-horse canter. It was so much nicer than Blue's, but they were both getting tired. They had been doing trot/canter transitions all morning. Still, it felt good. She was improving.
'OK, trot at B,' Miss Anita said, indicating the letter at the edge of the dressage arena. 'Sit trot. No rising. That's good! You didn't lose her head that time. Canter again at E.'
Shelby gathered her reins, sat down hard and thought, 'Canter!' Penelope sprang forward right on the mark.
'Perfecto!' Miss Anita said. 'That will do for today. Good work, Shelby.'
Shelby slowed Penelope down and walked around the arena on a loose rein.
'Thanks, Miss Anita, I enjoyed that,' Shelby said, as she jumped down. She brushed her hair away from her face, thinking of the question she had been forming in her mind since the night before. 'I was just wondering, would you ever use a hard bit?'
Miss Anita stroked Penelope's neck. 'Not on the flat. You want to drive them forward into the bit, not hold them in at the front. For cross country or jumping I would. You need to be able to shorten the horse's stride in an instant. You can haul on their mouth, and eventually get a response – maybe too late – or you can use a strong bit and stop right now. It's about safety.'
'So you think there is a place for it?' Shelby asked.
Miss Anita nodded. 'Spurs, whips, bits – they all have a place. I don't think you should use a harder bit yet. You will get to a certain level and you'll need more advanced aids. It's like any tool – in the hands of an expert you can get things done more quickly and safely, but an amateur will do damage. You're not ready yet.'
They walked out of the arena together.
'What about shoes?' Shelby asked.
Miss Anita smiled at her young protégée. 'In an ideal situation you would keep horses barefoot, in a herd and travelling over varied terrain twenty-four hours a day. It stimulates the blood flow,