Read Abandoned for Free Online Page A

It’s going to be the most perfect summer
ever.
     

 

     
    The girls tied the horses to
rings in the wall outside the new barn and Lauren followed
Kjerstina and Charity inside. They walked past four roomy stalls,
two on each side of the barn aisle. There were two rooms on the
end.
    “That’s where we keep the grain and
supplements,” Kjerstina said motioning toward the door to the left.
She opened the door to the right and walked into a tack room. It
still smelled of new wood. Four saddles stood on saddle racks
against the far wall and bridles hung on hooks shaped like
horseshoes.
    “The western saddle is yours to use for
now,” said Charity. “We got it from the people that used to own
Trooper, so it fits him perfectly. My saddle is this dark brown
one. It’s a jumping saddle and Kjerstina’s is the black dressage
saddle. The black jumping saddle is for Trooper too, but Mom
thought it would be better if you learned to ride with the western
saddle. It’s harder to fall off with it.”
    “What’s dressage?” asked Lauren, running
her hand over Kjerstina’s sleek black saddle.
    “It’s a sport where the horse and rider
communicate with each other so well that they can do lots of hard
things, like trot sideways and canter in one spot, and stuff like
that,” said Kjerstina. “I’ll show you a video when we go back to
the house, if you want. I can’t do it very well yet, but it’s
amazing what the real professionals can do. Their horses are so
graceful they look like swans floating on air. I’m trying to get
good enough to enter the beginner classes in the fair this year. My
riding instructor says that I’m a quick learner and Coyote seems to
be catching on fast, so there’s a chance.”
    “When’s the fair? Maybe I’ll still be
here then,” said Lauren. “I’d love to cheer you on.”
    “You might be here. It’s in August,”
said Charity, then she added, “Hey, you should think of entering
Trooper in some of the classes. He’s a great jumper. I’m going to
be entering Orion too.”
    “That would be fun,” said Lauren. Her
heart raced as she thought of Trooper flying through the air over
jump after jump with her on his back. “But I’ve never ridden
before,” she added. “What if I can’t do it?”
    “You can take lessons with us,”
suggested Charity. “Our instructor will let you know if you’re
ready in time. They have lots of beginner classes at the fair.”
    “Awesome!” said Lauren. She pulled the
western saddle and blanket from the saddle rack and lugged them
outside to the horses. Charity grabbed Trooper’s bridle from the
hook.
    First, Charity and Kjerstina showed
Lauren how to groom Trooper and then how to tack him up. Then they
took the saddle and bridle off again and Lauren saddled Trooper by
herself as they gave her pointers. Charity showed her how to pick
up Trooper’s feet and clean his hooves, and Kjerstina showed her
how Trooper especially liked his forehead scratched. She laughed as
she rumpled his forelock.
    “He looks like a punk rocker now,”
Kjerstina said, when Trooper’s forelock was sticking out all over
the place. Then she smoothed his hair down again and tucked it
under the brow band of his bridle.
    “Okay,” said Charity as she gave Trooper
a final pat on the shoulder. “We’ll saddle Orion and Coyote in a
minute. First, I’ll show you what to do when you’re riding him and
then you can ride around a bit while we’re getting our horses
ready.”
    Charity took Trooper’s reins in one hand
and stood in the left stirrup, then she swung her leg over his
back. Trooper stood still as she settled into the saddle. Charity
shifted her weight and pulled gently back on the reins.
    “Back,” she said to the gelding and
Trooper stepped back from the barn. She laid the reins against the
right side of his neck and Trooper turned to the left, away from
the pressure of the reins.
    As Charity rode the buckskin around the
field, she explained to Lauren what