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with the wall when not in use. “I rounded the corners, too,” he said, “so that if a horse bumps into one, it won’t get scratched.”
    Emily examined the shelves with pleasure. “Gosh, we should have you come to Free Rein!” she said. “These are fancy!”
    “Wait until you see the rest of our handiwork,” Colonel Devine said. He saddled up a big Appaloosa gelding for himself, and before long they were all ready to ride.
    “Here we go,” Colonel Devine said, leading the way at a swinging walk. He rode behind the barn and followed the paddock fence for a little while. Where the fence ended a small patch of scrub and a stand of pine trees began. The land rolled away toward a wide stream.
    “This is pretty!” Carole exclaimed. “I didn’t know this was here.”
    “It’s so close to the ranch house, it’s easy to overlook,” Colonel Devine replied. “Now, do you see my markers?” He pointed to a row of small, widely separated wooden signs, bearing the numbers 1 through 6. “Which one first, ladies?”
    “Begin at the beginning, I guess.” Lisa was mystified. “Are these riding trails?” Now that she looked, she could see several wide paths leadinginto the woods and brush. The Bar None was so big that the horses rarely wore trails in the earth even along the most popular rides. There was simply too much grass. But these looked as if they were cut on purpose.
    “Trail Number One it is.” Colonel Devine rode toward it. “We can fit three abreast on these trails. Emily, you come up here and ride beside me. I’ll want your opinions.”
    Emily rode forward with a smile on her face. “You made these trails, didn’t you?”
    He grinned back. “You’re a fine rider,” he said, “and I know you can handle anything on this ranch. But as you know, our ranch has always welcomed beginner riders. On a quiet, well-trained horse, with proper supervision and if they take it slow, most beginners can ride over most of our land, too. But if you have a beginner rider who’s also disabled—”
    “A lot of the riders at Free Rein are more disabled than me,” Emily said, nodding her head understandingly. “Some of the people who use wheelchairs all the time probably won’t ever be able to ride safely without having someone lead their horse or walk beside it to make sure they don’t fall.”
    “Leaders and sidewalkers,” Colonel Devine said. “I know all about it. See? I’ve been doing a lot of research.
    “I don’t want to limit our guests to just riding in the paddocks, no matter what their circumstances. I want them to be able to enjoy the land. That’s why I developed these trails, and that’s why they’re so wide—so that the leaders and sidewalkers would have enough room.”
    Emily looked around. Trail Number One was a simple walk through pine trees. Sunlight filtered coolly through the branches, and the air smelled sharp. Birds twittered. They could hear the gurgling of the nearby stream. The path was wide, as Colonel Devine had said; it was also smooth and flat, with none of the rocks or bumps she’d noticed elsewhere. “I think you were really smart,” she said. “People will love it here.”
    “I hope so,” he replied. “Guests only come back a second time if they’ve enjoyed the first. Now, as we ride along, try to imagine that some of the other people from Free Rein are here. Tell me if you think I should change anything. Okay?”
    “Okay,” Emily promised. She closed her eyes briefly. The wind blew against her face. The pinescent seemed sharper. “Even the blind people will love it,” she said.
    “Blind riders?” Colonel Devine sounded surprised.
    “Sure,” Emily said. “We’ve got tons of them at Free Rein. I know one girl who jumps.”
    “How could she?”
    Emily shrugged. “Her horse can see.”
    They rounded a bend and Emily saw to her surprise that they were back at the barn.
    “Trail Number One is the shortest,” Colonel Devine explained, as they waited for The