Read Sea Horses for Free Online Page A

it looks like a lion's head or something, though I can't see how. Anyway, how about trying that trot? Shorten your reins a little bit, press with your heels, and try to rise up and down with the trotting rhythm. Ready? Right. Let's go!’
    Rising to the trot was tricky, but Tamzin began to get the hang of it as Joel led her along the beach. They weren't going very fast, but it was still exhilarating, with the wind blowing in her face and the quick thudding of the ponies’ hooves mingling with the sea's thunder.
    And then the disaster happened.
    From the corner of her eye Tamzin had seen the big wave rising out to sea. But she didn't realize just how big it was until it raced in close to the shore and started to curl over. Its crest seemed to form the shape of a horse's head… then it broke with a tremendous crash. Moonlight uttered a shrill neigh and reared. Tamzin slid backwards as he raked the air, only to be thrown forward again as his front hooves came down with a bone-shaking thump. The leading rein was snatched from Joel's hand and Moonlight bolted, careering away along the beach with Tamzin clinging to his back and screaming in terror.

‘ M oonlight, stop! Oh, help! Stop !’
    But there was nothing Tamzin could do to stop the pony's wild gallop. She clung on desperately. Joel on Dandy was chasing her, but Moonlight was faster. They raced along the tideline and to her horror Tamzin saw that the huge wave was racing with them, running at an angle to all the others. It still had the shape of a horse's head. And its tumbling foam wasn't white, but grey .
    Then out to sea another, much bluer wave rose. Through her flying hair Tamzin glimpsed it speeding towards the shore, on a collision course with the horse-shaped breaker. The two waves met in a shuddering clash, and spray fountained skywards. Moonlight swerved from the water, reared again, and Tamzin lost her grip and pitched out of the saddle.
    She hit the ground with a force that knocked all the air out of her lungs, and lay winded on the sand. Moonlight came to a snorting halt. He swung to face the sea, and stamped and pawed at the waves as if he was challenging them. Then as Tamzin giddily started to sit up, he turned towards her and put his muzzle down to her face as if to say he was sorry.
    Dandy came galloping up and Joel sprang off his back. ‘Tamzin! Are you all right?’
    ‘I… think so,’ said Tamzin shakily. She let Joel help her to her feet, then he rounded on Moonlight.
    ‘You stupid animal! What got into you?’
    ‘Don't be angry with him!’ Tamzin pleaded. She was shocked and would have a few bruises, but there was no real damage. ‘It was that big wave. It frightened him…’ Her voice tailed off. Moonlight was staring out to sea again. He was making strange, angry whickering sounds, and his attention seemed to be fixed on the distant, hazy shape of Lion Rock.
    ‘What's he looking at now?’ said Joel. ‘Moonlight! Calm down, there' snothing out there!’
    A chill went through Tamzin and she thought, Isn't there? Moonlight was between her and the sea, and she had a feeling that he was trying to shield her from it. She thought of the wave, with its grey crest like a horse's head. And the second wave, dazzlingly blue, that had rushed in to meet and clash with it. Then she remembered the first time she had met Joel on the beach. Moonlight had been with him, and against the background of the gathering storm, the pony's coat had taken on a peculiar blue tinge.
    She said in a small voice, ‘It wasn't just the wave that scared him.’
    ‘What do you mean?’ Joel was baffled.
    ‘I mean… there was something else.’
    ‘Like what?’
    ‘I don't know. But it wasn't an ordinary wave. Didn't you see it? Its top was shaped like a horse's head. And when it broke, its crest wasn't white, it was grey!’
    ‘I don't understand. A wave's just a wave; it –’
    ‘But it wasn't just a wave!’ Suddenly Tamzin felt frightened, and almost before she