Pony Jumpers 8- Eight Away by Kate Lattey

Author:Kate Lattey [Lattey, Kate]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: E, YA
Published: 2016-07-30T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TEN

~ FULL CIRCLE ~

Fortunately, Squib stopped when he saw us, and I was able to catch him and lead him back down the gully once the dogs had the sheep moving again. We found AJ with Katy, nursing her shoulder but insisting that she was fine. Apparently Squib had bucked her off when a sheep had jumped out from behind a tree and startled him, which I think made Susannah feel better about her own pony’s shortcomings.

“They’re not all cut out for the farm life,” I agreed as AJ remounted. “You can stay down a bit lower now, we’ll just push these ones along and gather up whatever’s left on the way. The rest will work it out eventually.”

We rode on down towards the gate, and I moved AJ and Katy into flanking positions while the dogs kept the sheep moving forward. The natural terrain funnelled them effectively through the gap, and once they realised that they were going to greener pastures, they picked up speed and made their way willingly onto Stony Flat.

As the last ewe jogged through the gate, I rode up to AJ.

“What’s your count?”

She looked surprised. “I…was I supposed to be counting?”

I turned towards Katy, who seemed equally surprised, and shook her head.

“Okay. Never mind.”

We left the gate open behind us and rode down towards the old wooden stockyards that sat under a stand of willow trees alongside the dusty farm road. The dogs and ponies drank thirstily from a nearby trough while I dismounted and walked through the yards, checking for loose or broken boards, making sure that the gates still swung on their hinges and latched where they were supposed to. There were a few things there to fix, but nothing that would take more than half a day at most. So that was some good news that I could take home to Dad.

The girls had all dismounted and were stretching their legs while their ponies munched on the longer grass in this paddock.

“I’m going to be so sore tonight,” AJ lamented. “Six weeks without riding did not prepare me for this.”

“Same,” Susannah agreed, wincing as she adjusted her designer breeches. “I think my butt is rubbed raw.”

Katy just shook her head at them both. “You two are pathetic. Hey Tess, tell me that shed there’s got a toilet.”

“There’s a long drop out the back,” I confirmed. “Not sure anyone’s used it in a year or more, but help yourself.”

Katy pulled a face. “Okay, no thanks. I’ll just go find some long grass to pee in.”

She headed off around behind the stockyards, while Susannah fidgeted awkwardly. After grumbling to herself about having drunk way too much water, she left me holding Forbes and went off to answer the call of nature herself.

AJ grinned as she watched her go. “Bet you anything she’s never done that before,” she commented, then laughed at my expression. “Seriously. It’ll be good for her though. Toughen her up a bit.”

“She’s not so bad, when you get to know

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