Summer Pony by Jean Slaughter Doty

Author:Jean Slaughter Doty [Doty, Jean Slaughter]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780307491473
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Published: 2008-12-10T08:00:00+00:00

Michael's stern voice. “No. No, no. That isn't good enough. Try it again.”

Finally Ginny was on the verge of tears. She didn't know what else to do. She reached back. She gave Mokey a stinging slap with her hand. Shocked, the pony galloped toward the fence. She pricked her ears. Then she swept over it with a foot to spare.

“Wow!” said Ginny. “So that's what you meant!”

“Fantastic!” cried Pam.

“Again,” said Michael. This time he sounded pleased.

It was a wonderful morning. Ginny and Mokey jumped fence after fence. They grew more confident. Michael called out crisp instructions. Pam shrieked with delight at each jump.

When Ginny finally pulled up, she was speechless with happiness. Michael was nodding with quiet approval.

“You're on your way now,” said Michael to Ginny. “But no more jumping until you get a helmet of your own. There are three rules of jumping. You must always keep them in mind. Give your horse a chance. Never jump without a helmet. Never jump alone.”

He gave Mokey a pat. “You two girls get off those ponies now,” he said. “They've done enough for one day.”

Pam told Ginny that the snaffle bridle could be Mokey's for the rest of the summer. The old pony bridle was cleaned. Then it was put away in a dim corner of the garage.

In the days that followed, the two girls rode together through the countryside. They found low walls and fences and fallen logs to jump. Some days Pam was busy with other plans. Then Ginny rode alone. She was happy to be with her pony. She liked the soft welcome stillness of the woods and open fields.

Sometimes Michael joined the two girls. He exercised one of the horses in his care. Pam's mother and father were away for the summer. They left a housekeeper in charge at home. “My father says they're off on a business trip,” Pam told Ginny. “But I'll bet he manages to see a horse or two in Ireland. He doesn't like his black colt much. He might just send a new one home to replace him.”

Ginny just smiled in silence. She thought briefly of her own desperate search for just one good pony in the mud and cold at the Sweet-briar Pony Farm.

Michael gave his praise. Pam gave her excited support. But Ginny could not believe that she and Mokey could jump anything but low fences.

Then, one early misty morning, the girls were chased by what they quickly decided was an angry bull. They flew on their ponies across the pasture. But the gate leading out of the field was closed and locked.

“It's okay,” Pam called back, “I'm sure we can jump it.” But the ground in front of the gate was rough and stony. Firefly wouldn't jump. He ducked to one side.

“Go on with Mokey!” cried Pam.

Ginny, with sudden will, gave the pony a touch of her heel. She could feel Mokey galloping. But time stood still. The bars of the green gate stood dark and clean against the cloudy sky.

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