Pony Club Trek (Woodbury Pony Club Book 3) by Josephine Pullein-Thompson

Author:Josephine Pullein-Thompson [Pullein-Thompson, Josephine]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: Jane Badger Books
Published: 2020-09-01T16:00:00+00:00

“She’s never behaved like this before,” Lesley complained to the As. “And it’s so ridiculous. I know he’s grey, but otherwise he’s just a cob with rather a large, coarse head.”

“He’s not that bad-looking,” objected Alice.

“It’s his dapples she’s crazy about,” decided Rupert. “She’s besotted and dreams of him every moment they’re apart. You realize that you’re being cruel, Lesley. You ought to change groups for your pony’s sake.”

“It would take more than that to make me ride with my sister,” snapped Lesley.

They came to the edge of the forest. Huge ancient oaks lined the roadside and grassy rides led temptingly into the interior. Across the entrance to each ride was a stout wooden barrier, leaving a gap on either side, so that pedestrians and riders could enter, but not cars.

“Let’s have a jump,” suggested Hanif. “They’re nice and solid, so Jupe will look at what he’s doing.”

“Yes, let’s.”

“Great idea. I’ll go second,” answered the older Wheelers, but Lesley said. “No thanks, they’re too solid for Stardust.”

“And much too high for Tiger,” moaned Oliver.

“Have a look among the trees; you might find some tree trunks to jump,” suggested Lizzie, tightening her girths.

The larger ponies, already in an adventurous mood, all flew over the barrier. Their riders stopped them some way down the track, turned back and jumped again, pulling up sharply on the edge of the road.

They jumped the next two barriers and then reached the fifth track, which Alice said was the one which would take them to Three-legged Cross. The track ran straight and shady, suddenly emerging into forest clearings, where grazing deer, hinds and fawns, fled, startled, at the approach of the riders. They cantered and walked and cantered again until their track ended, merging with another, which, skirting a fir plantation, made up the three-legged cross.

“I think this is it,” said Alice, looking round the clearing which lay alongside the plantation. She dismounted. “I’ll check the map and work out the next reference.”

“We’ll look round for the warning. Can you see anything, Ollie?” asked Lizzie.

“I’ve found it,” called Rupert. “It’s a fire warning, just inside the plantation gate. Come and write it down, Lesley.”

“Oh great, can we have lunch now?” asked Oliver, riding over to inspect the warning sign.

“There’s no water for the poor ponies here,” complained Lizzie.

“And Rosie is a terrific drinker, we’d better ride on a bit,” agreed Rupert, holding Stardust while Lesley copied the warning notice. “Can you find a stream on the map, Alice?” he called.

Alice had persuaded Hanif to study the map too. “You can see that the stretch across the heath is complicated,” she pointed. “There are so many paths criss-crossing, it’ll be all too easy to go wrong, and there don’t seem to be any landmarks.”

“We’ll have to check with the compass,” said Hanif. “As long as we head east we can’t go far wrong; we’ll hit the Ramsbourne road eventually. But first of all we’ve got to go round the plantation and find our second warning. Then along Long Bottom!”

“There is a stream, but it’s rather a way off.

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