Sunshine Stables Read online

  “Well done, Gracie,” Lainey smiled, keeping her voice low. “I know Bobby can be a bit aloof in the stable, but you’re riding him really nicely. That canter was lovely.”

  Gracie smiled back. Bobby was lovely to ride.

  So smooth and responsive, and comfortable too. Perhaps him being so grumpy was the price she had to pay … but maybe that was getting better too.

  “Thank you,” she replied. “I’m really enjoying riding him.”

  She was thrilled with Lainey’s compliment. Things were looking up!

  “Woo!” Sophie grinned as she and Gorse trotted back, having just jumped through the grid. Gorse’s ears were pricked as he tossed his mane. “Your turn,” she said, her eyes sparkling. “Have fun!”

  “OK, Gracie!” Lainey called. “Trot on. Sit up nice and straight, then ask for a canter.”

  Doing as she was instructed, Gracie nudged Bobby on. It was like riding a rocking horse, she reflected as she nudged her inside heel against Bobby’s side. He struck off perfectly into a canter, feathers and mane flying. It felt as though Gracie was flying too as they jumped through the line of coloured poles. “Wow!” Lainey sounded impressed. “That was lovely. You look great together.”

  Gracie smiled, feeling much happier. Stealing a glance at Ellie, she noticed the other girl was glaring at her. Gracie shook her head, concentrating on Bobby’s black and white mane. If she and Bobby were getting on well now, Ellie would just have to accept that!

  Gracie’s good mood didn’t last. After untacking and brushing Bobby, Gracie untied his lead rope and started to walk him back towards his open stable door. The shavings bed was banked up neatly, and a fresh hay net was waiting for him. Gracie had scrubbed his bucket until it sparkled.

  She was determined to look after Bobby as well as she could, hoping Lainey would report good things back to her mum and dad. If she could look after a pony as well as this, she could certainly manage a kitten! Looking around, Gracie hoped she might see the friendly cat from earlier, but she was nowhere to be seen.

  “Come on, Bobby.” Gracie clicked her tongue. “Look how lovely your stable looks.”

  But Bobby was backing off, pulling the rope taut. Gracie could see the whites of his eyes, and he looked a bit scary. She gulped.

  “What is it, boy?” she tried again, pulling a little harder this time. Bobby followed her for a step before leaping dramatically to the side, wrenching the rope through Gracie’s hands. The pain was awful and she instantly regretted taking her gloves off, but her hands had been so hot and sweaty after the lesson. She still had hold of the piebald pony – just – but he was dancing about, throwing his head up.

  Gracie tried to ignore her burning hands and gave Bobby’s rope one last tug, but he half reared and finally pulled the rope free, careering around the yard, sending the chickens squawking and Mini, the tame sheep, diving for cover under the mounting block.

  “Oh!” Gracie gave a sob. “Help me!”

  Amina was the first of her friends to come running, but Ellie was faster, appearing out of nowhere with a feed scoop.

  “Bobby!” Ellie called. He was now in the corner of the yard with his head aloft, his nostrils wide and trembling. Ellie pushed her red hair back and approached him, giving the scoop a rattle.

  “Now then, Bobby,” she said gently. “What’s got into you?”

  Ellie had no problem getting hold of the rope and, to Gracie’s dismay, Bobby followed Ellie meekly as she led him straight back into his stable. Gracie swallowed hard. It had been her – she’d caused him to act that way.

  CHAPTER 4

  “I’ve never seen him do that,” Ellie said, confirming Gracie’s thoughts. “But you know he’ll do anything for food,” she added, in a tone that implied Gracie hadn’t known at all. Zoe, alerted by all the commotion, came over and Ellie bossily explained the situation before Gracie could say a word.

  “Silly chap.” Taking over from Ellie, Zoe gave Bobby a pat as she slipped his head collar off. “That was very unlike you.”

  That made Gracie feel worse. She tried to hide her hands as she took the head collar from Zoe, but the groom seemed to notice straight away.

  “Oh, Gracie,” Zoe said in a kind voice. “I know how much that can hurt. Come on, let’s sort you out.”

  Following Zoe to the kitchen of Lainey’s house, Gracie tried not to let the tears that had been threatening fall. Lainey’s kitchen was lovely and cool, with beams covered in rosettes. There were photos everywhere of Lainey riding round huge cross-country courses, and of Jack and Emily, her children, on their ponies. A stack of Horse & Hound magazines jostled for space on a side table, under which sat Lainey’s spaniel, Skate, who thumped her freckled tail. It was pony heaven, and Gracie felt a little better as Zoe got some cream out of a first aid kit and applied it to Gracie’s hands.

  “Now then,” Zoe said gently. “You know what I’m about to say, don’t you?”

  “Yes,” Gracie sniffed. “I should have been wearing gloves.”

  “Well, yes,” Zoe said. “That too. But actually I was going to talk to you about Bobby. He…” She paused as if trying to find the words. “I know he can be grumpy but… Look, what I’m trying to say is that sometimes we can clash with horses. Sort of like with people, you know? You don’t always click with everyone you meet. It’s nothing to be embarrassed about. We want you to enjoy camp, so if you want me to chat with Lainey…”

  Her words hung in the air, but Gracie knew what Zoe meant. Zoe was asking if she wanted to swap ponies. Gracie thought about how wonderful Bobby had been in the lesson, and the little breakthrough she’d had before that, combing the shavings out of his long mane. She felt sure if she swapped ponies it would look as if she’d failed somehow. Then she thought of Ellie’s glee. And worst of all, Lainey would have to tell her mum and dad.

  “I’m OK with Bobby,” she said in a small voice. “I’ll try harder.”

  Zoe patted Gracie’s arm.

  “OK,” she said. “If you’re happy.”

  Gracie stood up ready to follow Zoe out. She gave the kitchen a quick scan as she did so, to see if she could spot anything cat related – a basket or a scratching post – but there was nothing. She hadn’t asked Lainey about the friendly cat yet, but she really hoped she would see it later. She needed cheering up more than ever!

  Gracie was aware all her camp friends were watching her as she headed out to the yard. She took a deep breath, just like she did just before she went out on stage.

  “Always smile,” Miss Duval would say. “Then no one knows how nervous you are!”

  And Gracie did feel nervous at the thought of handling Bobby again. All of her earlier confidence had disappeared, but she didn’t want to admit it to her friends.

  “How are you?” Jess asked gently, tucking her arm into Gracie’s as they made their way over to the barn kitchen for a snack. Grabbing a juice, the girls then sat down beneath the tree where they had found a horseshoe earlier in the week. They’d excitedly hung it above their beds, hoping it would bring them luck.

  “Oh,” Gracie said, trying to sound cheerful. “Good! I’m having the best fun.”

  Jess looked at her.

  “Are you?” she said, sounding doubtful. “Even after what Bobby did?”

  “He just had a silly moment!” Gracie said, sounding more defensive than she meant to.

  She didn’t feel like talking. Quickly finishing her juice, Gracie made her way out to the yard, hoping the cat would be waiting for her. But only Mini was there, wiggling her short tail as she hunted for stray pony nuts.

  Gracie gave a sigh. It was late afternoon and she had to see to Bobby’s stable and top up his hay and water. Taking a deep breath, she made herself unbolt the door and push her wheelbarrow in. She gave Bobby a cautious pat, sweeping a few shavings off his neck. Gracie wondered if he’d had another sleep. He didn’t look as grumpy as he had earlier, but even so, Gracie could feel the gap between them widening.

  She picked up the
fork and started to turn over the shavings, pulling out any droppings she found. Then she frowned and peered a little closer. That was strange, she thought, crouching down to look. There was something in the snow-white shavings in the far corner. A handful of dust and musty-looking hay.

  Glancing up, Gracie scanned the stable. The block Bobby lived in was a beautiful building with an old-fashioned hay store in the loft, low beams and the original cobbles on the floor. Lainey had told her that they kept some old bits up in the roof – harnesses and even a side saddle – but hardly anyone went up there because it was a bit of a faff, so they used the modern barn for hay and feed.

  Bobby was in the very end stable, and Gracie could just see up into the loft through a small opening next to the external wall. The dusty hay debris seemed to be directly below the opening. Gracie wondered if birds had been making their nests up there.

  But now Bobby was starting to flatten his ears again, as if annoyed that Gracie was taking longer than necessary. Hurriedly, Gracie jumped up. If Bobby was cross, she didn’t fancy getting stuck in the stable with him!

  Jack, Lainey’s son, was in the yard as Gracie put away her mucking-out kit. Jack and his sister, Emily, were twins, with sandy hair and a smattering of freckles across their sun-kissed cheeks, but from what Gracie had seen so far, they were total opposites in personality!

  Jack was friendly and always willing to help the camp members, filling up water buckets or hay nets, chatting away all the while. But Emily kept to herself and seemed quite snooty.

  “Do you want a hand?” Jack grinned as he fell into step with Gracie.

  “No, I’m good. Thanks though,” Gracie said, grateful for some kind company. But it turned out even Jack knew about her tricky time.

  “Bobby’s being extra grumpy this week, isn’t he?” Jack said cheerfully. “I wonder what’s up.”

  And Gracie felt her heart plummet. Everyone had noticed. Zoe, Ellie and now Jack. There was no way Lainey was going to be able to report anything positive, she thought miserably.

  “I – I guess,” she stammered. But then she remembered something else. “Um,” she said, relieved she could change the subject. “Do you have a cat?”

  “No?” Jack replied in a curious tone. “Why?”

  “There was one in the yard yesterday,” Gracie explained. “Really friendly.”

  “Probably a stray,” Jack shrugged. “Or our neighbour’s.”

  “She seemed to feel at home,” Gracie said, thinking about the way the cat had jumped up on the trough. She hoped the friendly cat had a nice warm bed somewhere. But Jack had moved on. He was full of ideas for the end-of-camp gymkhana, and Gracie couldn’t ask any more. She’d just have to hope the cat came back!

  CHAPTER 5

  Everyone woke up giggling and bouncing around the next morning. It was “Decorate Your Pony Day”. But Gracie wanted to pull her sleeping bag back over her head. Her glitters and chalk pens and stars were all in the bag next to her bed, but she had no idea what the morning was going to bring.

  “Come on!” Amina called to the girls as they ran out into the yard ready to muck out.

  But as soon as Gracie opened the door to Bobby’s stable, she could tell the piebald pony was in an exceptionally grumpy mood – his ears were flat back. Gracie didn’t even dare pat him, just hurriedly got on with the mucking out. She had no idea how she was going to dress him up!

  A bit later, at breakfast, Jess sat down next to Gracie with a plate of scrambled eggs and started to dig in, before turning to her friend. Gracie was pushing her toast around her plate.

  “Gracie?” Jess said quietly. “Are you OK?”

  Almost instinctively, Gracie gave a big smile.

  “Of course!” she said in the most cheerful voice she could manage. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

  Jess bit her lip.

  “My stable is near yours,” she said. “You seemed really nervous with Bobby. Like you were trying to get the mucking out done as fast as possible.”

  Gracie’s face fell.

  “I … I just try and give him a bit of peace and quiet in the morning,” she said, hoping she sounded convincing. “He likes to eat his breakfast alone!” Well, that was the truth, she thought.

  “You know,” Jess said thoughtfully. “Lainey has other ponies. There’s Zebedee, the Welsh Section C – she’d suit you. And Biscuit, that gorgeous skewbald. And you’ve met Ellie, haven’t you? She could ride Bobby a bit. You could ask Lainey … if you want,” she added, all in a rush. “It’s just a thought.”

  But Gracie remembered her mum’s words, how you couldn’t just give up when things got tough with a pet. If she gave up with Bobby now, her dream would be shattered.

  And anyway, there was still something she loved about Bobby. The way his eyes had been gentle after his afternoon nap, how he’d felt when she’d jumped him. She couldn’t give up!

  “I know,” she said firmly. “But I’m OK. I’ll stick with Bobby.”

  Jess raised her eyebrows. “OK,” she said doubtfully, but Gracie shut down any further conversation by jumping to her feet to take her plate over to the sink. She was dreading today, but she didn’t want to swap ponies, and she certainly didn’t want to swap ponies with Ellie!

  But Bobby was in the same mood when she returned to his stable. Gingerly fastening his head collar, Gracie led him out into the sunshine and tied him up. Picking up a body brush, she set to work grooming his gleaming white and black patches.

  He was remarkably clean, she mused. Not one shaving stuck in his long mane. He had the tiniest amount of hay in his forelock, but that was it.

  “Have you not had a lie-down?” Gracie asked him as she brushed. “I thought your stable looked lovely last night.”

  Perhaps even her mucking out wasn’t up to his standard, she thought sadly. Then, taking a deep breath, she opened her bag and pulled out a glitter spray, carefully pressing her finger down on the trigger.

  Hiss!

  Bobby shot her a look of horror and leapt sideways. The glitter completely missed his mane.

  Every time Gracie tried, he darted out of the way, managing to avoid the glitter despite being tied up. Gracie put the spray back in her bag. It wasn’t working. She’d checked with Lainey that it was OK to use and Lainey had given her a cheerful smile.

  “Of course!” she’d said. “I use fly spray. He’s fine with anything like that.”

  Except, Gracie thought miserably, when she was doing it. Bobby clearly hated her!

  Rummaging through her bag, Gracie pulled out some stars instead. She’d planned to plait Bobby’s mane and clip the stars in. Bobby glared at her as she started to brush and divide his hair but, gritting her teeth, Gracie carried on.

  All around her, the air was full of the laughter of the other girls, and their ponies were looking amazing. Willow’s Luna was covered in beautiful flowers, and Poppy had managed to make an amazing rug for Henry, which made him look like a medieval knight’s horse. Henry looked so proud and handsome.

  To Gracie’s dismay, her stars weren’t staying in place. Bobby wasn’t spooking away as he had done with the spray, but every time she managed to clip one into his plaits, he would shake his head furiously. Gracie was hot and flustered by now. Stepping back, she looked sadly at her handiwork. All she’d achieved was a blob of glitter on Bobby’s shoulder and a couple of haphazard stars hanging off the messy plaits.

  Panicking, she grabbed the glittery crown she’d made and attempted to fasten it to Bobby’s brow band. But, try as she might, she couldn’t do it. Gracie flung her hands in the air. It was no good!

  “Can I help?”

  A familiar, unwelcome voice. Ellie came round the corner, dusting her hands on her jodhpurs.

  “I’m all done,” she said. “And I noticed you struggling.”

  She actually sounded quite friendly. Before Gracie could stop her, Ellie had taken the crown and started fiddling around with Bobby’s bridle, smoothing his forelock and fastening the crown’s straps
, before she narrowed her eyes and stood back.

  “There,” Ellie said in a satisfied voice. “That should do.” She looked sideways at Gracie. “Do you want to check?”

  But Gracie didn’t. If she started to play around with the crown, she was certain Bobby would get really grumpy and she didn’t want to show herself up in front of Ellie.

  “I’m sure it’s fine,” she said hurriedly. “Thanks,” she added. Perhaps Ellie wasn’t so bad after all.

  There was no time to do anything else because Lainey was now calling them into the arena. Jess raised her eyebrows at Gracie as she mounted Merlin, who had been transformed into a unicorn, but to Gracie’s relief she didn’t say anything. Nudging Bobby on, Gracie walked into the arena behind everyone else, wanting to get the morning over and done with.

  CHAPTER 6

  “Wow!” Lainey clapped the camp members as they lined up. As well as Henry the Knight’s Horse, and Merlin the Unicorn, and flowery Luna, Amina had transformed little Nutmeg into a bee, and Sophie had turned her Exmoor pony, Gorse, into a punk rocker, having coaxed his bushy mane upwards with a can of hairspray. Ellie joined the group with Merry, who sported bright ribbons plaited into her mane and tail.

  “You all look wonderful!” Lainey said happily, as she patted each pony. But when Lainey reached Bobby, her smile faded a little.