Post by Pasture Puff on Dec 2, 2010 20:17:54 GMT
Tiffany pulled back the covers and leapt out of bed. Her alarm clock said it was. She twitched up the sheets and tossed her pillows carelessly into a heap. Pulling on a jumper and her jodhpurs, she hopped on one foot out the door, tugging on her boot as she went.
Taking the dorm stairs two at a time, she flew out the door, past a rather surprised looking group of kids who were hanging out on the stairwell. She ran past the portable classrooms, and easily vaulted the gate that led onto the yard. A collection of heads watched her curiously from their boxes, and Tiffany giggled when she saw one very small pony, was only a pair of ears poking out over the top of the door.
Alpo snatched impatiently at the bit. He hated anything that wasn’t jumping or going fast. Tiffany held the reins low and wide, encouraging the horse to soften, but Alpo leaned on the forehand, letting her hold him up. They cantered in a twenty-meter circle, but their circle wasn’t quite straight, and the horse’s outside shoulder bulged.
As happened so often now, Alpo resisted, swishing his tail and bringing his head back behind the vertical. He was pulling faces at something in the bushes, when he humped his back and suddenly let out an enormous buck. Tiffany sailed over his head, still gripping the reins.
She had fallen off so many times now, she stayed on her feet. But one of the reins had snapped, and Tiffany groaned when she realised that she was going to have to go and buy a new pair. Dad had said her pocket money was to go towards school books and excursions, but now how was she supposed to complete the practical part of her course? “Alpo!” she exclaimed in dismay. “Now look what you’ve done!”
Taking the dorm stairs two at a time, she flew out the door, past a rather surprised looking group of kids who were hanging out on the stairwell. She ran past the portable classrooms, and easily vaulted the gate that led onto the yard. A collection of heads watched her curiously from their boxes, and Tiffany giggled when she saw one very small pony, was only a pair of ears poking out over the top of the door.
Alpo snatched impatiently at the bit. He hated anything that wasn’t jumping or going fast. Tiffany held the reins low and wide, encouraging the horse to soften, but Alpo leaned on the forehand, letting her hold him up. They cantered in a twenty-meter circle, but their circle wasn’t quite straight, and the horse’s outside shoulder bulged.
As happened so often now, Alpo resisted, swishing his tail and bringing his head back behind the vertical. He was pulling faces at something in the bushes, when he humped his back and suddenly let out an enormous buck. Tiffany sailed over his head, still gripping the reins.
She had fallen off so many times now, she stayed on her feet. But one of the reins had snapped, and Tiffany groaned when she realised that she was going to have to go and buy a new pair. Dad had said her pocket money was to go towards school books and excursions, but now how was she supposed to complete the practical part of her course? “Alpo!” she exclaimed in dismay. “Now look what you’ve done!”
