Horse Magic/ Off My Rocker

TEST

Horse Magic
17,380 count by Jerry Dessart











The crackling base tone voice belting out of the dusty, half beaten to death, walkie-talkies strapped onto our ridding belts is Nancy. She expects, Claire, the oldest student ridding in our group to be an example. Our team leader and “peerless one” refers to coach as “Nuisance.” Of course she says this in murmurs under her breath so that it would not raise an eyebrow we have learned that nancy has an second profession. While she is coach to us, she brings her other work to the ring, army sergeant. We did not realize when we signed up for the riding school that it was actually an enlistment into academy. Nancy is very rigid and defines her tolerances very clearly, there are none.
Now that the trials are coming up, she is more drill sergeant than coach, pushing discipline with endurance more than form and new techniques.
It is hard enough as it is, lest we want double “klean up Patrol” picking up those undesirable brown ground ring markers that attract a whole lot of flies and worse those piled higher in the stable area.

"Stay in the straight line,” Nancy’s voice vibrated the walkie-talkies, “the show is in five weeks, and, we have to work harder than ever before!,” Here I am thinking harder than before when? Before when we were born?” “Focus girls, focus,” Nancy said in her normal and most pleasant of harsh tones, “Heidi, let’s stop playing patty cake with the reins and get with the program please. Please, you remember what happened to ‘Lady Dare be Claire over there’ and her gray pony just the other day! Bumpiddy, bump, bump.”
Claire sneered at Nancy, the dig tightened her back when Nancy referred to her horse as a pony indirectly telling her to tighten up her program as well. Nancy wasn’t from around here, originally being from Kentucky where tough love was embraced by children. However, here in Connecticut that gracious gift left her a step behind on the politically correct skills; she was known by many of the parents a gruff around the edges. Claire did not take criticism well, but she could sure give it out.
Claire’s father was a proud spectator and his raised eyebrow instructed Nance to tame the tongue and yield it toward another maybe not so politically entwined spectators child. Now it was Nance who straightened right up knowing very well some motivating remarks were better made in private, even as true as they might be. Claire just making the older age cutoff for participants, she thought she was the best of the class, but next year she will be the younger of the riders in the upper age group and boy is she going to get her hat handed to her. Besides, it isn't long ago that Claire, one of the top-rated riders, was thrown from her horse while waiving to her friends in the stand while between jumps. In the upper age bracket, you’ll get down seeded if one of the judges just gets wind of carelessness.
After adjusting from the Glance of Claire’s father, Nancy continued, “Let’s go, heads up were supposed to be riding girls."
My back and arms were like rubber bands and I was doing about all I could to stay aboard Galaxy.
In our part of Connecticut, just outside New York City, the sophisticates, “Sophi’s” of the world, take riding quite seriously and personally almost as a mark of character. Whether you like the sport or not, you make it your place to own a horse or a pony. Everyone is taking a slice at a pretentious circle. Most families can afford a horse and if they don’t own a horse, then it’s a pony or you’re on the fringe of ownership, a half pony. Of course, as my mother declares, ponies and shares may only look slightly less prestigious in bragging rights, but they are a moon’s distance away in social aristocracy.
Riding as much as I have been in these past few months is taking its toll on my body far past just fatigue. My strained Kylies tendon is agonizing and a sore back keeping me hunched over too much for the big jumps. My daily routine needs to include two hours of ice packing to settle me down for bed. I have other remedies as well for sleeping like eating chocolate chip cookies and a glass of milk, which I advocate also, helps me fall fast asleep.
Mom brags to dad about me, I have heard her suggesting that I could take on Mr. Hostess in a cookie-eating contest. She is just upset that I had gained an extra pound on my little Bag of Bones. If Mr. Hostess were here now, I’d beat him in the cookie-eating department.
I’m riding Galaxy, a horses twice my height for a second year now. She is, from the fuss the stander by’s make, an exceptional first in breed purebred horse. For my opinion she’s a lot too big for me, being just a little over 4 foot.
Mother keeps reminding me that Galaxy is one of the finest pedigrees and her looks ink-black fur she shines like a brush coated her with olive oil. I always pat her as we are told to create companionship and her coat is flat and soft presenting every striation in her muscles when she is running. Her eyes a glassy ink black to match and only in a camera flash can you pick up the pearl like glimmer of a slate gray beauty mark right below her left eye that comes alive like the moon against a dark night sky of the. Her dusty hoofs, which underneath are slight silver gray, helped to enhance the contrast of the midnight color of her coat.
Galaxy has been paired with me for a couple of years now. Galaxy’s makes him taller than the other competition horses by several hands; this makes her extra big for the competition but gives him acceleration and kick. Theoretically I have an advantage making up for the lack of jumping experience she’s had up till now, but she’s still an out of control speed demon. I have learned to double wrap my hands in the reigns.
From seven feet up,
CHAPTER TWO
I am in the children’s pediatric hospital wing for about a week or so, I lost track of what day I had arrived. My back is feeling even worse now then when I was first picked up from the ground. I must have been in terrible shock not realizing how many days had past since I arrived here. My head has a slight ring to the right side that took the brunt of the kick and it feels like I am still wearing a helmet, but it is just the bandages circling around my head. The dull pain in my lower skull is not so pleasing, but I am able to tolerate it now without medication.
Finally the doctors cleared for me to go home. I overheard them telling my parents that I am just getting used to the extra hospital strength Tylenol and it really is not necessary. The stiff lipped hospital staff sent me home with no papers for medication although I didn’t agree with them. I began making a fuss and they finally gave me a note for a prescription that recommended rest for at least another week. This made me mad. I am racing the attendant out toward the exit with my wheel chair, because they don’t let you walk out even if you are in Michael Phelps. If I couldn’t be treated like a child and get what I wanted then I didn’t need any help at all. A wheel chair made you look sickly, but a pushed wheelchair makes me look pathetic.
My parents were assuming all is fine with me and now with no prescribed medications; they were more concerned about me losing precious time before the competition. It meant only four weeks left to train for the upcoming benefit meet. They weren’t getting that I’m not riding in it. In fact, I am not riding a horse ever again. The only thing horses are good for as far as I am concerned is pulling plows and wagons, and heavy ones at that.
This whole past week is a disappointment, I thought about how much more I now hated riding. I am spending much of my time playing on the two-toned fawn-green tweed rug in my room. The color of my rug originally reminded me of my best friends the training horses I grew up riding on. They were now growing much older than me older in horse years outside in the fields near the stables outside the window.
My room is filling with soft light and the warm sunrays entering this morning brought a spectacular ray of colors alive as it danced off my kindergarten paper art. The upper half of the rooms’ walls my Dad painted sky-blue to give me the feeling the days lasted forever. This was nice now that I was spending many evening hours awake from my nightmares. The combinations of colors reflecting from the paintings create a warm rainbow outline. Each painting splashes its own blend of colors splendidly across my white Belgian lace bedspread. These painting have their own specific titles and deservedly so. My favorite art are those lining the walls of my doghouse dormer, which have the most sentimental value to me. These deserve their wall-shared ownership having the full view of our family’s fifty-acre yard of tall horse grass outside the estates back porch. If I had it my way, I would have my bedroom in the stable barn just a few yards from the back fence with all my retired soul mates.
My soul mates, the training ponies I learned to ride on, deserve a place in the house. Mom and Dad won’t let them on the sodden grass, not even to poke their heads hello in the windows of the porch area. So I let them stay with me in my room in the paintings on my wall, dressed up in bright primary colors hung favorably for when I lay in bed.
Each animal could be, for the sake of my artistic talent, easily mistaken to represent a piece of fruit. After all I made them when I is only six years old, and that is 8 years ago now. Some have dared to suggest they look like a fruit basket sticks poking out of the fruit. I still get defensive when I here any comment that doesn’t at least have the word horse in it. These paintings are Masterpieces, or ‘Master’s Pieces’ as my Dad has referred to them after our last name, Master’s; and, each of them deserves the most serious thoughtfulness. My brother once called one of them a bird falling from the sky and I forever banned him to enter my room again. I let him in still when I want to play, of course, but the rule still stands till today should I need to enforce it.
I like the titles of these especially because I love who they are made after. Each painting title is appropriately named after the first few training horses I fell in love with. Horse Corduroy, Horse Dapples and Horse Ziggy among the favorite. I say horse instead of Mr. or Mrs. out of respect. They never once threw me. I am banned from telling the story about Dapples my least favorite of the favorites, because he stepped in horse poop all the time. This made his hoofs smell so bad when I had to do the trimming, my hands stunk like poop. Although my stories were true, when I tell them to new friends Mom and Dad remind me they think it is inappropriate to tell at dinner.
The other walls of my room at first glance look bare, but you can still see traces of the square frames, rectangle certificates and upside down tear drop shapes from medal ribbons from the faded patterns up on the wall from when I took the placing and winning reminders down. Unfortunately, I can still see the missing evidence. Even the most recent letter of acceptance qualifying me for the under 16 junior jumpers that Mom and Dad artfully matted is leaving a light trace on the wall; and it is only there for a few months now.

















CHAPTER THREE

Normally, I am up before the break of dawn planning my after school riding outfit and making combinations of the countless neutral colored slackened pants and black or blue blazers and of course the belts, boots, and helmets to match. My favorite uniforms don’t deviate a great deal, I pretty much always have the same favorites, but they have to be fitted every day just in case they run into needing alterations. Mom drives that value home, she says, “If you chunk out a bit, its like weights on a horse and your giving yourself a disadvantage!”
This morning is different; it is a hundred eighty degrees of challenges. It used to be that each morning in our house that the morning alarm went off in my parent’s room and it was like thoroughbreds out of the starting gate to start things off. I’ll admit, in my case my parents had to create a Houdini like show and creatively pull out all their magical talent to get me from my full upped riders outfit to a school uniform. I still hate the uniform, no individuality. To make matters worse, Dad didn’t really know magic and Mom isn’t quite the best magicians assistant. Dad often said, “Here she goes again, the magic is over.”
Then Mom would start her Screams "get your school outfit on now!"
Kicking and screaming, Myself and Mom respectively, eventually until we were calmly seated in our breakfast chairs; I held in my grip until the last possible Moment my favorite riding whip carved with a jockey figurine painted on top at the handle of the shaft that led down to the leather tail piece. Eventually, as it resulted every morning, it is pried from my hand, replaced on the sportsman shelf then I’m plowed onto the bus; such fun.
I ride this bus with my huskier upper classman brother Henry. He is always a step on the bus ahead of me to get the better seat. Most of the boys are playing Nintendo while I am sitting here rehearsing my music in my head. The music is about the only thing that keeps me from going back in my mind to the terrible accident.
School is everything to Mom and Dad, next to being polite, riding horses, the club, and everything else for that matter that defines us. All we do is under the big eyeball at the Master's home. Mom and Dad coach us on everything, at least that's what they call it, the yelling. I call their coaching an obsessive status seeking disorder. They coach everything that has to do with anything except horses, which is why we have Nance.
Anytime my brother, Henry, is asked to do something competitively by my parents, he acts like an ice skater without laces; yet, he could manage to win about any challenge between his friends or me.
Today arriving at school is a lot different. Everyone is crowding toward me like I is carrying the Olympic gold for the agony of defeat, including the teachers, when they popped in the halls between classes. My popular brother Henry took a back seat and it is show time in a new arena for me. It is nice accepting the big attention, almost like your favorite show and tell day. I am grinning it in all the way, especially whenever I see Hank noticing. I think it is even making me forget I am walking around with the gauze helmet completely circling my head.
The conversation inevitably is circling around until I am reminding myself how stupid I look then I quickly move on to the next group hoping no one really noticed I looked like a marshmallow on a fireside stick.
Hank is being a good sport about the whole day and never entertains embarrassing me. He’s even starting to go out of his way to ham things up when he saw the novelty of the turban bandages is getting to me. He is especially sensitive to me now that I am recovering from my frightful incident and like him have no interest in riding.
Everyone is aware as to why I missed school these past two weeks. I am wearing this sling across my chest like a shawl, holding up my left arm where my collarbone slammed into the wooden flowerbox. The scrapes from the rose thorns are just peering around my neck and ears. Although everyone read the article in the paper the day following my accident posted on the announcement board, there is still nothing better than a first hand account. Everyone still wants to hear the story from me directly. This was my chance to shine in school instead of on the turf.
“Nice head! What did you fall into a cotton candy machine?” a few girls gathered around started laughing as Claire pointed to the swab of bandages puffing off the top of my head. Claire just had to stick in the knife, into my most sensitive issue, appearance. There are those few would not recognize my new celebrity status, like Claire. Claire took every chance to belittle me even at the horse camp. She was just jealous that my Dad picked me up and took me to lunch on riding days and she was chauffeured around alone. Her small group of friends was new to her as many didn’t stick around for that long. Her rich family always attracted some at first until they got to know her. Since I was getting more attention at ridding camp since Claire’s latest missed jumps, she has treated me like a stepsister and her quick comments to me make a stirring laughter at school. Claire always had a way to publicly bring out the details that anyone least wanted flaunted. Her turnip patch of friends, those she dug up, as I view them are just jealous that I am excused from homework for another two weeks; since my right arm is restrained from using any writing or musical instruments.
Unable to do schoolwork, I spent most of my time in class finding out what is new, who doesn’t like who, which girl told off which boy, and just plain digging up the latest skinny on clothes friends and the rest.
The sling is a great icebreaker, and who knew a bad riding could get such good results. I'm appreciating my fellow students now that I am in the ‘cool one's’ shoes for the first time and taking in all the lime light.
Prior to this about the only thing I liked about school was my connection with the teachers. Getting along with the other kids is weird when they reverend you because of something your good at. If they only knew, I am not much different than them only I have the privilege of being railroaded into horse jumping competition and studying from home 3 days a week with a tutor. I am only an acquaintance to most of the students, somewhat estranged from them on a regular basis. I cannot understand why the other students get so mad thinking I am being treated so special. Well they should know that marines get special treatment, in boot camp, does that sound so much more exclusive. My routine is twice as hard and ten times more boring than most of the students. Since I am out most times because of riding practice, my attendance is low; and the teachers are always giving me special consideration and attention, sure that’s great if you like someone looking more closely at your work than they normally would. This is rare that I am not down at the horse stadium preparing for a competition, and now I am sitting in school full time in a bitter sweet fashion, but more sweet than bitter.
The best part of the school day is lunchtime when I could sit at the table next to the eighth graders that included my crutch and hero, Henry. It’s only at school when I can rely on him. He cannot be his annoying self like at home or his friends would dump him for the sake they can’t flirt with me. At home he is a real pain in the neck. Things are going to change the minute I get on that bus to go home.
The dreadful bus ride, oh how I forgot how much I hate it, its been at least three weeks since I have taken the bus route. Henry on a blaze now he is no longer cooped up by the Headmasters rules and now has me as fair game. He loves to aggravate me especially now were isolated on the bus for the 45 minute ride on the windy road home. He started in like usual, trying to prove who is the better at hit your sibling on the head with the pencil. This only escalated into eventually turning into an undecipherable who dun it cause and effect argument sending us to our rooms just as we were running in the door of our home.
Few and far between the challenges Henry and I had, I would come up the victor and if there were a microphone, you would certainly see me proud up on the library chair making my speech. But there is no speech today, I just got mad at his teasing and took my sling off and struck Hank right in the eye, knocking him in the head hurt so bad and felt so good.
Sitting in my room alone for a timeout, I am starting to think about riding and broke out into a cold sweat. Now I am reminding myself of the horrible nightmares I am going to get like the last few nights. I have been waking up from nightmares and getting cold sweats worrying about Mom demanding me to get back on Galaxy soon.




CHAPTER FOUR
At home my favorite place for playing is in our ballroom-sized basement. Tossing about the toys and stuffed animals as I carry on. This basement was originally supposed to be an entertainment area with a wine cellar, but Dad decided he wanted to keep home for family and not work. The more for the family was a concept that I am very happy about. I don’t have to worry about keeping it clean all the time. Since Dad isn't making it a work entertainment room, Mom says, as her trade off it is a collecting memorabilia room a.k.a. a museum. She doesn't use those words, but almost everything about it is museum like, except where I play on the floor and three feet above that around the entire room. Of the four rooms that make up the total basement they all have been painted in a tan-orange paint warm and summery. It was piled with fluffy furniture tracing across from one side to the other and around the walls. The bookcases between the sofas and fireside chairs were splattered with trophies, plaques and memorabilia of Scholarly and Equestrian type heirlooms mostly, mostly items collected and saved from our family's generations of champions. The walls and tables were rustic and adorned with pictures of prize winning show horses, the celebrity riders next to Mom and Dad in picture frames and autographed. Several of the riders in the pictures are family members and Mom is in most of them.
The more formal room of the basement is the biggest room of the house and we use it as our common living room. Spiders need airline tickets on a fly to get from one side to the other side. The room is walled in earthy tones framed in walnut at every turn. The room has a barn door size entertainment piece that is filled with Great-Great ancestry heritage. It's dusty, smelly sometimes when it gets damp and collected by Mom. Sometimes you can get a scent of the subtle cigar scent and imagine being there when the item was in action. Dad is a collector and loves to accumulate anything of past lineage that suggested his family's name. Every item is a rung above other neighbors as Mom says to her sister.
Lying on the floor of the play area where I usually play is a sage Middle Eastern rug, thick and soft like mature moss carpeting a forest floor. Sprawling across the wall opposite the entertainment center are the dozen ornamented bookshelves acting as a somewhat unorthodox family tree. The rest of the room is decorated with distressed button tuft leather couches that have an antique wear like the color of fallen leaves, and feels soft as smooth Kentucky blue grass. The walls look as if they were bordered and lined with clouds like linen and the ceiling has a checkerboard effect like pattern of squares shaped by countless reclaimed cross beams and a bone tone fill to make its bold contrast giving it a cozy glow from the hidden lighting that dim to any brightness including full moon like, my favorite.
Each outlined ceiling box is hand painted with winding interwoven vines producing beautiful flowers and plush tree branches that made you feel as if you were in the real outdoors. It is the most safe and peaceful room I have ever been in. Most homes had a constant congregation in their Kitchen, but not ours, it is off to the downstairs. We even have a mini kitchen down there so we don't need to go upstairs for anything. It is just a special place with a mystical awe to it. On one side, hung on mounting boards, the heads that Dad brought home from his sport game-hunting escapades consisting of Elk, boar, bear, bobcat, a wild wolf preserved almost to perfection, and other various exotic animals adorned the room. It worked around the foundation of the house with walls of shelves that set various decorations of family pass me downs and heirlooms along with Missy Masters' impeccable taste as an interior decorator. Strewn about were miniature children toys like tricycles, Orchestra pieces and candid family pictures of various sporting wins. Also of the family’s own touches were their favorite horse jumping nostalgia, bullwhips reins, and bridle. Michaels very own grandfather’s Jack the Rabbit stuffed animal that is clearly showing wear with it’s rust colored fur and once white chest now a soft butterscotch.
These past two weeks flew by and are not a great deal of time to get over the trauma of a concussion, bruised shoulder and sore pride which her doctor expressed could at first be more agonizing then the physical. My parents are drawing lines, finding little compassion in my requests to move trophies and other memorabilia to be hidden or removed. Having that stuff around the house reminding me make it much harder to want to ride again, especially with the pressure of the event now only 3 weeks away. Mom says differently, she is reminding me of all the competitions she won and goes on to say winning its good for the soul, she should say ego.





Chapter 5

Although peer pressure is non-existent today at school, home is taking on its own form of strain. My emotions were battling between fear and logic both inside my stomach and with communication with my Parents. My trophy winning family is hard to please and having the adornments of high accolades posted about the house shouts constantly, quitting is a loser’s game. Losing does not hit the tongue nor can it be an inkling of a thought, at the Master's home.
The pressure is an undertow pulling at me like that rip tide at the beach in Chappy, RI. More so, like the one that almost dragged Henry out to sea at our Martha’s Vineyard Chappy Island last Fourth of July. Swimming in the ocean against Dad’s best wishes, which really meant not to do it, Hank fell out of favor since that day. He is lectured about the importance of authority and how he floundered in appreciating that value. He didn't make the cut is what they meant. From that day on I have been the golden child, placed in a higher role of true leadership, executing all the family dreams, wishes and aspirations and what ever I had on my own that I could fit in. This is a visible role that required complete compliance with their demands; I was nominated vs. choosing to run for the position. This baton pass gave the Masters, Mom and Dad, full validation to submit me into the junior meet over Henry. Henry is happily loosing his interest in competition; he is relieved to back down the honor.
I just always loved being around my horses. It is two weeks since I was thrown from Galaxy, the prized possession trophy horse, whose jumping would be better suited for a bronco derby. Nonetheless, Galaxy was the newest addition and was staying at the Masters Stables. Stretching my arm finally without the sling, I’m feeling a little better after having clocked Henry. This is the first day the sling is taken off. I haven't even attempted the remedial personal chores, Kitchen, Bedroom and even a bath.
As soon as I got home from school, Mom, asked me if I wanted to go feed the horses, hoping just to get me around them again. She wanted me at the stables even if I refused to see Galaxy for the time being. Since I am thrown down, I well up just looking at my riding pictures mounted on the family wall.
Still priding them over my feelings, Mom will not remove her own personal trophies, adding to my gut wrenching anguish, which had me running yet again to the bathroom regularly.
"Heidi, we should go down to the stables and see Mr. Gudhand, He's been waiting for us to visit Galaxy. We should tack him up for a walk around the fences." Mom said.
"I don't want to and I won't let you make me. I am never going to ride that horse again. I hate her," I said back with an unbridled tongue.
"We'll see honey, why don't we just go down there and brush them, we'll visit Corduroy, Dapples and even Ziggy on the way."
"No, NO, NOOO," I don't want to ride," I said again in a firm voice, but composed enough not to be a tantrum. Ridding in competitive settings, I could handle my temper around adults and professionals when needed, like now but it sure is difficult. Mom is making it clear as she drops her chin to my level in her pesky persistence that my strong resistance to mounting would not be tolerated. She is determined that I is going to pull down a trophy, especially since they pulled Hank out of contention. She will make a man out of me.
Mother knew there is a short window to get riding in the leather again or I would forever be lost as her protégé and generational hope. Before the incident I was just naturally drawn to riding. Most of my passion was for the love of the ponies that I had. These ponies were just so playful and reassuring when I rode them, and now I'm bearing the scars of my recent and unexpected mishap from the Black bully.





















Chapter SIX
The grass is still wet with dew, and there is no one awake but me. Mom is not up yet so I did not have to start getting ready for school. I am set for at least an hour. I used to think about the afternoons' riding practice, but not today, that has quickly become a distant memory. I started sneaking out of my room quietly not to wake her parents prematurely. I went down stairs to my favorite toy companion who always welcomed me regardless of the crisis or my inexhaustible chatter. My companion is, from the Christmas of my third years birthday, a show and ride pony named Madeline. This hobbyhorse represented my first official pony ride and to me Maddy became a contentious invaluable heirloom the first day I sat on her. To me it is the little Donkey that could and carried me through all my troubled toddler years, and this is a tough family to grow up with which meant a lot of therapy. Maddy and I have had much together time. Maddy is a special pony of the most important nature, an additional family member who knows more about me than my parents. I could never bear to remove her from the house, let alone, the living room basement, that was her private pasture.
Since my first gallop upon her, Maddy has been put to the test. I exhaust Maddy almost every day, as we entered our one-way conversations. We talk about all things that I needed to work out trivial or complex, all those of now and those of the past as a younger girl. Maddy is to all in the house a family member. As she has gotten older and her torso softens up, she taking on a more genuine feel. The worn saddle, softened belly sides and frayed mane, unraveling from coarse hair into soft silk that now flow streaming about from my constant rocking. Mom always asks, "don't you think your getting a little too old and big for that thing?"
And I still loudly reply, “Not!"
There is something that looks different to me today. Maddy, has a slight limp look to her left front leg. With one eye squinted I discover there is a newly broken spring on the front end where Maddy's hoof attaches to the wooden stable stand. The stand consisted of two 12" tall walls with eight inches between Maddy on each side with the springs stretching inward to the side hoof hooks.
"You didn't have that yesterday Maddy," I said to myself, "Dad, Maddy's hurt, you need to fix her now." I yelled up stairs to Dad.
Muffling back his voice up the stairs and from two rooms off, strong with authority Dad said, "what Heidi?"
"Don't worry Maddy, I'm hurting too and you will be ok. If you don't want to run anymore that's ok too. I know you don’t want to get hurt again. We can still play together though, like watch TV and stuff ok; I'll still do your hair. Well goodnight."
I turned away and started up the expansive green and gold damask patterned carpeted stairs that lead to the main foyer of the house. I stepped over the toys mother had placed on the steps for me to put away. The top of the stairs has a decorative wrought iron fence with a swing gate opening, against what my Dad wanted the architects insisted it for safety due to the expansive staircase flowing downward. The stairs were wide and included 22 steps to the bottom that swings down to the living room. We spend most of our time here since it is the most liked by everyone. One time we had seated as many as 180 for a benefit and only needed to rent half the chairs.
Leaving the basement halfway up the stairs, Heidi felt a tickling sound in her ear, and then following she felt another sound of the mild metal clink, turning toward Maddy she saw the right hoof spring of Maddy's on the ground. "Dad, I said you need to fix her, she is falling off." This time screaming bullhorns full on making sure her father could hear.

6-Table it
This morning Heidi decided to rest up on her friend. Maddy took on a quick jerk as she rested down. Heidi wiggled her behind back and forth and felt there is a strange wobble to Maddy almost like she is off balance. It isn't quite enough to stay with Heidi long as she said to Maddy, I'm not ready to ride, let’s just sit for a while. There is another creek that set off under Heidi and she stood up and the pony had a strong lasting rock in a pulsing manner that seemed to Heidi to last for a very long time. "She must be very loose," Heidi thought to herself. The nuts and bolts were creaking this morning as if they were starting to become undone, inadvertently giving Maddy a different tilt.
"Dad" she yelled up stairs, Maddy is loose can you tighten her, Dad! Dad! Dad, Maddy is loose."
"OK Honey I'll fix him," he shouted down from the kitchen.
"When, I need to ride her, I don't want Maddy to get hurt, Dad" she justified the urgent need.
“Ok Dear, I'll do it when you are at school." buying himself some time.
"No Now, she’s afraid she will get hurt, Dad," in her suggestive I will keep asking tone.
"Sweetie, Dad is getting his tools now, we are glad you are interested in riding,” Missy Masters butted in. "Michael, just get your tools and fix the thing now” She demanded.
"I'm not riding Mom, I am just playing with Maddy, and it’s different."
At morning breakfast, Mom asked at the table, "Heidi, since you like the horse so much, what would you think about us going to the stables and getting you some exposure to real horses again?
"Maddy is not a horse Mom, she is a pony! Can't you remember that? I told you Mom, I am not going to go any more, stop asking me."
"Easy watch the way you speak to your mother," Her father piped in.
"Are you afraid? Asked Missy"
"Stop it I said, stop it I hate horses." Said Heidi.
"Well you like riding your bouncy toy down stairs, so why don't we just bring that horse for you to ride in the meet” Her Mom says sarcastically.
"Honey," Michael Masters intrudes,” Let’s give her some slack, will you?"
"No I won't go, Dad, tell her I am not riding." Heidi begins to well up in her eyes. "Why is it so hard for you to get it Mom."
"Well I do get it and so should you. If you can't seem to find the attitude to get back on the horse after all we have put into it, then we'll have to throw out all the horse pictures, toys and all. How do you feel about that?" In a solemn deep tone as if a bomb is exploding.
At that instance, one of the springs came popping loose from Maddy as she began rocking back and forth a few times and then to a rest again.
"Did you hear that honey, I think I heard something in the basement," Said Mother Missy Masters.
"No, I didn't hear anything sweetie," replied her father, "I am going to the library to do some work."
Heidi also heard something, it is a slight tickle of a sound, but there is something familiar about the ring of it that lured her to the basement just after the good talk with her parents and passing on a warm textured chocolate cake dripping with smoldering homemade fudge swirling in a pool of melting vanilla ice cream, her favorite.
Looking for Heidi to turn her in to bed "I heard you, yes, I will fix her tomorrow I said." Heidi father had come to the top of the stairs in his last stop searching for Heidi. "Go to bed the doctor said you needed double your rest to heal that arm quickly for the show."
"I said I am not riding and I am not going to the show. I hate horses they are mean."
"Well you like Maddy don’t you? Sounds like your saying two things."
"No, Dad it's different, Maddy is a pony, and I don't know why you and Mom don't get that?"
The figurines that helped decorate the shelf units of the basement could tell that Maddy is upset and they sensed a terrible worry about Heidi. These lively decorations also overheard the words 'All the horses will be sent away with all the rest of the horse related paraphernalia, out to the garbage.' Maddy worried not only about her own fate, but also the fate of the little girl she has so long protected, as she let her restraints hold Heidi back far too long in preventing her from falling off. She certainly didn't want Heidi to fall off her game now. Perhaps she felt it is time that she helped Heidi grow up into that brave little girl without her pony as a crutch.






Chapter six
That evening after the heavy striking of the hand carved chestnut grandfather clock everyone finally regained his or her deep slumber. The clock stands guard like a soldier right outside the bedrooms, and loudly announces the arriving of each hour. With a brief announcement from the clock, it is about 1 am. My parents were off in their own wonderland having taken some of his and hers cold and flu relief that they were using like daily supplements to build up their sleep. This was adding to their ability to ignore their surrounding sounds, chiming clocks and the blasting public broadcasting television they left on all night in there bedroom.

Beyond the typical evening mood music static seeping out from her parents room that also helped Heidi fall asleep on occasion, she heard that strange tickling sound again and is propped up in bed with one ear pointing toward the door to validate whether it is indeed the brokenness of her Maddy. She got up and decided to inquire as to whether she truly heard something. Having the house locked down like Fort Brad, Heidi is quite comfortable strolling around the home even in the wee early hours.
Before she went to investigate the sports room she rifled through the pantry junk draw looking for any tools, all of which she is completely unfamiliar with, but took a variety for the odd job she is going to take on herself. She found a vice grip, screwdriver and a scrunch cord all universal tools. Heidi marched down the hall with midnight energy determined to doctor up Maddy before the break of dawn.
About the same time she reached the lowest step of the basement, she noticed both of Maddy's front legs were no longer suspended but resting on the carpet. This is a much worse repair than she expected, she could not lift this 50-pound pony to repair her. And in fact, the reins were tangled about the broken mountings hanging from the stall walls as if someone had already fussed with them.
Slowly, a calm but powerful energy snuck in and came over the room. It is the same feeling you get preceding a thunderstorm that took over the room filling the air with what felt like a cool static charge, it is hair raising.
“She thought you would never come," a tiny voice in the opposite corner of the room whispered a sigh of relief. "Your horse got upset when she heard we might be heading out to pasture, you know the Macadam Street."
As she is bent over the broken hoof spring of the hobble horse a "Neigh," follow by flapping of lips that sounded like a plastic thunder claps then coming to a sudden halt. This startled Heidi jerking her up in disbelief. "Huh," is the only thing Heidi's brain could muster for the situation.
"She said she's not worried about getting thrown in the pasture she is already pretty old in horse years, but, she is worried about her friend who has lost her spark to ride."
"Who are you?” Heidi questions confused looking around.
"I am your conscious," several voices laugh in the background.
"Well, I can't ride still looking around, I didn't realize how mean horses could be.” She stopped in disbelief about actually having a conversation out loud and didn't know with whom. She is not afraid because the voice is unthreatening in its small size.
"I must be delusional," Heidi, I was thinking to myself, "that’s what the doctors called it." Now thinking out loud.
"I know I am not dreaming."
Her thoughts were interrupted by yet another voice, "You’re out of place Pat Stroker," said Maddy the pony tilting her head toward the bookshelf.
Stroker interjects, “You must ride again otherwise your friend and you will have nothing left in common to kick off your talks.
"And speaking of getting in the saddle, I am no stranger to riding," boasted the miniature jockey as he snapped himself from the top of an antique horsewhip leaving the staff and whip leather behind. Jumping down from atop of the volume of books and landing himself on the shelf. He bellowed further, "In fact, I've ridden all kinds of horse dear and all but a few gave me little lip at the greeting. I never found a horse I truly showed affection for, to being meaner than a moth. It's all how you touch them, and you’re hearing that advice from a stiff old horses whipper Snapper"
"You mean a horse's ass whipper snapper," Rabbit butts in with more giggling joining him.
"Oh, go pat yourself on the back somewhere else Pat Stroker," said Maddy, "don't be frightened, we're here to help you out honey, Now Breathe dear."
There is a Moment of silence and a lot of staring going on for a Moment, Heidi's eyes fixated in a glaze on Maddy.
"Well you don't know Galaxy, he's not a nice horse he's real mean, Galaxy threw me and he kicked me too,” Heidi said back to defend her emotions about the incident and her conviction not to ride.
"Then let me ask you since it seems you need some better advice, what does Galaxy say about your relationship?" Stroker asks walking toward Heidi.
"What do you mean? He's a horse. He can't. Heidi stops for a Moment of hesitation cutting herself off, and then ekes out sheepishly "talk." Heidi says in her logically thinking.
"Obviously, I know he can't talk with words," Stroker the jockey says in a put out tone then interjects again,” you have to talk to him with your hands, stroke his neck, comb his mane with your finger tips and hug him with your arms and legs, do those things and you learn more about a horse than any person can tell you. These beasts are unusual creatures."
"Who be the beasts you are referring to?” Maddy jumps in clapping her teeth in horse talk, Heidi raises her eyebrows to the highest warning level.
"What I'm saying is it's like when Heidi talks to your Mom and she asks you to clean up down here, and then you bulge your eyeballs at her, oh and by the way we all agree that you look terribly silly that way. Anyway, you’re not saying anything with your mouth, but what you are saying is why do I have to clean up this mess? That's talking without saying anything."
Again, quick lip flapping begins again,” Heidi turns in disbelief and finds Maddy ever so slightly rocking back and forth."
"The Pony is playing coy with you, Yes Maddy is, isn't that what you call our grey beauty?"
"Yes," Heidi says confused, she is just realizing she is speaking to a figurine, a midget carved out of about five inches of wood painted in an outfit from shiny smooth black boots rising to just below his knees, tight white britches finished with a black belt and a yellow-brown jersey numbered 20 with the words "Masters Classic"; the benefit Heidi’s grandparents founded, detailed on his back. In all the days she had been down stairs, she never noticed him before."
"Heidi," Come back tomorrow night and we'll talk more. Right now you need to rest for your arm. How is it feeling? Good enough to ride?"
"Stroker!" says Maddy angrily at his pushiness.
"It is still sore," she replied
"Can you move it without pain?"
"I can move it without pain, but it is very weak." Heidi said sheepishly enjoying a little sympathy.
"Great then we will get started tomorrow; you don't need to exert yourself much if even at all." Stroker said. "Good night, now get upstairs" Stroker dictated in a raspy tone to get her moving.




















Chapter seven

"How dare Pat, Stroker, we had an agreement. You were going to talk to our friend, not stir up the whole incident."
"Please, Mrs. Maddy, am I the only one who has a grip on reality here?” Stroker blurts out,” If she doesn't ride in the show, we're dog meat, figuratively speaking for you. As for me, I'm just getting scrapped."
In a condescending voice, "That's exactly what I'm talking about, you are pushing Heidi much too hard, and you’re not talking to one of your mates here, she's only eight years old. There's a finesse in making a magical connection, some like to say a passion spirit among friends" Says Maddy.
Rebutting, "Riding isn't a sissy game here, either she's going to ride or not. And riding takes more than mind bending and smoke puffing between two people, it takes pure skill and nerve." Pat Stroker whittles back in. And 'Passion spirit,' that's someone playing the sissy card?"
"My Point is, let’s see if she comes back. Are you ready if she does?" says Maddy.
"Yes, we have the whole thing planned." Rabbit and Stroker both replied at the same time.
"But, what if it she gets upset? Rabbit says.
"Come on it's just a little horse play to feel her out.
It's just a walk with an old friend" Maddy says. "Besides, I've only kicked enough to give a toddler a thrill, She'll be fine, and that’s just the ride she needs."

"Not the best attitude going into this game plan worrying and all Rabbit." Says Stroker, hopping down from the trophy armoire concerned that Rabbit is going to screw things up.
"But I am a little anxious, I'm the villain here and it's making me nervous," says Jack the Rabbit in a held back voice
"Oh Sure Rabbit, you're nervous, why? You have nothing to loose, your a Rabbit with no affixation to a horse in general...you'll still be shelved either way," as the rest of the friendly clan all looked at Rabbit.
"Watch your tone with me, Stroker, I have feelings too. I didn't say I wouldn't do it, I said I is anxious. If you prefer, I could just not do it!"
"Ok and instead, we could play find the Rabbit tomorrow instead if you like." said Fox chiming in from the hunting area toward Rabbit.
"You're a cute one Bitty Fox,” says Rabbit. "When are you signing up for the cause?"
"Now, Now, stop it you all, we have issues here," Says Maddy to the group.
"Will you trust me, I know riders, I've been thrown myself, I'll be there and it’ll work.” Stroker hops back up and posts himself back onto the whip staff as the room discharges and rests quiet as a storm calms.
















Chapter eight

"The next evening, Heidi lay awake staring at the ceiling after bedtime until well into 1:00 AM in the morning, pondering about what actually happened last evening. She is thinking whether or not she should go downstairs again, and alone. What if Dad’s wild boar starts grunting? She decided to appease her curiosity, and at least peer into the room from the upper basement step, and she brought along Kitty her sleeping companion who travels with her whenever and wherever she goes sleep away or starting a new adventure. Kitty went with Heidi the first time they rode the school bus, and her first sleep over, Kitty's name is Faith." In fact, when Heidi was young, Heidi's Mom, had to crayon two fake travel tickets for Heidi to assure Heidi that Kitty is going.
Heidi started strolling to the top of the basement steps, with Kitty head locked in tow. She looked in the deep room and it is quiet and familiar. They started to descend down to the first few steps. Suddenly, the stairway fell into a sloping landscape beneath Heidi's feet and transformed into a rolling grass hill that Heidi and Kitty bumped down.
Before Heidi could upright herself and Collect Kitty,
A small voice charged right in, "Well tell us about your friend Galaxy, remember, you were describing him to us yesterday morning" said Stroker the Jockey, looking down from a tree stump at Heidi who sat on her bottom at the foot of the grassy hill.
"What happened?" Heidi asked, shaken up by the tossing around. She is disoriented and confused about where she is, but now noticed her new friends were right there beside her.
"Hellooo, I'm talking here is anyone listening," as Stroker tapped his foot on the hollowed tree stump making an ear grabbing wrap like a finger filled thimble on a table with his stomping jockey boot.
"Galaxy! Remember? We were talking about him, tell us more about your mean horse," as Stroker takes a seat and leans back into a tilting piece of bark suitable as a seat back. "Go on"
Well Galaxy is 4 years old, and 17 and a half hands tall. He is the fastest record holder in junior furlong Derby. Everyone knows he is the most talented horse in the circuit, but he doesn't like me. His coat hair is a wet black polish and brushed beautifully to a smooth finish, enough to notice every wrinkle in his muscles underneath. He has one small white speck in his right brow that stands out on his dark fur like the north star."
Maddy interrupts, "Now, that is how I like to be referred to, a wet silky looking silver beauty, and not the grey lady as Mr. Stroker refers", she said with cutting undertones.
"I'll give you the silver, but..." then Stroker quickly gets interrupted by Maddy.
"Remember, Mr. Jock off the whipping stick, I am about 50 times your size." as she turns her head up and away with an air of prettiness.
Interrupting the quarreling Heidi continues, "He has run in several derbies, Galaxy that is,” returning from the light laughing at the antics between these two distinctly opposite personalities and statures. "Mom says he's the perfect horse for me."
"About that horse Galaxy dear," Stroker interjects in an all-knowing casual manner, "there is something you should know about a horse, they pick their riders and not vise versa. They can be trained to appear most well suited for anyone, but they don't always kinship with their riders. It sounds to me that Galaxy was sent to the right boarding school, like it sounds educated in speed. It's sensible that if he's of the speed type that he's probably a bit snooty as well. I'm sure looking for a tuck and run jockey and too snobby for a deliberate young rider like yourself. It's not that he's necessarily a mean spirited fellow. I mentioned before, never met a mean equestrial I didn't like. Sounds like you just didn't marry right honey, marry I mean bond. Your horse has a good bloodline, but the wrong disposition for jumping. He's looking for the wrong signals from those that you’re giving. You’re a lightweight rider and your authority might be misleading him by under about 50 pounds or so. When you cradle him to trot, he canters and when you post to a point, he trots, always a step off. You need to find a mate that speaks your language, just like your friend here Maddy, but with the right physique."
"Wouldn't go there if I were you or you'll quickly become a splintered chopstick."
"Heidi What is that you wear around your neck," as Stroker pointing to an endless looping figure 8 like symbol on a necklace," asks Stroker.
"That's my endless courage charm" Heidi answers
"Ewee that gives me the happy gebees were all saved then Hurray" said Stroker in his normal communicado.
"It's no Joke,” replied Maddy as she rises from her resting position. How about I come over there and hop on your back and ride you a couple of lengths, I think we're all getting tired of you." Said Maddy.
"I see your wearing your good mood charm" Stroker says in his butler like stuffy tone.
"Is this why were all here to listen to you grandstand," interrupts Maddy, as she continues in Heidi's direction.
"Please Heidi won't you tack up my saddle and you can lead me on a walk or maybe you'll take me for a ride."
"I can't" replies Heidi"
"That's because you forgot how to ride after you got bumped on the noggin boggin." Rabbit clamors in.
"Oh just shut up will you!" Stamps Maddy, as she slowly gets to the end of her patience with all the juvenile remarks.
"That's not true,” says Heidi, "I still know how to ride. I decided already, I am sorry about my Mom and what she said, but I am not riding any more. I'm too scared."
"Whatever you think,” says Stroker.
Hopping Along
Getting down to business, the Rabbit came hobbling over. Jack Rabbit is the Grandfather of Rabbits, he had been around and his coat is showing it. He is a bit dandruffy and he’s lucky to still see after the dog pulled his eye out a generation ago. This was quite obvious detected by the terrible square patch stitched in by a 7 year old who doctored him up. His ears sagged with age and the hung as far as they were long nearly to his ankles. Each time he would make a turn they looked like the start of a helicopter warming up its props, which happened pretty much on each step.
Nonchalantly approaching, Rabbit comes wobbling along and snatches Heidi’s infinity charm dangles it teasing, "Run Run as fast as you can if you can't catch me I have a new charm!"
Heidi screamed, "no that’s my infinity necklace!" in a plea as if she were losing an arm.
"Yes it is, want it back come and get it." Rabbit started twirling the chain and charm around his paw while tossing a quick wiggle of his tail in Heidi's direction.
Heidi is infuriated, she lurched toward the Rabbit; Heidi’s dash is held back by Maddy's shoulder, neck and nose. "Take it easy dear, you have a bad shoulder. Please hop on and we'll get on after that Rabbit. Jack can't go that far at his age and my stride won't wear as fast as his."
Jack The Rabbit is not the most agile of the group, hopping as if one foot had an extra heavy weight in it as he zig zagged back and forth through the pasture since he had to keep swinging his ears clear of his one good eye.
Heidi stepped back at first from Maddy uncertain about what she should do. She loved that charm so she stepped into the stirrup that is several inches from the ground as Maddy had knelt down for her to climb aboard making the task easy and thoughtless.
"Why aren't you going?” said Heidi frantically as Rabbit, slow as he is, started to fall out of sight.
"You haven't asked me or touched my reins. What would you like to do?" Maddy asks.
"Giddy up." Heidi says, and then Maddy starts laughing hysterically.
"What are you doing," Heidi said.
"I'm getting Giddied up like you asked,” laughing even harder.
Almost loosing sight of Rabbit, Heidi kicks Maddy and yells, "go" with a hint of embarrassment lingering in her heels.
"Well is that how you treat a lady?" as Maddy lurches with a smile.
"If you are going to make fun, there is more where that came from," Said Heidi still resonating from the embarrassment of 'Giddy up' remark.
"I like a little feistiness, but remember what Stroker told you, the horse picks its mate and I can tell you you’re not winning goodie points." They quickly trotted back and forth, and in and out of the bushes searching for the missing Rabbit.
It isn't long before they were directed to Rabbit since he is the only Rabbit that wore an eye patch and had the ability to corner himself in a bush, rock or a tree even stopping him from getting very far.
"Please stop, I haven't done anything to you. Heidi begs, "I am only looking for my charm back." Heidi pleads in a sincere voice.
"Oh you’re talking about the courage charm,” said Rabbit feeling a little bad about it. "Yeah I left it back for you at the watering hole by the bushes where I first hid on you."
"You mean this is a game the whole time, upsetting me like that," Heidi asks Rabbit.
At that Moment, Maddy clears her throat "Kmmmm Kmmmmm" and Rabbit snaps upright.
"No, No course not, you shouldn't have come here. This is a place for folks who, you know, just our kind of folks."
Maddy looked at Rabbit with one eye bigger than the other before she turned to proceed back to the tree stump at the foothill.
"Ta-da!" There is her courage chain being held by Stroker.
"I is so worried, that is mean," Heidi said.
Heidi turns around almost catching Stroker in a wink to Maddy and Rabbit, and she hesitates knowing she missed something and says, "But how do I get out of here? I want to go to sleep"
"Same way you came in but opposite, Up the hill." Maddy explained.
Up the hill Heidi went feeling a little sore on her shoulder from the slow trot she had been on, and just as she is about to see over the hilltop, she found herself tripping over the top step of the staircase.
"Are you ok dear?" Her Mother Said. "What are you doing up so late? I thought I heard someone talking and then I saw you climbing up the stairs." At that point mother is a bit more curious about Heidi being up, and took a few steps down the stairs, where the stuffed animals were strewn across the room and some of the plants were even pushed around.
"I am a little disappointed in you. On one hand you're telling us you're too sore to ride and train for the show, and then I catch you playing around in the middle of the night with your toys." her mother sneered with some bitterness and anger about Heidi's resistance to begin riding again competitively.
"Young lady, I expect you down here before your father gets up and have this entire room cleaned up. And! Another thing, push the donkey back to the side of the room where she belongs. It's off limits down here until you make a decision to get riding again, otherwise, they’re gone."
Mrs. Masters murmurs to herself as she walks away,” what’s gotten into that girl? No Masters going to bow out of a Jump show with a bruised shoulder, there have been ribbons in this family for three generations, and my daughter isn't going to interrupt that."
"Back to bed Heidi, now, and that's an order."
"Heidi, hurried up to bed with her eyes welling with tears ready to burst, but she said to herself, "I don't care if it embarrasses Mom that I quit, I am not getting on that mean horse again. I told her he is too big and I'm not riding."





Chapter nine
"I don't know what is getting into her Michael; she is using this injury to become defiant." Said Missy frustrated about Heidi's recent attitude.
"You know most people get shaken up when they fall off a horse, it’s her first fall and she is only in third grade, you need to cut her some slack." Mike replied.
"Oh, is that what this family is succumbing to, people slacking off. That's not what got you into Law school, That's not what got Dad the money to donate to the hospital, and that's not what got you the position of Partner earlier than any one else in the firm. I forgot the part where giving out slack is a way of getting ahead." Good day, Mike, "Perhaps you can take your daughter to get some ice cream and cream puffs to fatten her up. That would be nice to slack on her diet too while your at it. I'm sure Galaxy would appreciate an overweight cookie eater bouncing around like a buoy in the competition."
Mrs. Masters left to see how the training is going with galaxy, and Heidi and her Dad went to the tack shop to look for an outfit. The Masters took a big risk purchasing her and moving the horse’s discipline from racing to jumping; Heidi would ultimately determine him a wise or preposterous investment. Up until two weeks ago, Galaxy looked like a first class ribbon holder soaring well above the jumps in record time. For the first show, she might seem a little unorthodox, but when the judges see the Onyx beauty mounted with Heidi and her golden locks mounted displaying the family crested blue blazer while jumping two years younger than her class it, it will be a sealed deal. Really, with the judges as tight knit benefactors of the Masters, Heidi all but needs to show up to string the generational Medal, one that Mrs. Masters has worked so hard to acquire while her mother is still well in good health and of mind to appreciate it.
"Sweetie, playing with your animals really isn't the way to handle this whole situation, and you’re making a big mistake not riding. In nine years you could get a scholarship to go to any college you want and even ride the summer Olympics even sooner. Masters are not quitters and I'm going to ask you to get on Galaxy by the end of the week." Bottom line, like it or not Heidi, your ready. You have been riding him for two years and just need to get up there again."
"Do I have to Dad, Galaxy is too strong for me and he doesn’t listen to me one hundred percent." Heidi says, he's always jerking and resisting unless I am really strapping him. It will probably hurt having to ride him so soon."
"Listen Heidi, let's walk the ring with Galaxy on Friday and I will hold him beside us by the bridle, if he gets out of line at all, I'll wrench him. OK, I am expecting you to be dressed tomorrow morning. No more about it." Her father half heartily demanded.
They arrive home and Heidi immediately runs toward her room.
"Just a minute dear, down stairs," Her mother blasts.
"But my shoulder,"
Your shoulder nothing, when you start riding again, then we'll have someone start picking up for you again. Oh and by the way, your pink riding helmet the one that you used to wear with the daisies on it," Missy lifts it up high shaking it childishly to her full attention.
"My favorite helmet, did you find my gloves also?"
"No dear just the helmet and I'm throwing it away by itself as well, I'll look for the gloves next."
"No Mom," Heidi answered at the top of her lungs. "I hate you!"
"It's not my job to be liked, but, to make you an adult." Mrs. Masters chomps back.
"Just get downstairs before I find those gloves and they join pinky." Heidi's mother closes the door to her own bedroom behind her.
























Chapter ten
"Ok, it’s the real deal, the helmet is gone. The hammer is coming down and we're all dog meat, just go with it.” Stroker is blurting in a mild panic.
"I saw it go in the trash, she is two feet from me. Is she ever going to come down here and straighten this place up cause I would love to get a piece of her hide right about now. Oh here comes the pretty lady herself right now, no worries of course for her, because people don't throw people out."
"That’s what you think." whips back Heidi in a sarcastic tone.
"Oh you’re upset, we're playing rock paper scissor on who's going next!" And odds are my better half is going first. Please for us helpless folks, will you," in a desperate plea, "for our sake just jump up on the big fellow and save our hides,"
"Stop it, you selfish stick, it's about Heidi here. We all see what's going on. Her mother's pretty fixed in her ways, but it's about companionship in riding and not the win, it is the relationship that Heidi needs. And she is not going to find that by just jumping back up on the feisty fellow." Maddy all but knew trophy or no trophy; it is about getting her in the saddle and not the competition itself, but it had to be the right time, right Moment.
"I can't do it because I am afraid of how fast he runs and he might not listen to me and stop when I need, just like when he decided to stop when I wanted him to jump. He just doesn't like me." My eyes were glossing over swelling and subtly leaking.
"Well how did you feel when we trotted the other night?" Maddy gently inquires knowing full well by Heidi’s kick she enjoyed it.
"Good I guess,"
"Then we'll have to do a little more of that. And if you’re ready great and if not after that then..." she stops the negative thoughts, "How about we'll just see you tonight."
Oh but I can't Mom punished me to my room until the weekend.
"Great! Just Great," Stroker groans,” You see that we're done!"
"Keep quiet Stroker," Maddy fires back using a little muscle and hoof sending Stroker back onto the shelf. "Let us think. Just come visit next time your ready."
Stroker slowly gets back up to his feet and out of the candy dish
"What, are you drinking out of the pigs trough again? She need's to get down here tonight or she'll never be ready to mount again. The competition is in just two weeks."
"Not funny" says the boar standing right next to the wolf across the basement, grunting, turning, and facing his rear-end directly towards Stroker.
"I'm starting to get a complex," Stroker says with a smirk knowing full well he speaks more than his share of opinion.
“Just don't you worry,” Says Maddy as she walked back into her stable faux wall box, tacking herself up again with her saddle for a possible ride. You'll think of something, Stroker"
"What," Stroker says as he feels the heat.












Chapter eleven
Heidi is wrinkling the sheets and tying the covers into knots with her feet as she gripped her pillows dreaming of Galaxy rearing on his hind legs. Restless in bed and half asleep, she is growing anxious to finish talking to her friends and working out her own ambiguity about riding and competing on Galaxy. She just loved the sport so much, but is growing disenchanted from her fear of Galaxy. The pressure of being a Masters with her decision dishonoring to both her parents, she had a lot riding on the upcoming benefit competition.
Stroker left the room to get out of his familiar environment by previously sneaking into Kitty's denim skirt pocket. Heidi did not notice this additional passenger as she made her way last night back into her bedroom.
Stroker, now extremely motivated to get Heidi back down stairs pushes Heidi’s arm toward the edge of the bed when Kitty would fall from her waking her up as she is almost inseparable from denim damsel Kitty.
"One more push," Stroker says to himself, pushing Heidi’s arm is like moving a small tree do to his size.
Like planned, Heidi startles feeling Kitty fall from her grip. She wakes just long enough to hear in the distance some chatter. Stroker hides to avoid getting caught up in conversation there in Heidi’s room. The goal is to get her down stairs again, and tonight.
Heidi awake and curious walks to the top of the stairs once again peering down into the Basement. This time Heidi startled the basement clan in a meeting already. Heidi had broken up an emergency meeting as she popped around the banister. Before anyone realized whom it is coming from around the corner, they simply jumped into a circle of lifeless toys unlike how they were left.
Stroker meets Heidi on the stairs and out of breath, "Oh, you came out of nowhere, how did you get here so fast,"
"Just is close by, what brought you here tonight honey, trying to "
"Couldn’t sleep at all,"
"We'll then please join us."
As Stroker walks past Maddy she murmurs, "What happened to the ‘here we come’ signal. We were all talking about her when she popped out of nowhere, hope she isn't listening."
"Yeah well who’s ever had the idea for me to tap on the floor to warn you down here. The bedrooms carpeted, and it is like stomping down on a hay pile. So don't be pointing hooves at me. Rabbit’s been around the place, he should have been helping with the communication details, especially since he's got the ears for hearing, unless he lost one of those too."
"Now, let’s just get on with the plan." Maddy says, “Did you arrange it?"
"Sure did!" When haven't I come through with flying colors?” Stroker says in his cocky Jockey voice.
Heidi, still exhausted jumps onto one of the soft couches that conforms right to her body and starts to drift into a doze, but out of nowhere a Fox jumps up onto the soft pile of leaves she has nestled into and bites her on the backside.
"Ouch," Says Heidi, "what is that?"
“I don't know,” says Maddy, “ran right by me, hope it isn't rabid"
“No, It isn't me,” Says Rabbit.
"Of course it isn't you, you idiot! She said Rabid." Stroker whispers quite firmly, it is Fox!
“Fox!” this is all Heidi had heard in the exchange
"Where said Heidi,"
"Right here and look who's with me," Fox forcing out a purring growl as he held Kitty in his mouth full of toothpick like teeth. “Say goodbye to you friend,” and with that Fox takes off into a narrow hole at the bottom of a nearby hedge.
Heidi, this time without invitation, hops onto Maddy and presses her to a slow trot.
"I do believe Fox has his den around here somewhere let’s try to flush him out," says Maddy questioning Heidi, "how should we go about it?"
Heidi knew that to get a Fox, you had to be the cleverer of the two. Foxes liked the games and the rows and rows of low hedges we’re enough to make a crazy maze. "We’ll have to hop and weave through the hedges to push him out in the field where we can see him, then we'll trounce on him."
"Better think this through Heidi, Foxes can be mighty agile and give you a run," says Maddy worried that Heidi will go after him with reservation.
"Don't worry Maddy, He's got Kitty and she needs us. You follow my lead and we'll run him out. When he is in the flats, we'll get Kitty back."
“That’s a girl Heidi,” Said Maddy.
Heidi began weaving Maddy right left right and then turning around back and forth combing the gardens again, and hopping her over the 12 to 18 inch hedge fences that broke up the grounds. It looked a lot like where Heidi’s father went quail shooting.
After about 30 minutes of hoping back and forth, Maddy murmurs, "Where in the world is this Fox?" in more of a put out voice and less like question.
Suddenly, just before the end of the gardens, Fox turns left toward the neighboring yard and scurries through a thick rose bush that Heidi is forced to guide Maddy leaping over and off balance.
Upon landing heavy on her hind feet after what felt like an afternoon of chasing, you could hear the wearisome grunt of Maddy as puffed out under her breath, "what happened to 10 minutes of hide and seek we talked about."
With the forceful jump, Heidi is right back up on the front of the saddle hot on the Fox’s tail, when Fox cuts back and scoots under the same rosebush.
"I'm not holding her back when we catch him, two can play that game." Maddy Mumbles in exhaustion, Heidi reined Maddy to the right and without a hitch then directs Maddy back over into the hedge garden field once again. This time Fox does a beeline over the hurdles of small hedges as Heidi takes them in stride. Fox takes a hard left and dashes out of sight behind some old overgrown rhododendrons. Heidi quickens the chase and follows the same left. Suddenly, she abruptly meets a hen house, in only a two step approach She forces Maddy to climb about 5 feet in the air clashing Maddy's hind feet on the roof peak cracking off a few shingles before they come to a clean landing.
"Fox!" Maddy screams in frustration and anger. The purring came again from behind Heidi and she made an abrupt about face. Standing at an open entrance to the hen house is Fox that just dropped kitty right on the ground and sprinted off.
Heidi recovered Kitty and rode Maddy back to the leaf pile at the hill and she apologized to her for the rough riding. And reassured her she would not be so inconsiderate about handling Maddy again. Fully exhausted, both Heidi and Maddy lay in the shade beneath the tree and softly retire.
Sprawled on the floor in a brown Fall foliage patterned blanket on the other side of the basement between the toppled doll house, Rabbit and Fox webkins lying about with Kitty clutched in her arms. And, Maddy is there right besides her also laying on her side.
"She has lost her mind. She won't do it for me and she's going to carry that little hobble horse around just to stick it in my face, I’ll show her with it out to the curb."
That next evening, Maddy found herself out in the cool air on the skirt of grass worn from the garbage pails. She sat there all night terribly sad that she would now be forever separated from Heidi, but it must be that fate should have it.
Heidi is restricted to her room again. The whole day she is banned to come out for her gross disobedience. She could see Maddy outside alone looking so sad peering out from her bedroom door through the hallway window outside beside the front curb. Maddy was standing there still as stone waiting to get picked up. She went to her closet to get a robe and when she returned Maddy is gone. I went to sleep crying again, as my best friend was gone forever with so many memories. At this point I felt Maddy was all the family I had, Mom mad at me, Dad doing what Mom says. Now Maddy was out in the street and I had no one.









Chapter 12

At the first glimpse of sun, Heidi woke up as she would have in the past on training days. She is beaten down feeling helpless and is now reserved to let her mother's wishes push her to compete despite her fear of Galaxy. She would need to do the best she could to mount him again. She is getting dressed in her riding outfit and knocking on her bedroom door is her Dad.
"Honey, this morning isn't garbage day, Mom didn't know, so I told her it must be fate we kept her, I put your show pony back downstairs after I wiped the moisture off her. I hope we can work this riding thing out, can we try."
"Ok Dad." she replied.
"She said OK! She said OK! She’s gonna ride” And I'm guessing that’s where she's going in the riding outfit, riding outfit, she's going to ride and we're saved, yes. I am so worried. We're gonna stay, we're gonna be saved." Stroker sings around the bookshelves.
"Is that all your worried about, your little old self ash, don’t you think? How about helping her reach a healthy recovery and not just selfishly throwing her to the wolves. She's a girl, and has deep feelings to work out. If anyone should have something to say it's me freezing my bones out last night. But, I'm here now and I love that girl. So lets help her through this selflessly can we. Please people"
Stroker breaks eye contact with Maddy and under his breath he says, "Well at least she's gonna ride,"
I heard that, "stick wad" and she also turns her rear toward him.
Rabbit winks with his one good eye, "Let's try to stay even keeled here. Now, we still have a week before the meet, let's keep level-headed and not blow it."
Putting his feet up on one of the taller books he says, "It's all done. Today she rides." And, off for a long awaited nap Stroker kicks back.
A few hours later, the group is huddled together all but Stroker who awakes to see their commotion. Staggering around stretching himself out as one does after a deep nap, Stroker says "What's up fellows and lady."
Popping up out of the pack quipping back,” she didn't do it, she didn’t do it," said Rabbit. "And now the Mrs. wants all toys gone, we're all at risk."
"Who? What? Did? Hongh? What do you mean her mother didn't throw one of us out she's riding, why are you surprised about that?"
"No slap stick, she, I mean Heidi didn't mount." Rabbit quickly taps his foot in agony of the news.
"There is only one solution. Get her tonight, I'll handle the arrangements." Stroker exclaims.
"Hey splinter, what do you mean just get her? Oh now you’re going to handle things solo? What are you thinking of doing?"
"Don't worry?"
"It means she's gonna ride."















Chapter twelve
Now it has become a new late night playtime visiting her new friends, but Heidi still held herself up near the top step to survey what’s going on. As she starts to step down the steps, she braces herself for a gentle fall. This does not happen, the steps remain in tact as she proceeds to the bottom. As she lands on the soft carpet, a dismal calm takes over the room; Maddy pushes Heidi aside and says we must hide at once."
"What is wrong" Heidi asks.
"I'm not certain, but it looks bad?"
"Don't be afraid, just stay with me" Maddy says,
"I just wanted to say that I is sorry that I didn’t ride," Heidi Says to Maddy starting to cry.
"Dear, I do believe, "all good toys must come to a sweet end sometime. It's ok."
Suddenly, a heavy breeze swings into the quite still calm and the wind brings a cold dampness into the room. Instinctively, everyone looks to hide but Maddy and Heidi are just too big.
They all heard the growl of the angry wolf from in front of them. Wolf didn't seem like he is with the program. Then as the sound grew gets closer there became separation in the growl as it split and spread around Maddy and Heidi in a semicircular pattern. They can tell by the rumble and the howling that it is a full pack as the sound continued louder as it merged into something that sounded unyielding. From school, Heidi knew the only time a pack of animals is organized in this way is when they are readying for a hunt, and Maddy knew this instinctively. A heavy dark shadow begins to fall from the cloud and a sharp crackle of barking with a flash of lightning brings one wolf into the spotlight. In a slow confident approach of grayish fur blended with charcoal black under fur, Rex, the once game-trophy wolf emerges from the trees bent down nose pointing eyes black as a starless night that made this animal appear like a fanged torpedo.
So drowned in thought about the wolves, neither Heidi or Maddy noticed the basement’s transformation that left it a murky twilight among close trees making it very disorienting even to those already familiar. The only asset of theirs is the shadow of the full moon that would act like a ceiling light above the dark woods.
Heidi quickly mounted Maddy but cannot move to guide Maddy. When she saw the eyes of Rex; she is frightened into frozenness. The wolf leaped and blasted Heidi from the saddle. Maddy reacts with a double kick to the wolf’s face dislodging several of his teeth, with his mouth now dripping with blood and saliva, "Heidi, I will not leave you, you are my companion, but I can not fight them all off." Maddy screamed, breaking Heidi from her head's cloudiness.
Heidi jumped to her feet and mounted Maddy high and forward, with the lightest of gestures, Maddy jumps over a fallen tree trunk branch full, and she is guided to a path that is protected on both sides by tall brush. Ahead lies a rock that Maddy easily scales with the guidance of Heidi. Another wolf jumps ahead into the path and instantly Heidi jerks Maddy over the adjacent brush. In an unexpected drop then quickly fell down a loose footed slope, Heidi clung on never leaving the saddle by more than an inch or two. "I am right with you." Heidi said repeatedly as Maddy is racing down like a Mustang.
Up the path lie a drop off, trapping the two at a steep cliff that could mark anyone’s fate. Heidi cuts back and about faces heading back at the wolves, over sized and angry. Effortlessly, Heidi adjusts herself blasting at the ferocious beasts before they could chose a limb to attack, as Maddy is directed to bowl down the wolves. This is not a pack to be discouraged, they regrouped and sped strait up the trail while others chose to run flank.
With Heidi's perfect balance and pointing, guiding Maddy with the reins, the pony could weave in and out of the trees with more agility than the wolves bouncing off the branches and trunks behind as the duo raced to catch up. However, Maddy saw that they were losing ground to the dark smoky bandits who were flanking ahead of them. In the path coming quickly upon them is a dangerous rise in the rocks forming a switch back wall from the ground to about 7 feet high. This detour would certainly slow them down, leading them toward an isolated trail that is miles away before they could cut back to the raised pasture, the safest place they knew.
As Heidi approaches the crooked turn, they both knew it is up to her to handle the turn or succumb to the fate of the vicious animals. Within a few more strides, she hoists back on the reins halting Maddy to a sliding stop, and the wolves go whaling past them unprepared for the sudden surrender. The wolves all regrouped, eyes black as wet coal and teeth that looked like a mix of smile and saw blades in one grin, leaving the wolves between them and the hitch back in the road. Turning back toward the wall of the sharp turn, Heidi presses the heels of her hands into Maddy's side turned and tucked into a point position charging at the wolves. Unless they wanted a mouth full of hoofs, they dare not to bite a full speeding pony straight on. Trying to gouge bites into them, Maddy and Heidi explode past them. In full speed and with another four strides before the wall, Heidi turns her wrists requesting Maddy jump over the wall. In perfect form, Heidi and Maddy leap to clear a six-foot rise landing in stride only to quickly take on another 4-foot stone obstacle increasing them to an upper plain leaving the wolves jumping at the wall and miles away in backtracking.
The two friends stopped at a small creek in exhaustion for relief.
Huffing away, "It's always stayed within you; you just needed to feel the heart of your companion to release it." Pausing to breathe, "I trusted you and felt your confidence when we are together. You make me comfortable to believe I can do things that I otherwise would not think I could. Your passion can save your spirit and save your friends too. But, only do what is in your heart and never waiver from it.
Heidi fatigued, leans into Maddy and puts her arms around her neck and chest giving her a hug like when you have been reunited with a long lost friend. They both lie down from sheer exhaustion.


Chapter thirteen
Missy Masters yells down the hallway walking toward Heidi’s room, "This is your last chance” It’s now or... Oh my God!"
“Michael, Michael,” Missy masters belted out as she reached Heidi’s bedroom, your not going to believe this.”
“How in the world, wake her up.”
“Here help me get this down” He says to his wife.
“Heidi, How did you get this hobble horse up in the bunk bed with you, It has got to weigh 50 pounds and with your bad shoulder?” Her Dad stops with a dumbfounded look on his face.
Waking up and completely drained she says, "I am not sure, what time is it", Heidi asks
“It’s eight and jumping starts at two. You need to get down to the stables and warm up Galaxy."
"I think I’m ready to ride again Mom. While were waiting, can I pick out a new outfit and some riding gloves at the tack shop?"
Both the Masters said nothing but showed it in their eyebrows and grins. "Sure dear but we need to hurry, what were you thinking of?
Maybe something conservative Black and tan or just shop around a bit."
"You can’t where that you need your uniform."
"It’s for casual riding Mom. Hold your horses."
"Cute honey, Ok then, but we must hurry."
Before leaving, Heidi strolled downstairs, everything is feeling normal again, the room felt a little brighter than normal. The Rabbit with one eye, the stuffed wolf, the web-kin Fox and The Beautiful mare of a Pony all had sparkles in their eyes as they remained still as stones. But, the wolf seemed to have a slight snarl also lifeless. Pat Stroker is nowhere to be found.
Heidi turned to get going and a whack on the closet door blasted out. Heidi raced to the closet opened the door and found Pat Stroker standing on the floor looking up.
"Please take me with you, I want to make things up to you, I have been so hard on you and I can help you out with Galaxy. I should also tell you that your Dad, well just look over here, you’re..."
Heidi interrupts,” My favorite helmet it's here"
"Heidi, your Dad snuck out and took your helmet back in. His own words were, 'Just let her be happy,' let her ride for the love of it and for no other reason."
"Thank you Stroker," Heidi kisses him until he begins to turn pinkish all about. With the biggest smile she snatched up Stroker, pocketed him and loaded herself into the car where her parents were waiting.






















Chapter fourteen
They arrived at the field and proceeded to the rider’s tack shop like Missy had promised her daughter. Heidi went in on her own predetermined with the outfit she wanted; she always had her own taste. As Heidi looks for her size, she is distracted by two loud speaking men who are talking about how disgusted they are at the rider who is nothing but trouble, Claire, who pulled out of the competition. Overhearing the two men, they were talking about a pony that is nothing but mediocre and could be the cause of the spoiled girl's trouble. She knew this pony, it is Claire, and belonged to a very mean girl. The pony resisted every command and bucked even Claire off at two consecutive shows. Claire is a good rider, but she told everyone she is by far the best and that the reason she didn't seem to place is because her pony is terrible at listening. Boy could Heidi relate to those sentiments.
"Well, my horse threw me also, it is meaning when they do that." Heidi directed toward the two men.
"Then why don't you take this one and they can both throw you off", one of the men replied back insensitively to her.
His friend punched him in the arm saying,” She’s a little girl, stop wising off," as he punched his friend in the arm. "He didn't mean what he said, he thinks he is funny, but," as he leans over to Heidi he whispers, "He is really just stupid dear." Heidi laughs in a childish manner as if they both had a special secret.
"Could I see the pony? Is it here in the temporary stable?" She had only known of the pony from seeing her run in the practice field and from the negative news since Cranky Claire’s Parents bought it for her about two years ago.
"I don't know Sweetie, were expecting to take her away this morning, she's dog meat," They both hardily laugh, "at least that's what the plan is," the men said opening their eyes at each other in a sense that nothing has exactly been going as planned with this pony since they sold it to Cranky Claire Straight’s parents two years ago.
Punching his friend back in reply with a whisper, “Hey, you know who that is? That’s the Masters kid,” waiting for a response from his friend. “You know, the sponsors of the event idiot. Their Kid!”
Realizing how harsh they have been in light of who Heidi is, one of the men quickly says,” just kidding dear, we suffer from hoof in mouth disease." they both start snickering, behind their sleeves as if they are hidden from her noticing. “If you want to go visit the pony, by all means please do so, just be careful. And, mention to your parents that the Peter from Pete’s Pedigrees said it was O.K. honey. Just tell the stable master Ole-Pety said it was all-good and that you’re the Masters kid. He’ll let you the run of the place. Good luck today.”
Stroker climbs out of Maddy's pocket and softly Whispers to her with a giggle, "a horse like that isn't exactly on the fast track to the warmest kind of stable."
Heidi began to get the butterflies in her stomach and Stroker could sense it, so he said, "think of the pasture." Heidi quickly wrapped it up and ran out of the shop to give her parents her send off hugs and kisses and start to get ready.
There is not a place to stand at the full crowded benefit competition and everyone is dressed to the impeccable up to the crest-embroidered uniforms that the riders wore for this contest.
The first few jumpers of the meet started off unbelievable, the weather is perfect and the conditions great. The kick off riders were posting some strong scores and the Masters were now getting nervous themselves, never minding how worried Heidi may have been back in the stables hearing them blasted out of the bullhorns. Despite all the cards being played in their favor, this may not be an all hands down win that they had anticipated all along.
The time finally came, 7th rider in the order. As her parents requested of the committee, Heidi is placed at optimal ridding conditions, tendered the soil, but not too soft for strong acceleration yet soft enough for smooth landings and enough riders behind to see the trouble moves of the program.
Over the loud speaker, with the speaker addressing her recent fall, 'Heidi Masters,' her name is announced, the crowd exploded in news of her recent recovery, and, her parents were the ones hosting the event plus the Master's great heritage in building the stadium. After a wait of about 30 seconds with multiple callouts of her name, as courtesy to the hosts, Heidi finally came out.
In an instant the crowd swallowed it’s own noise like a swing of a conductor’s baton silences an orchestra. Everyone is looking at his or her program trying to make sense of what is happening. There is Heidi trotting out in the proudest posture that a rider can maintain, riding to the center of the ring. Instead of the gold trimmed uniform, she is wearing Black boots, white tights a brown jersey with what looked like a number 22 Scribbled on it.
"Oh my God that looks like the same colors as Pappies uniform," Michael said to missy.
As if that were odd enough for the event, she is mounted on an iridescent pewter pony that looked as if she is just brushed and polished, purely angelic. They guided their way in with perfect cantor, while the crowd stood awestruck.
Questions started to be mumbled among the crowd,” Is that? Why is? Claire? Heidi? Who?
Then the loud speaker blurted out, "I think that is Mike's Kidd," announcer forgetting to turn the speaker off. "Yeah Heidi, Get a load of that, oh shoot." "Click Eeep." the feedback squeaked out after the audio switch is turned off.
Heidi began to ride in consecutive circles and then a figure eight as if she were oblivious to the crowd. She rode in perfect form to the last and most challenging jump. Her mother slouched down in disbelief, but, with eyes squinting, even she is mesmerized by the stunning beauty of the Moment. As she headed toward a jump that many other riders had avoided in this competition because of its height, she buried it with the most graceful leap seen today in the stadium.
After three cleared jumps of the feared obstacle, highest of the late afternoon, the crowd started to build in applause. This unscheduled ride show is just astounding. People began to speculate all sorts of reasons for this unexpected special performance of the evening. Heidi squeezed Stroker who is in the palm of her hand and pressed him gracefully upon the nape of the silver pony while she sat forward in a point position. Heidi blasted with speed to the other side of the stadium. Heading straight for the open Arena's perimeter wall, a six foot planked horse fence. The crowd viewed in uncertainty, wondering when she is going to turn for what looked like another jump. The crowd growing in anticipation knew what had just recently happened to her just two months ago. Heidi is not swerving toward her final flowerbox jump. In a split second a slow roar of doubt rose through the whole crowd, her parents jumped to their feet, as Heidi is full speed and strides from the wall. Expecting her to slam straight into it, Heidi's parents turned their faces away afraid to see. Just ten feet before the wall Heidi presses the horse’s nape leaping over the triple boarded perimeter fence as she continued out of the park into the tall pasture grass falling out of sight with only a trail of dust behind. The crowd exploded with applause. The Masters left the stadium in taught smiles, waiving at the doters, bypassing any congratulations and interviews for explanations, which they were absent.
Heidi rode the country hills home to her house getting to know the new horse she had just befriended. Saving this horse from a sad end also saved Heidi. Back at the house with her new friend in the stable, surrounding her were her friends, Maddy Pony, Jack Rabbit, Fixy Fox, Pat Stroker on a stable sill. Wolf is left back in the sport game room to deal with bear that Maddy gave yesterday’s news to.
In the papers the next day, all the headlines read tribute at Masters Park. Heidi is awarded the unofficial First place of the show and recognized for the most masterful performance of the decade there, the town made an award specifically for her performance. There has been a show stopping intermission rider invited in each annual competition from that day forward.
Missy Masters did not get her trophy lineage that she had hoped for, but she got much better than that, a new relationship with an independent child. Heidi's father has not stopped smiling anytime he sees his daughter riding from that day on.

The end.