“You’re riding him really well,” Mary assured her. “He’s going exactly the right speed for a pony of his size. If you’ve been riding a smaller pony, it’ll take a few rides before you adjust to the length of his stride.”

  “Really?” Kelly said, leaning over to pat Koolio’s neck. “He feels really fast to me.”

  “I know he’s a big step up, but you look good on him,” Mum said. “Remember when you changed from Twinkle to Cameo — you thought she was much bigger and faster, too.”

  “How about just one upright before you finish?” Dad suggested.

  “Just a small one,” Kelly agreed reluctantly. Although his trot and canter were much bigger than Cameo’s, she knew that Koolio hadn’t actually done anything wrong.

  Picking up a trot, she turned towards the jump for the last time. Not only was the height of the jump worrying her, she was also anxious about riding in front of Mary.

  But as the jump loomed closer, her nerves faded away. All too soon they were airborne. Up and up Koolio soared, before landing neatly on the other side of the fence. Although the jump was only about 60 centimetres, it felt as though they had jumped much higher. Kelly couldn’t contain the grin that spread across her face.

  “It might take me a while to get used to him, but he’s my dream pony in every way,” she announced as she rode over to join her family at the rail. She noticed the slightly dazed expressions on her sisters’ faces.

  “He cleared that jump by miles,” Vicki said, shaking her head in disbelief.

  “Am I right in guessing he’ll be coming home with us?” Mum grinned.

  “Yes, please!” Kelly whooped. She jumped down off the grey gelding and gave him a hug. This felt like the beginning of something great.

  Chapter 6

  Spooked

  A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER, Kelly got Koolio ready for their first ride at home. He had been a little difficult to catch and then, to her shock, he’d tried to bite and kick her while she was undoing the straps on his cover. As she put on the saddle he still seemed unsettled. This was not getting off to the start Kelly had hoped for with the pony of her dreams.

  Standing on tiptoe, she reached up to bridle him. Unlike Cameo, who had always snuggled up to her, Koolio stood aloof as she worked with him.

  “Are you a little shy around strangers?” Kelly asked her new pony, as she swung the reins over his head and prepared to hop on his back.

  Vicki, who was saddling up Casper, glanced over. “I’m sure once he gets to know you he’ll relax.”

  “Hopefully that doesn’t take too long,” Kelly sighed, swinging herself up into the saddle. “The next show is only a few weeks away. I can’t wait to have Koolio out competing — he’s so handsome, I bet he’ll win lot of ribbons.”

  “It’s not just about looks — the ponies also have to be well trained,” Vicki said. “You’ll need to teach Koolio a lot before he’ll be able to win in the show ring.”

  “Let’s get riding, then,” Kelly grinned, tapping her heels against her new pony’s sides.

  As the sisters walked their ponies to the front paddock, Kelly tried to stay relaxed but Koolio was shifting around uneasily, spooking at everything he passed. He was even scared of the chickens pecking in the dirt for worms.

  By the time they reached the paddock, where Mum was waiting for them, Kelly was a mass of nerves.

  “He looks like he’s being a handful,” Mum said with a frown as Koolio darted through the gateway.

  “He’s pretty scary when he leaps about.” In spite of her effort to stay calm Kelly’s voice wavered, and her knuckles were white from clutching the reins.

  “Just remember that he’s barely left his old property before, so everything will be new for him,” Mum told her. “I’m sure he’ll settle once he’s had a good look at everything.”

  “I hope so,” Kelly said, squaring her shoulders in her best attempt at determination. She couldn’t help adding, “But until he does, is it all right if we take it slowly?”

  A week later, Kelly still didn’t trust Koolio enough to canter or jump him.

  “But he hasn’t done anything wrong,” Vicki groaned in frustration when Kelly refused, yet again, to try a faster pace.

  “You mean apart from him spooking and jig-jogging all the time,” Kelly snapped. She was already annoyed and frustrated with herself for letting fear get the better of her — she didn’t need Vicki reminding her as well.

  “OK, I guess that’s true,” Vicki said, as she trotted Dandy in a circle. “But at least he hasn’t bucked or reared. If you weren’t hanging onto the reins so tight, he’d probably relax and stop jig-jogging, too.”

  “But I’m worried he’ll spook and bolt off,” Kelly said. In truth, she couldn’t stop imagining all the things that could go wrong. “Once he calms down, I’ll start trusting him more to try new things — I promise.”

  But settling seemed to be the last thing on Koolio’s mind. After days of slow work, he was full of energy and coiled up like a spring. As Kelly trotted him in the training paddock alongside the river, a pair of ducks suddenly flew up. Koolio bolted forward and, unprepared for the sudden burst of speed, Kelly lost her balance and tumbled to the ground. Spooked by his falling rider, the terrified pony kicked out, his hoof clipping Kelly’s shoulder. She cried out in pain, clutching her arm.

  The family all came running over, but Vicki was the first to reach her. “Are you all right?”

  “He kicked me,” Kelly sobbed. She rolled over and glared at Koolio, who was now standing under the trees, his reins trailing on the ground.

  “What happened?” asked Dad.

  “Just Koolio being difficult again,” Kelly sighed. She wiped her face and gingerly rose to her feet, prodding her aching shoulder. Already she could feel a bruise forming. “Maybe I’m not ready for a pony as big and young as he is. I’m not sure what I was thinking.”

  “You can’t give up on him.” Amanda looked at her sister in horror. “When Magic was being naughty, I had to keep trying until finally she behaved. Koolio will get better, too.”

  “Riding just isn’t that fun when I’m constantly worried about getting hurt,” Kelly said.

  “Would you like me to ride him for a while?” Vicki offered. Kelly looked at her sister for a moment before replying with more determination than she felt.

  “Thanks, it’s nice of you to offer. But what’s the point in getting a new pony if I don’t even ride him? I’ll feel like I’m giving up if you take over. Even though Koolio scares me, I want to figure out how to fix this by myself.”

  “Let’s get you back on then,” Mum said, bringing Koolio over. The gelding was much more relaxed now that the ducks were gone, yet still Kelly eyed him warily. Maybe she should have let Vicki ride him, just this once. If he behaved for Vicki, Kelly would be able to feel more confident straight away.

  But then she thought of every other pony she’d had: not once had she trained a pony by herself, or solved any issues that came up. She’d always turned to Vicki for help, and, although it produced a good result at the time, Kelly didn’t think it had made her a braver rider in the long run.

  Determined that this time, with Koolio, she would manage by herself, she took the reins and Mum boosted her into the saddle. She didn’t feel brave, but she would pretend she was as fearless as Vicki. Maybe then she’d actually make some progress with Koolio, without her nerves holding her back.

  Tapping her heels against Koolio’s sides, Kelly urged him into a walk, then a trot. Soon they were circling the paddock again and again. The longer Koolio worked, the more relaxed he seemed.

  Deciding Vicki would try a canter at this stage, Kelly settled deep in the saddle and urged him on. Leaping playfully, Koolio picked up the pace. Although her heart was pounding, Kelly was careful to keep her hands and legs steady so Koolio wouldn’t slow into a trot. Vicki had been right: apart from spooking at the ducks, Koolio hadn’t bucked or reared while she’d been riding him. It was only her imagination that was conjuring up all the worst-case scenarios.

  After cantering in both directions, Kelly dropped Koolio back to a walk with a huge sigh of relief. Patting the pony’s neck, she rode up to her family and leapt to the ground. She’d survived her first canter on Koolio since he’d arrived at their property, and though she was too wracked with nerves to enjoy the ride, it hadn’t been as bad as she’d feared. Maybe everything would be OK after all.

  Chapter 7

  Professional Help

  BUT KELLY’S OPTIMISM WAS SHORT-LIVED. The very next time she went to ride Koolio, all her nerves flooded right back. And she had to keep battling them each and every time she rode him. She couldn’t stop worrying. What was he going to do next? Was he going to behave, or would he spook again? Would he throw her off? She could handle a few more bruises, but the fear of breaking a bone paralysed her.

  The worst of it was that this constant tension was making riding a chore — Kelly rarely found it fun anymore. With Koolio, nothing was easy like it had been with Cameo. Although he’d been well trained by Mary, and Mum and Vicki tried to help out with advice and encouragement, Kelly felt she lacked the experience and strength to get good results from him. He just didn’t seem to listen to her — and in fact, it seemed that with every passing day he was getting worse.

  “Nothing works,” she groaned in despair at the end of another frustrating ride. She’d had Koolio for two weeks now and there was no way the two of them were ready for competitions. “The way he’s going, I’ll never trust him enough to start jumping him around courses, let alone compete with him. I’m pulling out of competing this season.”

  “There’s no way that’s happening.” Mum shook her head. “He is far too good looking and way too talented. We just have to figure out how to get you two working as a team.”

  “I’m trying as hard as I can,” Kelly said. “But I don’t think Koolio is trying at all.”

  Later that evening, after Kelly had done her homework, she settled at the kitchen table to look at the calendar of events. Almost every weekend, from October right through to March, was filled with shows that Vicki had highlighted. The season started with Ribbon Days, then progressed to the more serious A&P Shows. She’d even chosen a few One-Day Events, games days and show-jumping competitions to add a bit of variety.

  Kelly frowned as she tried to imagine ever being ready to attend a show on Koolio. But she knew that if she missed the earlier, easier shows, it would be much harder to start competing once they got into the swing of the season.

  “What’s got you so worried?” Dad asked as he came in to make a cup of coffee.

  “I was so excited about the show season starting,” Kelly said, her shoulders slumped. “But now that Cameo’s gone, and Koolio’s not going well, I just can’t imagine it happening.”

  “You’ve improved so much since he arrived, though. With another couple of weeks under your belt, you’ll be away laughing.”

  Kelly laughed at that. “We might be able to get to a show, sure, but I doubt we’d win anything. I can barely get him to walk, trot and canter nicely, let alone jump.”

  “But he looked so good when we tried him,” Dad said. “I thought he’d be a champion in the making for sure.”

  “Me, too.” Kelly shrugged miserably. “Maybe I’m ruining him — he’s only got worse, not better.”

  “We can’t have that.” Dad sipped his drink thoughtfully. “Maybe you just need some lessons.”

  “Vicki and Mum give me lessons every day,” Kelly said. “Trust me — it’s not helping.”

  “No, not from them, from an instructor. Remember how much Vicki and Dandy improved when Leah helped them out?”

  Kelly glanced up at her dad hopefully. “Can we afford lessons?”

  “We’ll make it work somehow.” Dad said with a frown. “Mum’s got money put aside for the show season, so we might have to use some of that.”

  “And you really think it’d be worth it?”

  “Well, it wouldn’t hurt to try. If you only ever do what you’re currently doing, you’ll only ever achieve what you’re currently achieving,” Dad said. Kelly smiled. She knew this was one of his favourite sayings — but she also knew he was right.

  A week later Vicki and Kelly saddled up Dandy and Koolio for a joint lesson at a nearby arena. Always keen to learn something new, Vicki had decided to join in with Kelly’s session.

  But Koolio was even more unsettled than normal in the unfamiliar environment. Kelly sighed in frustration. Glancing over at her sister she noticed that Dandy, who had competed for years, was his normal dependable self.

  Listening to the cues from the instructor, Kelly and Vicki began warming up their ponies. They were asked to practise transitions between paces, changing between a walk, trot, canter and halt every few minutes.

  “No, Kelly, not like that,” the instructor called out after a few minutes. “Come into the middle of the arena and watch Vicki for a minute.”

  Relieved to have a break, Kelly slowed Koolio and turned him into the centre of the arena. Silently she watched as the instructor pointed out everything that Vicki was doing well, and in comparison everything Kelly had been doing wrong.

  “Now, Kelly, I want you to bring Koolio back out on the circle. Let’s try that again,” said the instructor briskly.

  This time Kelly strived to do everything she’d been told, but no matter how hard she tried, Koolio was too tense and still rushed or threw his head up in the transitions.

  By the end of the lesson she was exhausted and near tears — and, even worse, Koolio was dripping in sweat and hadn’t improved in the slightest, while in comparison Dandy was supple and relaxed.

  “That lesson was amazing,” Vicki said, as they drove home. “It’s the best Dandy’s ever been.”

  “How did you find it, Kelly?” Mum asked.

  “I’m not sure I understood the instructor,” Kelly said in a small voice. “I tried to do everything she said, but it didn’t seem to make a difference.”

  “Sometimes it takes a while to start seeing results,” Mum said, glancing over to reassure her. “I’m sure next week will go better.”

  “I don’t want to keep doing this,” Kelly told her mum through her tears at the end of her third lesson. “The instructor keeps yelling at me, or comparing me to always-perfect Vicki, and I feel like a failure. Koolio’s not getting any better, and it’s not fun. I always end up crying.”

  More than anything, she wished Vicki wasn’t sharing the lessons with her. It was hard listening to her sister always being praised, especially when the instructor only ever criticised her.

  “I don’t know what else we can try,” Mum sighed. “Maybe you will have to spend a few months gaining your confidence, and not worry so much about getting out to shows.”

  Kelly nodded glumly. She didn’t have much choice. The second Ribbon Day of the season had already come and gone, and she’d had to watch from the sidelines as her sisters won fistfuls of ribbons. Although their new five-horse truck wasn’t quite finished, Vicki had been able to take both her ponies along to it since Koolio had been left behind, and she’d won Champion on the Flat with Dandy and Champion Hunter on Casper.

  Although Kelly knew both of Vicki’s ponies had been challenging at first, and that her sister had had her fair share of struggles training them, it was easy to forget that now. She felt a flare of jealousy as they drove home. For the hundredth time she wished Cameo hadn’t been sold, or at the very least that she hadn’t chosen Koolio to replace her beloved pony.

  He might look like a dream, but he certainly didn’t behave like one.

  Chapter 8

  A Deal is Done

  SIX WEEKS AFTER Koolio had joined their family, Vicki finally convinced Kelly to take him out for a trek on the neighbouring farm. Up until then Kelly had been too nervous, and even now she was worried about taking the powerful grey out in such wide open spaces.

  “He’ll be fine,” Vicki assured her, as the two of them set off down the road. “He desperately needs a change of scenery. I bet he’s sick of always working in a paddock or on an arena.”

  Kelly nodded. Vicki was probably right, but her sister’s words didn’t help ease her worry. Holding the reins tightly, she followed Dandy along the grass verge that led to the neighbour’s farm, then halted while Vicki jumped off to open the gate. As usual, Koolio fidgeted and tugged on the reins.

  Through the gate, they took off at a trot, then at the base of the hill they broke into a canter. All was going well until, halfway up, Koolio put his head between his front legs and bucked, moving like a roller coaster beneath her. Grabbing at the reins, Kelly hung on tightly, but she was no match for his power. Again she found herself falling, and it seemed as if the dirt came up to meet her as she slammed into the ground.

  For a few seconds Kelly lay winded, then slowly she lifted her head and watched as Koolio galloped up the hill after Dandy, the stirrups flapping wildly. Defeated, and so sore she could barely move, Kelly curled up into a ball, willing the dizziness away.

  After what seemed like hours she heard approaching hoof beats. She looked up to see Vicki trotting back towards her on Dandy, leading Koolio.

  “Are you OK?” Vicki sounded alarmed as she leapt to the ground.

  “Just bruised, I hope.” Kelly cringed as she struggled to sit up. “But there’s no way I’m riding him back.”

  “That’s OK,” Vicki assured her. “I can lead him.”

  Taking a deep breath, Kelly waited for the pain to pass before slowly standing. Every inch of her body felt battered and bruised.

  “In fact, I’m not sure I ever want to ride him again,” Kelly whispered, her eyes welling with tears.

 

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