“No, but I can,” Mandy said. “Look, Dad says Diablo’s leg will be fine in a few days. We’ve worked together with him for years. I know I can work with him and keep him prime for the season.” Mandy’s eyes were shining.
“B-but what about Solana?”
“So, she can tag along. Maybe she’ll learn a few things. Maybe she’ll start acting more like a horse and less like a puppy.” Mandy laughed.
“You’ll need help . . . ,” Laura protested.
Mandy took a deep breath, “David will help. He already said he would. At least until school starts and he gets interested in other things.”
“Do you think you could?” Laura began to sound excited.
“You bet I can!” Mandy said.
“I think that would be great. I really want to continue my show riding,” Laura admitted.
“And I’d like to see that wall covered with ribbons and trophies,” Mandy added, pointing to Laura’s trophy shelf.
“You really are my best friend,” Laura told her.
“And you’re mine,” Mandy said. “Now, I’m going to go out there and take that horse of yours out for some exercise. After all, I think he and I had better get reacquainted.”
Mandy left the bedroom, headed down the hall and out into the bright afternoon sunlight. On the far side of the lawn, she saw Solana grazing contentedly. Diablo stood tethered outside his stall. David was washing him down with a hose and brush. He looked over at Mandy. He smiled and waved.
Mandy took a deep breath. Then she headed toward the stables, her spirits soaring and her heart singing.
About Paso Finos
Paso Finos have been called the smoothest riding horses in the world. Columbus selected twenty stallions and five brood mares to come with him on his second voyage to the New World. The horses were a mixture of Spanish Barbs, Andalusians, and Jennets. In the New World, these horses became the foundation stock for breeding the future mounts of the conquistadors. These horses traveled great distances. They carried men in heavy armor over rough terrain. But the animals were agile, surefooted, and strong. Their smooth and comfortable gait made them highly prized by their owners.
Today’s Paso Fino is also a much-prized and popular animal. The Paso is both distinctive and graceful. The Paso measures from 13 to 15 hands and weighs from 700 to 1100 pounds. Shoulders are sloping and deep, the rump well-rounded. Legs are straight and rather delicate in appearance. The hooves are small and sure. Pasos come in all colors, with and without white markings. But it is their unusual and smooth flowing gait that sets them apart from all other saddle horses.
For more information, contact: Paso Fino Horse Association, Inc., 101 North Collins Street, Plant City, Florida 33563-3311.
About the Author
LURLENE McDANIEL made up her first story in second grade, wrote a play in fourth grade, and wrote a book in high school.
Young readers from all over the country write to Lurlene to say how much they enjoy her books. They often ask the question, “Where do you get your ideas?” Lurlene says that ideas are everywhere. She uses her family and friends as character samples. She also gets ideas from television and newspapers and from her own interests, such as a fondness for horses.
Books about kids overcoming sensitive problems like cancer, diabetes, and divorce draw a wide response from her readers. Yet, Lurlene says the highest compliment a reader can give her is, “Your story was so interesting I couldn’t put it down.” Lurlene adds that basically that’s what writing is all about—creating an uplifting story that causes the reader to look at life from a different perspective.
Other books by Lurlene McDaniel include Six Months to Live, If I Should Die Before I Wake, and My Secret Boyfriend.
Lurlene McDaniel, A Horse for Mandy
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