Loving Spirit

that he felt the same way about horses and ponies as she did.
    The two of them finally headed out of the barn. The grooms were just coming out of the tackroom, having finished their breakfast. As well as Stuart, there was red-headed Helen, who was Stuart’s girlfriend, and Sasha, who looked about eighteen, with straightened blonde hair and wide-set eyes in a pretty face. Ellie was observant and saw that Sasha was flirting with Luke all the time. Not that Luke seems to mind , Ellie noted.
    ‘It’s riding time now,’ Joe explained to Ellie. ‘We prepare the horses that are to be ridden today. Any horses who are being rested need to be turned out. Stuart and Dad work out which horses will be doing what and write it up on the noticeboard outside the tackroom. The afternoons are usually taken up with working the youngsters, grooming, trimming, clipping, and with Dad teaching people.’
    ‘What shall I do?’ Ellie asked.
    ‘Help get the horses ready. We don’t groom properlyuntil the afternoon, we just give them a quick tidy-up before they’re ridden. Stuart will show you what to do. I’d better get Barney out and start riding or Dad’ll go mad.’
    At Hereward’s stable, Stuart showed Ellie how Len liked the horses to be got ready for exercise in the mornings. ‘If you could sort out Picasso that would be a help,’ he said to her once they had finished Hereward. ‘Just watch yourself when you’re oiling his back hooves. He got bitten by a snake when he was younger and he’s likely to jump a bit if he sees the straw moving behind him.’
    Ellie went to the pony barn and set to work on Picasso. She soon found herself enjoying it as she brushed him over quickly, untangled his tail, put a tail bandage on and picked his feet out as Stuart had shown her. She finished by carefully putting hoof oil on his hooves and then rugged him up again. He stood quietly, not trying to nuzzle her or seek contact, and when she patted him she had the feeling he was tolerating it rather than enjoying it.
    ‘I’m guessing you don’t really like people, do you, boy?’ she murmured. The pony regarded her, neither aggressive nor friendly. Just slightly guarded. For a moment, Ellie got the impression of an invisible prickly cloud of energy surrounding his body, keeping people away.
    She often got strange feelings like that aboutanimals. She had done ever since she could remember. Sometimes she felt she could even tell when they were ill and what the matter was with them. She’d told her dad about it when she was little, but he’d just smiled and said it was her imagination. Ever since then, she’d tried to ignore the sensation, but sometimes, when she was alone like this with an animal, she got feelings that were so strong they were very hard to dismiss.
    Shaking her head at herself, she picked up the grooming kit and went to Milly’s stall. In contrast to Picasso, Milly was a feisty ball of energy who didn’t want to keep still for a second; she scraped her hoof on the floor and fidgeted around, grabbing at Ellie’s coat with her teeth. But Ellie didn’t mind; it made her feel that tiny bit more at peace to be around ponies again, breathing in their sweet smell and making them look good. After a while, she heard Joe calling her.
    He was standing outside with Barney. ‘I’m going to ride Picasso now. Would you mind untacking Barney for me?’
    ‘Sure.’ Ellie took the chestnut pony back to his stall. His saddle patch was damp with sweat but the rest of him was fine. She rubbed him down and rugged him up. He chewed thoughtfully at the wood on his stable door. ‘Stop it!’ she scolded.
    He gave her a mischievous look from under hislong forelock and proceeded to use his teeth to pull at the large plastic manger where his feed went out of its holder. He dropped it on the floor with a clatter.
    ‘Barney!’ Ellie took it from him and placed it back. Then she returned his tack to the tackroom and went to see what else she could help with.
    Stuart, Helen and Sasha had got ready the horses that were going to be schooled and had taken three of the younger horses out for a hack. Ellie ended up sweeping round the muck heap. From there, she could see the rings, Joe riding Picasso and Luke riding Gabriel. Len had put three jumps out and was watching Joe and Luke ride over them. Ellie could hear his broad voice as he turned his attention on Luke whose horse was rushing slightly at the fences.
    ‘Get him up to the bit. Circle