Crown Prince Challenged by Linda Snow McLoon Read Free Book Online Page B

we’re not following Sarah and her horse closely. What happened today is disturbing. It makes us worry that Sarah is in a risky situation riding that horse. What’s your take on the accident?”
    There was a long pause before Jack spoke, and his words were measured, as he chose them carefully. “Yes, things went well after the wolf tooth was removed, leading us to believe pain from the bit banging up against the tooth had been the cause of Crown Prince’s bad behavior at the racetrack. And since that time, the horse has demonstrated an excellent attitude in his training with Sarah. Things couldn’t have gone better—until today.”
    Jack shifted uneasily on the sofa while they waited for him to continue. “I have to be honest with you. What happened this afternoon was the kind of riding accident that could happen to almost anyone, myself included. There’s no guarantee that a horse will never be spooked and never bolt, or that a rider will never fall. I think that would apply to training and riding
all
horses. But there are things we can do to lessen the odds that such an incident will happen with Prince.” He paused.
    â€œThe first thing is to have a strong foundation of training in the horse, so he will trust his rider and be more likely to respond to the aids in a stressful situation. Another is to introduce new experiences slowly, in small increments, like starting with a short ride and gradually expanding it. That should give him more confidence if a spooky situation arises.”
    â€œYou say riding will always have an element of risk,” Mrs. Wagner said, leaning toward Jack as she spoke. “But wouldn’t there be less danger for Sarah if she were riding an older, more reliable horse, one that would be less likely to bolt with her? She always loved riding Lady Tate, and nothing ever went wrong.”
    â€œBut I don’t want another horse, Mom!” Sarah blurted out. “Prince is the only horse in the world for me. Please don’t think about taking him away from me!”
    â€œSarah,” her father said, “your safety comes first, and we have to look at all the options.”
    â€œWait a minute,” Jack said, raising his hand. “To answer your question, ’tis true that a quieter horse might be less likely to bolt off, but there’s no guarantee it won’t happen with
any
horse—unless he has only three legs.” The laughter that followed seemed to lighten the mood in the room, although Sarah’s mother remained stone-faced.
    â€œCrown Prince has so much to offer, and Sarah is becoming a talented rider,” Jack continued. “It would be a shame to throw away their bright future. I’d like to suggest a few things, the first being to trim back those pine limbs that extend over the trail. I’ll mention it to Gus in the morning. We have a number of riders who go up to the old orchard, and while none of the horses are anywhere near as tall as Crown Prince, we don’t want to take any chances.
    â€œI’d also like to suggest that Sarah continue taking her horse onto a woods trail,” Jack said, “beginning with a short distance and gradually increasing the time she’s out. The more good experiences they have, the more confident Crown Prince will become. As I told Sarah earlier, I think ’tis best to let her remain in the saddle, because my riding him will not really smooth the way for her. Sarah is the one Crown Prince must come to trust and respect. He’s got to listen to her, and they must become a team.”
    Sarah studied her parents’ faces, wishing she could read their minds. They appeared far from convinced.
    Jack had one more card to place on the table. “I also think it’s time for Sarah and her horse to ride in one of my classes. They would fit into my Wednesday afternoon class that goes immediately after the advanced Young Riders. So instead of continuing to