The Golden Stranger by Karen Wood Read Free Book Online Page B

gallop with a rider hanging off one side. He’s a trick-riding horse. Very cool.’
    â€˜Ha!’ said Shara. ‘I knew it! Mix a red taffy with a black and what do you get? A silver taffy! Goldie belonged to them!’
    â€˜Here he comes!’ shouted Grace, pointing to the horse float barrelling along the road behind Barry’s car. The girls ran to open the front gate. A faint whinny sounded from inside the float as it turned into the driveway.
    Barry pulled up, walked to the back of the float and let the tailgate down. The colt shifted about anxiously, banging against the chain that looped behind his rump.
    Shara ran to the front of the float and pulled the door open. Goldie tossed his head and sniffed at her. ‘Heyyy,’ she said, holding out an open hand for him to nuzzle. ‘Remember me?’
    She ran both hands over his cheeks and looked into his big, soft eyes. The colt tossed his head again. ‘Yes, I think you do!’
    Shara reached to untie him and found a soggy stump dangling from the tie-hook. ‘Hey! You’ve chewed through your lead rope.’
    Barry poked his head through the other front door. ‘He’s been through a few of them. The staff at the shelter just gave up and used baling twine – it was getting too expensive. He’s good at getting his halter off, too, if it’s not done up firmly.’
    Shara shrugged. ‘Doesn’t matter, we’ll sort something out.’ She called out to Jess, who stood ready to unhook the rear chain. ‘Okay, let him off!’
    The colt backed carefully down the ramp and then let out a long neigh as if to announce his own important arrival. Shara looked him over. He really was the most amazing burnt gold, with the black dapples down his hindquarters and hocks, and his thick, silvery mane. He’d lost his wormy belly, and Shara could see the muscle definition so typical of a quarter horse. Even though he was still so thin, she could see he would be spectacular; way beyond anything she had hoped for.
    â€˜Come on, handsome,’ she said, pulling at what was left of his rope. ‘Come and see your new home.’ She led him into the yard, unclipped him and watched as Rocko galloped up from the adjoining paddock. The two horses stood, necks arched over the fence, puffing into each other’s nostrils. Rocko let out a shrill squeal and struck out with his front leg. Goldie immediately lashed back. Although half Rocko’s size, he kept squealing and striking.
    â€˜I think he has short-man syndrome,’ laughed Jess.
    â€˜He’s cheeky,’ said Shara. ‘Lucky there’s a good strong fence between them or Rocko would give him a hiding!’
    The colt turned his back on Rocko and paced around the yard, inspecting everything. He walked into the shelter and nosed through the straw bedding, took a nibble of the hay and waggled his lips in the water. He picked up one of Shara’s new brushes in his teeth, a mischievous look in his eye. Then he trotted back out with his tail in the air and shook his head, tossing the brush to the other side of the yard.
    â€˜Hey!’ said Shara. ‘That’s my new brush you’re flinging about!’ She retrieved it and resumed her seat on the rail with her friends.
    Goldie pushed the water bucket with his nose and tipped it over, making a big puddle. The girls watched in disbelief as he took the bucket in his teeth and carried it over to the fence. Rocko stopped squealing and sniffed the bucket through the railings.
    Jess squealed with laughter. ‘He’s trying to offer Rocko a bribe!’
    â€˜A peace offering,’ said Rosie.
    â€˜Wow, maybe it’s true about the trick-horse bloodlines,’ said Shara. ‘I think that black stallion has passed on his trickery to this guy!’
    â€˜Look what he’s doing now,’ said Jess.
    The colt put the bucket on the ground and, using his nose and one hoof, he