Dude Ranch by Bonnie Bryant Page A

wrap.”
    “That’s okay,” Carole said. “I always get the paper bunched up at the corners. I’ll finish the lanterns I was working on. What are you going to do?” she asked Kate.
    “Mom and I have some planning to do on the cake and the rest of the barbecue. Let’s get to work. Time’s a-wastin’!”

A T FOUR-THIRTY the next morning, the four members of The Saddle Club awaited Christine’s arrival. They would join Christine on her morning ride and end up at her house for breakfast. Their horses were in the corral. Each had a bridle, but no saddle. Christine was serious about bareback riding!
    The girls had ridden bareback before. It was part of basic equestrian training to be able to ride bareback, but they all thought saddles were more comfortable. Still, bareback was the traditional Native American way and if they were going to ride with Christine, they’d do it her way.
    They waited in the quiet predawn darkness. Nobody spoke. The only sounds were those made by their horses. Berry whinnied. Stewball snorted.
    “Riders up!” It was Christine. She and Arrow hadarrived so quietly that the girls hadn’t even heard them approach.
    “You’re something,” Stevie said admiringly.
    “Old Native American trick,” Christine said, pretending to speak like a Hollywood Indian.
    “Give me a break,” Kate teased. “The county just put fresh dirt on the road and graded it. That’s how you snuck up on us!”
    “Like I said,” Christine joked, “an old trick! Come on, let’s go.”
    The girls mounted their horses from the corral fence. It was tricky to get on a full-size horse without stirrups, but they found that they could climb on from the top of the fence.
    In a few seconds, they were all ready to follow Christine. She led them across the range. Their eyes had become accustomed to the darkness. Although they couldn’t always distinguish a bush from a rock, they could see well enough to navigate—and to follow Christine.
    The air was still cool. Stevie could feel goose bumps rise, caused by the breeze that washed over her as Stewball trotted along comfortably. She rubbed her arm for warmth, then leaned toward the horse’s mane, brushing his soft, warm coat.
    One of the most important things Stevie had ever learned about riding—and it had taken her a longtime to master it—was balance. A rider had to be careful to be centered on the horse, not too far forward or back, and most important, not to one side or the other. Learning balance had meant learning the horse’s motion because the balance of the horse itself changed with each step as the horse’s weight shifted from one foot to the next. What was a little tricky in a saddle was really tricky without one. Fortunately, all of the dudes were good enough riders to be able to manage bareback. In fact, after a short while, Stevie and the others got used to it.
    “This is kind of neat,” Lisa remarked, voicing what was on all of their minds. “I mean, Max is always telling me to feel the movement of the horse, but it’s
hard
with a saddle. Now I can really feel the motion. It’s easier to tell the paces and how they are different from one another. How do you think Max will like it when we want to take his horses out bareback?”
    “I think he’ll think we should have our heads examined,” Carole said.
    “It’s not the head that can become damaged from riding without a saddle!” Christine teased. The girls all laughed. It was true that one of the other differences was the lack of cushion for the rider’s backside.
    “Now, come on up this way,” Christine said. “It’s a little tricky, though, so be careful.”
    The path turned out to be a narrow trail that snakedaround one of the hills on the range, rising gently most of the time. However, it had hairpin turns in it, and it was rocky all the way. They walked their horses very slowly so that the surefooted animals could pick their way.
    Stevie was paying so much attention to the path that she