Night Mare by Dandi Daley Mackall

horse.
    Three-gaited —Used to describe an American saddlebred horse that has been trained to perform at a walk, trot, and canter.
    Throatlatch —The strap part of the bridle that helps keep the bridle on. It goes under a horse’s throat, running from the right ear and loosely fastening below the left ear.
    Trot —The two-beat gait where a horse’s legs move in diagonal pairs. A trot is generally a choppy ride.
    Western —A style of horseback riding used by cowboys in the American West. Western horseback riders usually use heavier saddles with saddle horns and hold both reins in one hand.
    Whicker —A low sound made by a horse. A whicker is sometimes thought to be a cross between a whinny and a nicker.
    Whinny —A horse’s neigh, or to make a neighing sound. A whinny may be a horse’s call to another horse or a cry of alarm.
    Whorl —A twist of hair that grows in the opposite direction from the surrounding coat. This patch is usually on a horse’s forehead.
    Withers —The top of a horse’s shoulders, between the back and the neck. The height of a horse is measured from the withers to the ground.



About the Author
    Dandi Daley Mackall grew up riding horses, taking her first solo bareback ride when she was three. Her best friends were Sugar, a pinto; Misty, probably a Morgan; and Towaco, an Appaloosa. Dandi and her husband, Joe; daughters, Jen and Katy; and son, Dan (when forced), enjoy riding Cheyenne, their paint. Dandi has written books for all ages, including Little Blessings books, Degrees of Guilt: Kyra’s Story , Degrees of Betrayal: Sierra’s Story , Love Rules , Maggie’s Story , the Starlight Animal Rescue series, and the bestselling Winnie the Horse Gentler series. Her books (about 450 titles) have sold more than 4 million copies. She writes and rides from rural Ohio.
    Visit Dandi at www.dandibooks.com .