No Time for Horses by Shannon Kennedy

Race you.”
    Breakfast followed by a cheerful service
started my day off great. We came back and opened the farm to do
pony rides, lessons, and trail rides. I was in charge of the indoor
arena today, teaching the basics to beginning level students.
Autumn decided she was my senior rider. She happily led her pony
Dream, a black and white Shetland pinto, both directions around the
ring. When we started class, Autumn demonstrated how to mount up.
She took charge of the balancing exercises and taught what her
mother called ‘the first fifteen.’
    Those were the maneuvers every horseman
needed to know, including how to stop, start, back up, turn left
and right, along with more balance work. Whenever anyone sniveled
that their horse wouldn’t do something, Autumn favored them with a
stern glare. “Don’t be silly. ‘Course your horse doesn’t wanta do
his work. Twenty hours a day, he wants to eat. Four hours a day, he
wants to sleep. It’s your job to wake him up and keep him focused.
Now, do what I do.”
    If she’d been ten years older, I was pretty
sure that she’d be doing my job. I wouldn’t mind if another
teenager took over, but being shown up by a seven-year-old could be
a bit tricky. Trying not to laugh, I took charge of my class and
encouraged the students to do their best.
    At the end of the hour, Autumn nodded
satisfaction. “You’re learning. Soon, you’ll know as much as
me.”
    “I’ll keep studying.” I said, biting back a
smile. I watched her demonstrate how to lead the line of ponies
back to their stalls. She did have a point. If she could do a task,
the other kids wanted to copy her.
    Jack arrived in the middle of chores to take
me home. He didn’t do what my stepdad used to do, start hollering
for me to leave before every animal was fed. Instead, Jack took
over pushing the wheelbarrow while I doled out flakes of hay. No
wonder he was my guy.
    I never admitted how much I cared about him.
I just wasn’t going to give him up for anyone. If some other girl
looked at him, she was toast. “How’d your day go?” I asked.
    Jack waited while I fed the next mare. “Good.
I took Nitro out, and we rode at a walk around the farm. He amazed
me.”
    “Why?” We stopped outside the fifth stall,
and I dropped a flake of eastern Washington grass into the manger.
“What did he do?”
    “He just walked. He didn’t spook or try to
bolt. I can ride a little, but the doctor doesn’t want me to
stress. No gaming until January. It was like Nitro knew that, but I
don’t remember seeing him at the clinic when I got my
instructions.”
    I laughed and fed the last of the hay. “He’s
smarter than you think.”
    “Way smarter.” Jack parked the wheelbarrow in
its place. “Robin just about freaked when she saw Lassie and the
pups following us. She said she was afraid my evil horse would kick
one of them, but he didn’t even try. We only took them with us on
our version of a doggie walk. We had to stop and wait for your
favorite to catch up when he chased after a butterfly.”
    “Awesome. Next time I’ll go with you.”
Holding hands, we left the barn and headed up to the office to
check out with Rocky. It only took a few minutes for me to set up
the next week’s schedule. I’d be back on Wednesday for a riding
lesson, Friday for a training session before the football game, and
next Sunday to work. Rocky said she wanted me to ride guide with
Sierra and take beginners out on the trails. It was always another
adventure at Shamrock. Rocky didn’t say anything about the barn
manager job and neither did I.
    I would have to make time this week to
discuss it with Mom. She always said we were short of money, so my
getting an actual job with a real paycheck would be a help, not a
hindrance. As soon as Jack pulled into the cul-de-sac, I saw Rick’s
new Jeep Liberty waiting in the driveway in front of our house. I
glanced at my watch. “He’s an hour early.”
    Jack pulled up behind my stepdad’s rig.
“Yeah,