Sweet Talking Cowboy by M.B. Buckner Page B

aren’t giving
the lessons?”  Briann asked.
    Tall, elegantly beautiful Shelly laughed.  “No.  Part of my
job as manager is to give English riding lessons.  Same hours, same pay.  But,
girl, we’ve got about fifteen empty stalls in that back barn that need horses
in them.  If we can interest several Western riders to bring their horses here,
it’s to our advantage, right?  The more horses that we take care of, the more
money I make.”
    The two women were standing near the office and when the
phone rang, Shelly took the few steps inside to answer it.
    Without intending to eavesdrop Briann couldn’t help
overhearing Shelly’s end of the conversation.  From that, it was easy to figure
out that the caller was a potential student.
    “Yes, Judge Wellington, our Western Instructor is a young woman
with amazing talent.  Our students love her and she has a positively gifted
ability to transfer her knowledge to those she teaches……..Oh, of course private
lessons are available………Well, she’s only providing lessons for our boarders……..Yes.” 
Shelly turned and smiled at Briann.  “We do have a few stalls available.”  She
listened for a moment.  “Why don’t you bring your daughter out to check our
facility and to observe one of the group lessons?  That should provide you with
the information you’ll need to decide if you want to move your horses here.” 
Another pause.  “Yes ma’am.  Thank you for calling.”  Shelly’s eyes found
Briann’s.  “Oh, for private lessons and board?  Let me see.”  Shelly gave a
price for the boarding and blew Briann away at the price she quoted for the
private lessons.  It was roughly ten times what Briann was getting for her
group lessons.
    When Shelly hung the phone up and rejoined Briann, she was
grinning broadly.  “Judge Wellington and her daughter will come Wednesday to
observe one of your group classes and check out the grounds.”
    “Shelly, why did you price the private lesson so high?  No
one will pay that!”  Briann was still in shock.
    Shelly laughed.  “Yes they will.  You usually have as many
as ten in a group class.  If they want private lessons, that means you’re not
taking those other nine riders, but you shouldn’t sacrifice your income.  Once
word is out that you’ll give private classes, you’ll stay busy.  Oh, and did I
mention that Judge Wellington’s daughter has three horses that will be moved
here?  And by the way, if their horses need schooling, you charge extra for
that.  The same as you get for training.  You got it?”
    Briann learned that Shelly was right.  Darci Wellington not
only had three horses, but she also had three friends with two horses each that
signed up for private lessons and within two weeks had moved their horses to
Mirror Lake Stables.  That made a total of nine new horses moved into the back
barn and four private lessons at an astronomical price.
    It didn’t take long for Briann to learn that the four new
girls were more in need of affection and positive encouragement than anything
else.  They were of the privileged class that spent more time with house
servants and governesses than their parents.  They were bright and eager to
lean and in spite of being provided with all that money could buy, they truly
wanted to become accomplished riders.  Briann made up her mind to give them as
much experience as she could.
    She was a little surprised that Darci and her friends,
Astrid, Monica, and Jane each had an expensively trained, well bred, Quarter
Horse that they were dying to show, in addition to a gentle, dependable horse,
just for trail riding.  Darci also had a twenty-two year old gelding that lived
the fine life of retirement and was just a pet.  Briann wanted to help them
understand that a well-trained show horse could also be a pleasant trail horse,
but didn’t.  She was afraid if they started riding their ring horses on the
trails, they might sell the trail horses and