us. The riders come and stay at Blackthorn Farm for three weeks over the school holidays and learn to ride…” She saw Kate’s hesitant expression. “Come on! It will be really good fun…”
“When do we go?”
“We need to spend the week before the kids arrive getting the camp ready. Aidan is coming with the horse truck to pick us up on Tuesday.”
“That’s only two days!” Kate boggled. “Issie, I don’t know if I can. Mum will flip out if I tell her I’m going away for a whole month!”
“Please, Kate!” Issie begged. “I know it’s short notice, but Aunty Hess needs us straightaway.”
Issie had been desperately worried that Kate would say no. Of course she would be put off by the idea of suddenly changing her holiday plans and going all the way to Gisborne for a month. The problem was, she couldn’t imagine going without Kate. Cool, calm Kate was a really good riding instructor; she was brilliant with kids and had loads of patience. All the junior riders at Chevalier Point totally adored her and Kate was always Avery’s first choice to fill in and teach the younger kids if an instructor failed to turn up for a practice session.
Kate looked thoughtful. “Issie, do you think you could get your mum to ask my mum? If your mum has OKed it, she’d have to say yes. Besides, I’ve stayed at Hester’s before and she let me go that time, didn’t she…?” Kate was smiling now. “And if I can take Toby with me, how excellent would that be?”
Issie squealed and threw her arms around Kate.
“I knew you’d say yes! Oh, this is going to be so cool!”
The only thing left to organise now was Storm. Issie would miss him so much, but she was sure that Avery would take good care of the colt and Blaze while she was away. Avery had looked after Blaze when she was in foal and Issie was away working on The Palomino Princess. She knew that Avery would be more than happy to take care of Storm and Blaze while she was gone. She saw him over by the clubhouse and set off to ask him.
“I can’t,” Avery told her. Issie couldn’t believe it.
“Issie, you know that normally I would do it,” Avery continued. “The problem is, I was planning to go to Gisborne myself in a week. It’s the Horse of the Year Show. I’m taking Dan and Ben down to prepare their horses to compete in the showjumping. This is the first time Dan will have a chance to compete on his new horse. We’ve been planning it for ages.”
Of course! How could Issie have forgotten? The Horse of the Year was the biggest event on the equestrian calendar.
Avery looked concerned. “I’m sorry, Issie. I can look after Storm and Blaze for the first week, but then we’re trucking Madonna and Max to Gisborne to start training there and I’m afraid that leaves you stuck–unless you figure out a solution.”
Issie was devastated. This completely ruined their plans. She couldn’t leave Storm behind with no one to check on him and care for him each day. And she couldn’t take the colt with her. There was no way he was old enough to travel all the way to Blackthorn Farm. The trip to Gisborne took most of the day in the horse truck, much too far for a three-month-old colt. There was only one solution, Issie decided. She couldn’t go.
“Don’t be ridiculous!” Mrs Brown said when Issie met her back at the car and broke the bad news. “Of course you’re going. It’s all arranged.”
“But, Mum, I can’t leave Storm and Blaze alone.”
“I’ll look after them,” Mrs Brown said confidently.
“You? But, Mum, you don’t even like horses…”
“Oh, for goodness sake, Isadora,” Mrs Brown said. “OK, I think we’re all aware that I’m not exactly Pippa Funnell, but it’s not like you’re asking me to ride at Badminton, is it? I’ve been around them for long enough now and I think it’s perfectly within my capabilities to go and check on your ponies each day. I’ll make sure they’ve got food and water and that Storm hasn’t got himself tangled in the electric fence!”
“Really?”
“Absolutely,” Mrs Brown smiled. “They will be just fine, I promise you.”
Aunt Hester was thrilled that evening when Issie phoned her with the good news. “Aidan’s quite convinced that this riding-school plan will save our bacon–and I certainly hope he’s right,” Hester said. “Is your mum OK about you coming here for the holidays? I haven’t ruined any family plans, have I?”
“Mum’s been great!” Issie said. “And she talked to Mrs Knight and convinced her to let Kate come. She’s even looking after Blaze and Storm while I’m away.”
“Well, well,” Hester said. “It might not be too late for that sister of mine to turn horsey after all.”
“I know!” Issie said. “I can’t believe it’s all organised and we’re really coming. By this time tomorrow we’ll be at Blackthorn Farm.”
“We’re nearly there!” Issie pressed her face up against the window at the back of the truck cab and mouthed the words through the glass at Stella and Kate.
“What’s she saying?” Kate was frustrated. “I can’t hear her through the glass!”
“Issie!” Stella shouted back. “We can’t hear you! What are you saying?”
The cab of Aunt Hester’s horse truck wasn’t big enough for all the girls to fit up front so it had been decided that Issie would travel in the cab with Aidan while Kate and Stella rode in the back.
The girls didn’t mind riding in the back. The truck was fitted out a bit like a camper van, with a shower, kitchenette and bunk beds, and it was comfy enough travelling on the bench seats. Plus, from where they sat, Stella and Kate could keep an eye on Toby and Coco who were travelling at the very back of the truck in their stalls. The girls could see Issie and Aidan too by peering through the little window with very thick glass at the back of the truck cab.
Issie tapped on the glass and tried again. “I said…We’re nearly there!”
“Oh, give up, Issie!” Aidan grinned. “They’ll figure it out for themselves soon enough. We’re about to reach the turn-off.”
The six-hour drive to Blackthorn Farm had somehow seemed shorter this time. That might have been because she and Aidan hadn’t stopped talking from the moment Issie got into the truck. There was so much for them to catch up on.
“I haven’t seen Nightstorm since he was two days old,” Aidan said, “so that would make him…”
“Three months old!” Issie said. “He’s already almost thirteen hands. Avery reckons he’ll grow to sixteen-two, and he’s so beautiful. He’s losing all his foal fluff and he’s got the most amazing deep bay coat, with a thick black mane and tail and black points. He looks so cute with his white blaze. He’s exactly like his mum in some ways, but he’s kind of like Marius too. He has his own personality though–he’s really smart. I taught him
