“Now, since it’s the last day of term . . .” Miss Rogers paused as the class cheered. “. . . I thought we’d do a fun project. Everyone get into pairs, and we’re going to talk about what you have planned for your summer holidays. I want you to practise listening to each other, and then you’ll each stand up and tell the class what your partner is going to be doing.”

Jasmine grabbed Mia’s arm. “Be my partner?” she asked.

“Of course!” Mia grinned at her best friend. When she and Mum had moved house last year, Mia had been nervous about starting a new school, but on the first day she’d spotted Jasmine’s pony pencil case and started talking to her about horses. They’d been friends ever since! She and Jasmine were really different – Jasmine was short and Mia was tall for her age; Jasmine had short blonde hair and pink glasses, and Mia had long dark hair and freckles. Mia was quiet and Jasmine was such a chatterbox that she even talked in her sleep! But they both absolutely loved animals. Jasmine had a little white dog called Archie, who was part cocker spaniel, part poodle, so his hair was curly and he had a cute face, a bit like a teddy bear.

Jasmine pushed her glasses up her nose and rooted around in her pencil case, bringing out a pen with a fluffy purple bit on the end. “Now,” she started, holding the pencil like a microphone. “Mia Bennett, what are you doing this summer?”

Mia giggled. “Well, I’m going to be helping out lots at the centre with Mum.”

“Oh, you’re so lucky!” Jasmine sighed.

“You’ve got your riding lessons,” Mia pointed out. Jasmine had only just started learning to ride, but her best friend loved it just as much as she did. Jasmine went to Saddlebags, a riding school nearby, and she had already learned how to do a rising trot.

“By the end of the summer you’ll probably be able to canter,” Mia said encouragingly.

“I know, and I love riding Brandy,” Jasmine said, “but it’s only once a week. You’ll be with the horses all the time.”

“You can come too!” Mia promised. “The centre is going to do a summer gala this year, where people can come and learn about horses, and Mum said I can help out. We’re going to teach people how to tack up properly, and show them some grooming – if they can make the horses stand still for long enough! You can come and tell people all about learning to ride.”

“OK!” Jasmine said happily.

Mia wondered whether Polly had arrived at the centre yet. She could imagine Mum and the other grooms carefully getting her out of the horsebox and taking her through the yard. She hoped Polly wasn’t too frightened. Horses could be very nervous in new places, but she knew Mum would be there to calm her down.

“Are you OK?” Jasmine waved a hand in front of her face.

“Sorry!” Mia stopped daydreaming. “I was just thinking about the centre. There’s a new horse arriving today and she’s really poorly.”

“Oh no!” Jasmine’s eyes went wide with worry.

Mia explained about Polly being neglected and Jasmine shook her head crossly. “If anyone hurt Brandy, I’d . . . I’d set Mr Parker on them!”

Mia smiled at the thought of their strict head teacher telling off a mean owner. “I know, I hate it,” she agreed. “But if anyone can make her better, Mum can.”

“Right, that’s enough!” Miss Rogers clapped her hands and called for attention. “Mia and Jasmine, do you want to start? Jasmine, what’s Mia got planned for the summer?”

Jasmine stood up and turned to face the rest of their class confidently. “Mia and I are going to have the best summer ever,” she smiled, “because we’re going to spend every spare minute with horses!”

 

“Happy summer holidays!” Mum yelled as Mia came out of school. She was waiting in the playground next to Jasmine’s mum. Archie was sitting at their feet, his tongue hanging out in a doggy grin.

Mum swept Mia up in a big hug. She’d come straight from the stables and there were bits of hay on her trousers and in her hair.

“How’s Polly?” Mia asked breathlessly. She’d been thinking about the new arrival all day long. “What’s she like? Did she come out of the horse box OK?”

“One question at a time!” Mum said, smiling. “She arrived safe and sound, althoughshe’s very nervous.” Mum shook her head sadly. “I think she’s one of the worst cases I’ve seen. She’s very thin indeed, but I’m going to get her on a proper diet to make her big and strong. We’ll get her up to a good weight soon enough, but it’s going to take something really special to make her trust people again.”

Poor Polly, Mia thought sadly. “When can I meet her?” she asked.

“I need to go back and check on her first thing tomorrow,” Mum said. “You can come with me then. We’ll leave her to settle in tonight.”

“All right,” Mia said, her mind whirling.

“Zoe and I thought we could all take Archie for a walk,” Mum said, looking at Jasmine’s mum.

“Yes!” Jasmine cheered.

“OK,” Mia agreed, bending down to stroke Archie’s curly white fur. She wished she could see Polly now, but if she couldn’t meet the new pony, at least she could spend time with her favourite puppy! Archie wagged his tail as the two girls petted him, then jumped up on Mum, standing up on his back legs to sniff her trousers.

“He keeps doing that!” said Mum. “He thinks I smell like a horse.”

“You do,” Mia said, giving her another squeeze and breathing in the farmyard smell on her jumper.

“Charming!” Mum replied, pretending to look cross.

“But it’s the nicest smell in the world!” said Mia. She knew her mum could look really glamorous when she dressed up, but this was how she liked her best.

“Come on, let’s go,” Mum laughed.

“Jacob’s got rugby practice with Dad, so it’s just us girls,” Jasmine’s mum explained to Jasmine. “And Archie of course. We thought we could go for a nice walk in Holly Hill Park, then have ice creams to celebrate the start of the summer holidays.”

“Oooh, yes please!” Jasmine said, turning to grin at Mia. “Can Mia come in our car?”

“But you’ve just been together all day!” Mum said. “I don’t know what you two find to talk about.”

“Horses!” Mia said, exchanging a smile with her best friend.

They jumped in Jasmine’s car, with Archie between them, Jasmine holding him safely. As they pulled up at the park Archie realized where they were and started barking excitedly, jumping around so much that his waggy tail bashed Mia in the face.

Mia giggled as she opened the car door. “Save me from this crazy dog!” she laughed.

They jumped down on to the muddy track, and Archie’s white paws sank into the mud.

Mum parked next to them and opened her car door. “Now I’m glad I kept my wellies on,” she said, looking down at the mud. “Here, Mia, yours are in the car boot.”

Jasmine looked down at her school shoes anxiously, but her mum just laughed. “Don’t worry, darling, you won’t be wearing them for six whole weeks. And knowing you, they won’t fit by next term anyway!”

Mia pulled on her wellies and stepped in the squelchy mud delightedly. Archie was enjoying himself, too, racing in circles around their ankles and barking happily. Jasmine’s mum got a red ball out the back of their car, and clipped Archie’s lead on to his collar.

Mia bent down to stroke the excited puppy, running her fingers through his curly fur. “Can I hold his lead?” she asked.

“Of course.” Jasmine’s mum smiled.

As soon as Mia took the lead, Archie was off, dragging her behind him as he raced towards the gate. “Wait for me!” Mia giggled.

“Archie!” Jasmine called, running up behind them. The little dog turned around at the sound of his name, his tail wagging happily.

“Slow down,” Jasmine scolded him gently. “You’ll pull Mia’s arm off!”

“Thanks,” Mia giggled as they started walking at a normal pace. “I’m not very good with dogs – I’m much better at horses.”

As they got to the duck pond in the middle of the park, Jasmine’s mum bent down and took Archie off his lead for a run around.

“What do you want from the ice-cream stand, girls?” Mum said. “As if I need to ask.”

Mia and Jasmine grinned at each other. They always had the same thing – the best ice cream in the whole world. “Pink and whites!” they chorused.

Mum came back with four enormous ice-cream cones, with vanilla and strawberry swirled together.

Archie came up and raced in circles around their legs as Mia and Jasmine started eating their ice creams. As the girls looked down at him, the little dog suddenly stood still, his tail wagging frantically, then raced off into the bushes.

“Archie!” Jasmine called. The bushes rustled, but there was no sign of the little dog.

“Archie!” Mia joined in. “Archie, here boy!”

The bushes rustled again, and there was the sound of frantic quacking. A duck shot out of the undergrowth, followed by a white, furry blur.

Woof! WOOF! Archie barked excitedly.

“Archie, no!” Jasmine’s mum called.

But it was too late. Archie raced after the duck as it flapped away. As the duck got to the pond Mia breathed a sigh of relief. But then Archie gave a happy bark and leaped straight into the water after it!

“OH, ARCHIE!” Jasmine cried as the naughty puppy started doggy-paddling around in circles, barking happily.