“There!” Mia gave a satisfied grin as she jumped down from the stepladder and looked at the sign hanging over the centre gates.

 

RSPCA EQUINE CENTRE SUMMER GALA OPEN!

 

It was written in big painted letters.

It had taken her and Jasmine all of yesterday to decorate each letter with pretty patterns, spots, stripes, horseshoes and carrots. They’d even painted the Q so it looked a bit like Marmalade the cat!

Jasmine jumped down off the other stepladder. “What now?” she asked.

“Well, Amanda’s going to be displaying obstacle courses with Beans,” Mia told her. “And Mum is doing a talk about how the animals get rehomed. . .”

“What are we doing?” Jasmine asked. “We can’t be mucking out because your mum told us to wear posh clothes!” Jasmine gestured at her outfit. She was wearing her riding kit – pristine white jodhpurs, shiny boots, and a T-shirt. Mia was wearing her best riding clothes as well, and Mum had threaded a purple ribbon through her long black hair and tied it into a neat plait.

“Let’s ask Mum,” Mia said. They raced over to the yard, Mia’s plait whipping round her face like a pony’s tail. She was so excited, she had butterflies in her tummy. There were balloons and bunting hanging all around the yard, and the stables were extra neat and tidy. Lindsay was getting Star ready for her grooming demonstration, and had all the brushes lined up on a table for people to touch. Volunteers were setting up stalls and blowing up a bouncy castle in one corner of the yard, and the shop doors were open wide, the ice creams all ready for hungry visitors.

There was a sign by each horse’s stall with their picture and some facts about them, telling people their name, breed, age and how they had ended up at the RSPCA. Mia felt a bit sad when she read their stories, but she hoped it would make people donate lots and lots of money!

“Ah, there you are, girls,” Mum said, putting down some sparkling-clean tack as they rushed up to her.

“Now, are you two ready for your very special job?”

“Yes!” Mia said. She and Jasmine jumped up and down.

“You’re going to be in charge of the donkey rides!” Mum said. “We’ve got it all set up so that you can take kids up and down the bridleway. But we need two very experienced stable hands to lead the donkeys.”

“We’ll do it!” Mia grinned.

“Oh good,” Mum smiled. “We’ll start a bit later, when there are a few more people, so why don’t you go and have a look around first? It looks like the fete stalls are all set up, so you might find something to spend your pocket money on.”

“OK!” Mia reached up on tiptoe to give her mum a kiss on the cheek, then she and Jasmine sped off.

The picnic area was full of stalls. There was a tombola and a raffle and lots of stands selling cakes and goodies that the visitors could buy. There was even a “guess the weight” of the horse competition, and the first prize was a bright-pink unicorn toy. Mia helped Jasmine guess, but she didn’t spend any of her pocket money. She knew it was silly and it would take forever, but she was secretly saving up so that one day she could have a horse of her own. She’d never get one if she spent all her savings!

Jasmine’s mum was sitting on one of the picnic benches outside the shop with lots of face paints laid out in front of her. A bright sign beside her read FACE PAINTING £2.

“Girls!” she called. “Come and get your faces painted. My treat!”

Mia and Jasmine didn’t need to be told twice. They looked at each other in glee, then raced across the yard.

“What do you want?” Zoe asked. “I can do stars and swirls, or butterflies, flowers or cats. Just don’t ask me to make you into horses!”

Mia and Jasmine giggled. “I don’t mind,” Mia said.

“OK, Mia first.” Zoe patted the seat in front of her. “I’ll surprise you.”

Zoe held Mia’s chin and carefully dipped her brush into the paint. It was cold on Mia’s skin and she squirmed happily. She couldn’t wait to see what she looked like!

When she was done, Mia looked at herself in the mirror. She had a bright yellow face with black stripes on it. “I’m a tiger! Thanks, Zoe, I love it!” Mia grinned. “I look just like Marmalade!”

Jasmine got a big bright-pink butterfly with its wings spread over her cheeks and antennae curling over her glasses. “Thanks, Mum, it’s gorgeous!” she shrieked when she saw it.

“You’re welcome,” Jasmine’s mum replied. “Just make sure you go round the centre and tell everyone you meet that the face-painting stand is over here. I want to raise lots of money!”

“OK!” the girls said happily.

“Are you ready, stable hands?” Mum yelled, waving from across the yard. “You look lovely!” she said as they raced over. Mum took them to the field to collect the donkeys, Milo and Patch, and lead them over to the bridleway. The centre was beginning to get busy, and there were lots of families wandering around looking at the horses. Mia even spotted a couple of people that she knew from school.

Milo and Patch trotted over when Mum called them. Mia stroked their fuzzy grey necks and big fluffy ears while Mum buckled their saddles on. When she was done, Mum gave Patch’s reins to Jasmine and handed Milo’s to Mia.

Jasmine laughed as she led Patch along. “I don’t think I’ve ever walked a donkey before,” she laughed. “It’s a bit like walking Archie – except Patch is better behaved!”

At the bridleway, Mum had set out a table and a sign reading DONKEY RIDES.

“So, girls,” Mum explained, “the rides are for little kids only. A lot of them don’t know anything about riding, so make sure that they don’t kick Milo or Patch, or jiggle around too much. These guys have done lots of donkey rides, so there shouldn’t be any problems, but I still need you two to be responsible handlers. OK?”

“Yep!” Mia agreed. Jasmine nodded seriously.

Mia felt really important as Mum helped a little girl put a riding helmet on, then lifted her up on to Milo’s back and handed Mia the reins. The girl was about four years old, with her face painted with pink stars, and stubby plaits poking out from under her helmet. She was smiling down at Milo like she couldn’t believe he was real. “Have you ever ridden before?” Mia asked as she gently led Milo along.

The girl shook her head. “I love it!” she said excitedly.

“You should ask your mum for lessons,” Mia told her. “I’ve been riding since I was your age.”

“Wow!” the little girl breathed excitedly. “Thanks, Mia!” she said as they got back to the start and Mum helped her off.

Next there was a small boy who kept pretending to be a cowboy and digging in his heels to Milo’s sides. “Don’t kick him,” Mia explained gently. “You wouldn’t like it if someone kicked you!”

“Oh.” The little boy reached out and patted Milo’s side. “Sorry, Milo.” Milo looked at him, then threw back his head.

Uh-oh! Mia thought. He’s going to bray! She was used to the loud noise the donkeys sometimes made, but she knew that more than one young visitor had burst into tears when they’d heard them.

Hee-HAW! Hee-HAW! Milo called loudly.

“Shhh!” Mia patted him, but the donkey was having too much fun. Mia looked at the little boy, who was sitting on Milo’s back with a shocked look on his face.

“It’s OK,” she said the moment Milo stopped. But the boy didn’t cry. Instead, his face broke into a huge grin. “That was SO COOL!” he cried.

Mia laughed as they got back to the yard and she helped him get down. He raced over to his mum, and seconds later Mia could hear him doing an impression of Milo’s noisy call.

“You look like you’re having a good time!” a voice said from the queue.

Mia looked up and saw her godmother standing in line, wearing long shorts and a pink top, her hair styled in her usual neat white-blonde bob. “Sandra!” Mia grinned. “What are you doing here?”

“I wouldn’t miss a pony event with my favourite goddaughter!” Sandra joked.

“I’m you’re only goddaughter!” said Mia, smiling.

Mum came over to meet Sandra. “Let’s have a break, shall we?” she asked. “Milo and Patch could do with a rest – and you girls look like you could too! Why don’t you go and see Polly?”

“Oh yes!” Jasmine squealed. “We didn’t get time earlier.”

“I can’t wait to meet the famous Polly.” Sandra smiled.

“Why don’t you go now,” Mum told Mia. “I’ll sort out the donkeys.”

“Thanks, Mum! Come on,” Mia said excitedly, pulling her godmother along.

Polly was standing at the other side of the paddock with Star, under the shade of the trees, but the second she heard Mia’s voice she came cantering over.

“She knows you!” Jasmine exclaimed. “Brandy never does that for me.”

Polly put her head over the fence and leaned down so Mia could kiss her on her nose. “Good girl!” Mia chatted to her as she gave her a stroke. “Isn’t she the best horse ever?” she asked Sandra. “I know she’s still a bit skinny, but she’s getting better and better. She and Honey and Star have become really good friends, and she doesn’t even get too scared when strangers go near her now. She loves it when I groom her mane, and her favourite spot to be stroked is right here.” She stroked the spot by Polly’s ears and Polly whickered happily. “See!” Mia laughed.

Sandra had a thoughtful look on her face as she stroked Polly. “You really love her, don’t you?” she asked.

“Of course!” said Mia. “I mean, I love all horses, but Polly . . . Polly is special.” Polly huffed and whickered as if she was agreeing.

“Well, you certainly make a good pair,” Sandra said.

Suddenly Lindsay’s voice crackled noisily through the centre loudspeaker. “Could Jasmine Parker come to the guess-the-weight-of-the-horse stand and claim her prize.”

“I won!” cried Jasmine in surprise.

Mia grinned at her friend. “We’ve got to go, Polly, but I’ll be back to put you to bed.” Polly huffed and Mia gave her another kiss on the nose. “Go and play with Honey and Star,” she grinned.

As Jasmine hurried them back over to the fete, Mia saw her godmother glancing back at Polly thoughtfully. But before she could ask Sandra what was wrong, Jasmine tugged on her hand.

“Come ON!” she yelled. Mia smiled and dashed after her excited best friend.