Horses and Heartbeats

A captivating portrayal of friendship dedication and the magical bond between riders and their horses Polly Thompson's Horses and Heartbeats begins with an outing to a horse show that sets off riding lessons for precautious Theodore North and a quest for a horse of her own for self-determined Bailey Mason. The story brings us into the lives of the elegant contestants at a hunter-jumper show; the schooling mounts at a boarding stable; and the horses in various states of conditioning that come through a Connecticut auction. One of these a young mare fresh off the Dakota plains is destined for a green but gutsy teenager.?????? Bailey Mason always wanted a horse but never imagined the responsibility involved with keeping one--especially the spirited filly Dakota Clover. Reading and advice-seeking along with the determination to climb back on whenever she falls off build Bailey's skills even to being a nurse when her horse gets sick. Bailey perseveres through the upsets. The horse is well and she is riding again when a disaster threatens to bring her exciting progress to a halt. Now her friend Theodore North steps in to help with the chores. As Bailey's and Theo's devotion to the horse grows so does their affection for each other. A fund of hands-on experience runs through the realistic story of these young people and their friends as they make ready for a gymkhana giving rise to more upsets. (edited by author)