From the book…
The Wizard Chronicles
By D.E.Kendall
On behalf of Cardiff Riding School
Published 2017
Many names, characters and incidents in this novel are work of the author’s imagination, as this is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, and any events or localities described is entirely coincidental and have no relation to anyone bearing the same, or similar, name or names. All incidents are pure invention and are not inspired by or related to any individual person known or unknown to the author.
Copyright 2017 © D.E.Kendall
The moral right of the author has been asserted. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in book reviews as permitted by copyright law.
Dedicated to past, present, and future Horses, Ponies, Staff, Clients, and Volunteers of Cardiff Riding School.
Week Four, Day Four: Plan ‘A’ commences.
On the way in from the field, I sneaked to the feed room door. I was hoping to squeeze inside, unnoticed, whilst the yard staff were distracted as they led other ponies to their stables. But the feed room door was shut. Darn it!
Plan ‘B’. After eating my breakfast and having a nap for an hour, yard staff arrive to tack me up for lesson. If there was only one I may get chance to push passed them, then dash to the feed room before they can catch me. There were two of them. Two. Plan failed.
I worked through many of my genius plans all the way through the alphabet to Plan ‘K’.
Evening arrived, and it was getting dark. The yard was a hive of activity. There were staff members running about everywhere like bees, parents stood chatting in the middle of it all (a few of them attached to small dogs by leads), and there were riders dashing about – some prepared with their riding hats and boots on, others searching for at least one of those things. Thinking I wouldn’t get a chance to escape, a new rider came to my rescue. She was a bit naughty, ignored her parent, and opened my door – then I was free!
Free to race across the yard, to the feed room, at lightning speed. The door into the feed room was closed, however. So, I used my super-fast thinking skills and trotted around through the stalls to get to the feed room instead. Managed to munch my way through quarter of the feed barrow in minutes! My tummy was so big it took them ages to get me out. What an achievement! I waddled into the field later that evening, triumphant.
The Feed Room – my favourite place to escape to!
Week Twenty, Day Six: Pony Club vs. Riding Club Stable Management Competition.
The Riding School is filled with riders of all ages.
Usually, young riders from Pony Club don’t compete against adult riders of Riding Club.
Today it is different.
Though they are not riding, they are competing in ‘Stable Management’.
Stable management is very important for anyone who spends time around horses and ponies. It teaches you to care for us properly and safely.
I am part of this event. I have to stand still for like an hour whilst smaller Pony Club riders display their skills in grooming, plaiting, and general pony care.
Trying to be well behaved whilst surrounded by a number of young, enthusiastic riders can be a bit daunting for an ordinary pony; but not for me. I am super-pony.
Albert, who is stood just two tie-rings down from me, appears to be going through the same – but on a larger scale. Larger in the sense that he is himself a whopping 18hh, and surrounded by many equally-enthusiastic riders who are fully grown adults.
We share an understanding glance at one another. We know we’re both pretty cool.
Pony Club win the competition, thanks to me.
