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Chapter One
Horseland Ranch is a very special place. Nestled in a beautiful valley, with magnificent mountains nearby, the ranch is an ideal place to ride, train, and board a horse, as well as make lifelong friends. Perhaps what makes Horseland so unique, however, is that the horses there have the ability to talk to one another—without their human riders knowing!
It's not only the horses that can talk. Even the resident cute, potbellied pig can speak . . . and sing!
"Ready?" Teeny asks. The pig jumps up on a haystack as if it were a stage. Teeny looks expectantly at her audience—Shep the Australian shepherd and Angora the cat—and then the plump pig begins her song:
I'm happy as a pig every day.
I croon like a singer with a gig.
I'll feel good tomorrow, come what may.
Oh, I'm so happy to be a pig!
Oink! Oink!
The song is out of tune, but Teeny doesn't care. She jumps down and wiggles her tail so that the pink ribbon tied to it bounces. She's very proud of her performance.
"Nice one, Teeny," says Shep. The dog is known for being supportive but stern when necessary. It's his job to rule the stables, making sure all the animals keep in line. But even those in charge need to have a little fun now and then.
Shep jumps up onto the haystack and clears his throat. It's his turn to show off his singing voice:
Hey there, beasts of the field,
If you see me coming,
Better yield.
If I say heel,
Get heeled.
'Cause I'm the alpha dog,
And you're just a cat and a hog!
Shep finishes the song with a great howl. Angora rolls her eyes. The gray, fluffy cat is definitely not impressed.
"Save your voice," Angora tells Shep. Then she says with a sly smile, "It's time we heard from the winner-to-be of this little singing competition: Moi!"
"You know, Angora," says Shep, "when you compete, winning isn't necessarily the most important thing."
Just then Sarah Whitney, one of the riders who trains at Horseland, runs over to the trio.
"Shep, I heard you howling!" exclaims the eleven-year-old girl. "I was so worried. You sounded like you were hurt!" Sarah bends over and pats the dog affectionately on the head. "Anyway, I'm glad to see you're okay."
Shep barks loudly in response.
After Sarah leaves, Angora and Teeny break into fits of giggles. They find it hilarious that Sarah mistook Shep's singing for howls of pain.
Shep shakes his head glumly. "Hurt? Only my pride, Sarah. Only my pride." He knows the others won't let him forget this anytime soon. He also knows that competition always brings out the best and the worst in both people and animals.
Horseland #5: Western Riding Winner. Copyright © by Annie Auerbach. Reprinted by permission of HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved. Available now wherever books are sold.
Excerpted from Western Riding Winner by Annie Auerbach
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
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