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Finally Katy spread her horse bedcovers over both levels of the polished oak bunk bed and set up the ornamental horse pillows and stuffed animals around neatly. She stood back and looked around with satisfaction. Then she gathered up the boxes and packing paper and piled them outside where the rest were. It was several days later, and everything was finally in its permanent place. Katy desperately hoped this would be their last move. She hated going through all the hustle and bustle of moving and unpacking and everything.

After marveling at the manicured yard for another several minutes, Katy decided she wanted some exercise. She also wanted to see if there was a stable around that was close enough to ride her bike to every day. She was tired of having to be dependent upon her grandmother's schedule because she had to drive her to the stable, and besides, she wanted a break.

She found her grandfather in the garage putting things away. She glanced around at the unorganized mess and finally spotted her bicycle. 'Grampa, may I please ride my bike around? I want to see how close the stable is.'

'Horses are never off your mind, are they? Go ahead. Be back in at about three hours. If you find a place called Spruce Ridge Stables pretty close to here, tell them that you are already signed up. You've got a horse leased to your name. It should be pretty close to here.' Her grandfather shook his head and turned back to his work as if his news was nothing important.

Katy stood there for a paralyzed moment, mouth open. Then she flung her arms around him and cried, 'Oh Grampa, thank you! That is so great! How can I ever thank you enough!'

She hopped on her bike and pedaled off after more thanks. She noticed the beautiful scenery as she cruised through the quiet neighborhood and down a side road that turned to dirt after about a quarter of a mile.  She turned a corner and gasped, braking. In front of her spread a large horse facility.

She checked out the sign and saw that it was indeed Spruce Ridge. She rode slowly into the area, drinking in what she saw. There were five barns and another large building, and horses and riders milled about everywhere. There was a lesson going on in a large arena off to the left of the entrance.

She got off her bike and walked into the office. A tall woman with dark brown hair looked up and smiled. 'Hello,' she greeted. 'My name is Karen Nansen. What can I do for you?'

'Hi. My name is Katy Evans. My grandfather said he leased a horse out to me, and that I could start riding any time I wanted.'

'Oh, yes, your grandfather called. Christopher Carter, if I recall correctly.' Karen said, turning to the computer that sat on her desk and letting her fingers fly over the keyboard. 'Here we go. You're signed up to Desert Vixen, a seven-year-old Thoroughbred mare. She's in Barn 3, stall twelve. I've got a letter of recommendation from your previous stable that your grandmother sent, so feel free to look around all you want. Would you like me to give you a tour of the place?'

'Sure. That is, if you've got time.'

Karen smiled and stood up. 'No problem at all, Katy. Glad to do it.'

The two walked out into the bright sunlight.

They walked along a wide dirt path and Karen pointed out the parking lot and manure hold, then the rider's lounge and a set of trash cans. There was a road leading from the parking lot to a large barn. 'That's the barn that houses the horses that the intermediate riders use. Next to it is the pony barn. All the stalls in Barn One are filled. The barns are numbered going to the right from the intermediate rider's barn. As you can see, the pony barn looks huge. But it's not, really. It's exactly the size of Barn One.'

Katy looked puzzled. 'It looks about three times as large. How can that be?'

'There's a hay barn in between the pony barn and Barn 3, which is the barn for the advanced riders. That smaller building next to it is the grain shed, and as you can see, next to it is that huge silo. The next barn is also full. It's the beginning rider's barn. We have a number of older horses in there.'

The pair walked to the entrance of the beginner's barn, Barn Four. It was bustling with activity. 'There sure are a lot of people here,' remarked Katy.

'That's for sure,' replied Karen.  'We get new people every week. In fact, we're thinking of expanding. At the moment we've only got one boarding barn, because we're not in the business for boarding, but for training and lessons. This farm covers around five hundred acres that goes way out into those woods.'

'Wow!' Katy was impressed. 'I think it's really neat that you've got this barn area arranged in this semicircle. And two round pens and all those paddocks! What do you have in the way of riding arenas and space to ride?'

'We've got a huge show jumping area, a large standard riding arena, a dressage ring, and a cross-country course that covers about ten acres out in the woods. There is a lake and a river in the woods and an abandoned ranch. There is certainly no lack of places to ride, that's for sure.'

'Which of these barns is the horse I'm riding in?'

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