Antonia, the Horse Whisperer: The Rosenburg Riding Stables, Volume 1
Antonia liked to swim too but really for her there were only horses She had been sitting on horses since she was barely able to walk Below in the farmyard Felix and John the two grooms were puttering around already On the Rosen burg stud farm things started early at six o’clock otherwise horse care stable care riding and jumping feeding and stall mucking would never get done The little tractor rumbled over the path Mr Rosenburg used it to distribute feed Antonia’s father was usually the first one out in the morning and as the feed spe cialist he gave each horse its breakfast helping as he lovingly called it shortly after six o’clock Mean while the grooms mucked out the stalls and groomed the horses Antonia and Leona slipped into their clothes Now there was no holding them back Downstairs in the kitchen they heard Karen clattering the silverware Karen Steinmann was the good fairy in the house and 8
ran the big household with Grandma while Antonia’s father her aunt Maria and her grandfather took care of the horses breeding stables and riding lessons Antonia’s mother was no longer alive She had died when Antonia was only three years old Sometimes it made Antonia sad that she could barely remember her When she felt that way she would run to Grandma or Caroline who would tell Antonia about her But this was no time for sadness First to the horses called Antonia And then we’ll pack our breakfast and ride to the lake During vacation she and Leona were always in the barn ac companied by Bellmondo the lively Bernese mountain dog He leaped around their legs ran ahead waited impatiently for the two of them and let them give his head a scratch Antonia took a deep breath of the still fresh summer air Yes here she was at home her room was in the big longhouse exactly over the huge kitchen whose big bay window gave a clear view of the old oak tree In the back part of the longhouse were twelve of the twen ty-five stalls in which cows and pigs had once lived 9
Last year the newer stalls had been incorporat ed into the former coach house across the way And Grandma and Grandpa lived in-between in the sheep fold as they lovingly called their little half-timbered house in which sheep really once were kept There they were entirely separate from the main house and lived right in the middle of the busy horse farm Antonia and Leona opened the big gate to the sta bles The sweet smell of hay greeted them as well as the warmth and familiar lip-smacking and neighing Hello Fiona Hello Morning Star Hello Mr Right Hello They greeted the horses left and right the gray horse the brown ones the black horse and the sorrel they heard snorting kicking and the sounds of impatient horses waiting for feed Antonia’s father divided the hay portions evenly the doors behind them stood open and the tractor rolled up from there Hello Thunder called Leona stroking her fa vorite horse It was through Thunder that Antonia and Leona had met Three years ago Leona’s parents had looked for a good stable for Thunder and for a riding instruc 10
tor for Leona The Rosenburg Farm was the best farm far and wide and Leona was instantly impressed by the friendly atmosphere There are really terrific horses here she had shouted with joy and then as Antonia came around the corner the two had immediately become friends From that day on the two girls were inseparable Antonia went three stalls farther to Snow White Snow White hello How are you An affection ate snorting and familiar neighing were the answer 11
