Little Red
Lenny is a 12 year old girl living in NYC. Her mom is an attorney and her dad is deployed as a soldier in the army. She really has a great life. She takes lessons twice a week at a stable where she’s finally ready to start competing in the novice class. Her best friend, Masie, also takes lessons at the same stable. She gets good grades and is generally a happy kid.
Lenny’s mom gets the case of a lifetime. Masie moves away with her family to take care of her grandmother who has cancer. Her dad still has another 3 years over seas. Lenny is sent to stay with her Uncle, Pal. He lives in Tempe, AZ
It’s too hot. It’s too weird. The only good thing is that it seems like everyone in the neighborhood has a horse. The kids in the neighborhood ride “Western” though. She makes a few friends and she gets to spend some time with the horses, but really tries not to get too attached, after all she’s going home soon.
Summer starts to come to a close, and as she prepares to return home, her mom’s case is just not getting close to being resolved. Lenny has the choice of coming home or spending a year with Pal. When Pal comes home with a scrawny, mean, old, little red horse, Lenny decides to stay, for little red.
Lenny spends every day after school with Little Red. She works on gaining trust, etc. For Christmas she only wants a saddle. Pal puts one under the tree. It’s a western saddle.
Lenny adapts. She goes riding with her new friends, she even starts riding in some of the gymkhanas. When she turns 13, in April, her mom wins the case and takes some time off to come see her. When mom meets Little Red, she’s at first shocked, and dismayed about the western riding but is happy that Lenny is doing well. Mom tells Lenny that she is moving back to NYC just as soon as the school year ends. When Lenny asks if Little Red can come, the answer is no. Lenny is heartbroken, of course.
Lenny returns to NYC, school starts up and she returns to the stable. It isn’t the same anymore. She doesn’t want to jump, she doesn’t like the tall horses, and she doesn’t like the jumping saddle anymore. She tries out the western program at the school, but learns it isn’t about the discipline either – it’s about Little Red. She really misses the little horse. She continues with the lessons but only half heartedly.
Just before Christmas break, Pal calls and says that Little Red seems to be sick. He assured Lenny that a vet has been scheduled and he’s sure she’ll be ok. Lenny begs to come for the school break and everyone agrees. Pal doesn’t even get all the way up the driveway before Lenny is jumping out of the car to run to the pasture to see Little Red. The old mare seemed to recover some the first few days Lenny was there but Christmas morning, after a cold storm over night, Little Red seems to be sick again. The vets prescribe antibiotics and hand walking 3x a day. Little Red seems to be on the road to recovery and Lenny has to get back to NY before school starts.
Two days later she is on a plane home. Lenny returns to school, and to the stables. Lenny continues to worry about Little Red. The stable she takes lessons at has started up a new competition for the year. They are going to do some western trail classes along with their traditional English courses. Lenny has asked if she could join in. She is given the opportunity to ride and she prepares for the first competition in two weeks. The Thursday before the competition, the horse she was going to ride is said to be lame. The stable owner asks Lenny to go get the new horse in stall 7, she could try that one today, and hopefully it will work out. As Lenny grabs a halter from the tack room she notices a ratty old saddle that looks similiar to the one she has in Arizona for Little Red. Her heart pangs a bit missing her little mare and then heads over to the stall. She approaches looks into the stall, the horse’s owner leading over the stall wall. Lenny begs pardon and the guy steps backwards to let her pass. Lenny sees that it’s her DAD! After tears and hugs he asks “Don’t you have a lesson…? ” Lenny, crying, goes to get the horse in the stall and sees that it is Little Red.