Today's Horse Facts: Meet Lela Manning, Horse Lover

Today’s Horse Facts: Meet Lela Manning, Horse Lover

Lela Manning is one of the Keystone Stables Series books’ biggest fans. She’s told me she’s read several of the eight books twice, and she really likes book five, LEADING THE WAY, about a blind girl who learns to barrel race a horse.

There are several reasons Lela likes the Keystone Stables Series. For one, she has her own horses. Phoenix is her one horse, a fourteen-year-old paint Quarter Horse that has cancer in her right lid. “She’s going to have the cancer cut out in January,” Lela told me, hoping the horse’s eye gets better because Phoenix “is the best horse” she ever had.

Lela told me that when she got Phoenix, her family threw a party for her and put a huge bow around the horse’s neck. Lela barrel races Phoenix, which can be exciting and scary.

One time, they were barrel racing and Lela said that just as she was racing to the finish line, the cinch broke and she flew over Phoenix’s head.  Phoenix stopped dead in her tracks and just stood there. Lela got up, got up on Phoenix’s bare back, and waited for the results. Lela was surprised when the announcer said that Phoenix and Lela went over the finish line and won second place! “Phoenix doesn’t bite or kick, and she only does little bunny hops once in a while.”

Lela’s other horse is Axle, a nine-year-old bay Quarter Horse.  When Lela got Axle, they found wire wrapped up in the horse’s tail and were told that the horse hadn’t been ridden for over two years. But Lela said that Axle is “so sweet and doesn’t act silly at all.”

Another reason Lela likes the Keystone Stables is because the main character in the book, Skye Nicholson, shows her champion Quarter Horse, Champ, in Western Pleasure classes in horse shows. Lela also has ridden in horse shows on different horses. She has two blue ribbons and two other awards that she won at a fun show in races and games with horses.  “I have fallen off horses three times,” she said, “so now I’m a true cowgirl.”

(Check out LEADING THE WAY at http://www.marshahubler.com)

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