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"Come on, you beast!" The man mumbled under his breath, quite unaware that he was being observed by several rather stunned onlookers. "Get over here!"

Despite his terse command, as if sensing the man's edginess, the gelding merely laid his ears back and started shaking his head, soon lashing out with his long, delicate legs. High-pitched squeals of outrage soon followed, and at the disturbance, another person's face suddenly peered out of the passenger window of the cab.

"You see, Daddy? That kind of behavior is exactly why we can't keep it! I need a reliable horse that I can depend upon at all times." The blonde-haired girl stared at the scene, almost in disdain, and then immediately continued whining again. "Hurry up, Daddy! I want to ride Secret Service again as soon as we get home. That horse is so much better behaved!"

Some horses aren't difficult. They're just waiting for someone who understands them.

When a frightened grey Arabian gelding arrives at Saddlers Ranch — unwanted, labeled a beast, and days away from being destroyed — fifteen-year-old Coral Johnson and her two best friends, Tilly and Lexie, find themselves at the center of something much bigger than a school holiday.

Cloud isn't a bad horse. He's a scared one. And as the girls are about to discover, earning the trust of a misunderstood animal takes far more patience, empathy, and courage than any of them expected.

Set against the dusty yards and rolling pastures of a Kentucky cattle ranch, this is a story about friendship, responsibility, and the quiet power of second chances — for horses and for people.

Perfect for fans of Heartland, Chestnut Hill, and The Palomino Pony.

A 2026 Independent Press Award Distinguished Favorite — Middle Grade.

• Alison Bellringer
• Published 1970 January 1st by (first published 1970 January 1st)
• ISBN: 1037102967
• ISBN13: 9781037102967
• Pages
• 4.78 94 ratings
• 87 reviews