Making a pact not to ride until Stevie, who has been injured, recovers, the members of the Saddle Club agree that whomever breaks the pact must ask stuck-up Veronica diAngleo to join them, a deal that will work if they can resist temptation. Original.

The Saddle Club is in England for a show on the grounds of an old estate where a past duke and his beloved stallion died and where, legend has it, the duke buried treasure.

The members of the Saddle Club spend their winter break at the Bar None Ranch, where each member of the club has an experience that teaches her an unforgettable lesson about the true meaning of the holiday season

Recovering from a head injury in the hospital, Stevie Lake has a series of vivid dreams that surprisingly comes true and makes the Saddle Club friends wonder if Stevie has developed psychic powers.

"That's it, then," said Deborah "I don't want you to beat me at Scrabble with horse words. I don't want you to read to me from your horse books. I want each of you to tell me a real-life story that really happened to you." "Great," said Stevie. "There was the time Belle and I—" "No. I want to hear stories that don't have anything to do with horses." "What for?" Carole asked. "Well, my baby is going to be surrounded by horses and horse talk all of his life. Horses are fun, but they aren't everything. I'd like to know that somehow, something other than horses was ever important to the three of you. I've got to admit that I find the idea that I'm about to be a mother even scarier than the idea that I'm about to have a baby. So, I need some help. I know I can always get help from you about horses. Give me some help about mothering." The girls looked at one another. "No horses?" Carole asked. "Not a one," Deborah said. There was a long silence. "How about a cup of tea?" Lisa asked. "Sure," Deborah agreed. "It'll probably help inspire your storytelling. I'll let you fix the tea. The doctor said I shouldn't eat anything, so just bring me some ice chips to munch on. I'll wait here for you." She put her feet up on a chair, leaned back, and closed her eyes. The girls hurried out of the living room into the kitchen, where they had a quick conference. "Is she okay?" Stevie asked. "No horses?" Carole echoed, still stunned by the idea that she might actually have something to say that didn't have to do with her favorite subject. When she wrote a history paper, it was about the cavalry in the Civil War. In English, she'd only been happy when they'd read "Charge of the Light Brigade." Horses were everywhere in Carole's life. She always assumed that that was fine with everyone around her. Now Deborah wanted something else.

Carole Hansen's father has been sent away on a secret Marine Corps assignment. She worries about him constantly. When a fatal equine illness strikes a neighboring stable, The Saddle Club girls have 45 days to wonder, and worry about, whether the disease will reach Pine Hollow, and whether any of their horses could be in danger. Carole secretly decides to hide one horse from the affected stable and care for it herself.Meanwhile, Lisa Atwood is trying not to let her competitive impulses take over. But a classmate has challenged her for the position of valedictorian. Will Lisa's compulsion to always be the best turn the classroom into a nightmare? And Stevie has found a mysterious place in the woods. Is she on the trail of an Underground Railroad route? Or is she chasing after nothing?

Christmas is coming and Max wants Horse Wise to get in the holiday spirit. He announces that they are going to have Secret Santas, but there's a catch: You can't give something; you have to do something. It sounds like fun, until they draw names. Lisa gets Max. Carole gets Lisa. And Stevie gets Veronica. Carole would love to do something for Lisa but, since they're always doing things for each other, what should she do to make this time special? As for Lisa, her visiting relatives aren't giving her room to breathe—there's no time to do anything for Max. And Stevie would love to do something to Veronica—but that wouldn't be in the holiday spirit. Why is doing the "right thing" so hard?