Back in the Saddle Part Three

Thanks to everyone who commented on the second part of this story. Here is part three. Don't forget to comment and suscribe!

Would she ever ride again?

At least a year had gone by since Moonslide had thrown Amelia.Today, she was lying in her bed at home, staring at the various horse posters that decorated the walls of her bedroom. Mel had not been back on a horse since.

It was not like she had been totally avoiding horses this past year. Far from it! Mel still loved to go out to co-op to help out and be around the horses. She had yet to actually get up the courage to ride again.

Her dream from a year ago had come true. The horse she was riding had stopped abruptly, almost directly in front  of a wood fence. Amelia had been caught by surprise and had gone sailing over Moonslide's head, only to come crashing into the fence.

The next thing she knew, she was lying on the ground with every part of her body hurting and a pounding head. Jane had insisted Mel go to the hospital to be checked for a concussion, which had required a ride in an ambulance.

Everything had turned out to be fine in the end. Yet the whole ordeal had scared Mel more than she cared to admit.

Yet, she thought as she stared up at the ceiling, everyone has to face their fears sometime.

Maybe it was about time for her to face her fears when it came to riding.

I am gonna do it, Mel thought resolutely as she stood. It's past time I get back in the saddle.

Later that week, Mel arrived at the farm, her stomach churning at the thought of what she was about to do. Yet, she was still resolute and determined to see to it that she got back on a horse.

The horse that she was going to start riding was nothing like how Moonslide was. Old Skeeter, as the bay horse's name was, was old, placid, and slow. Overall, he was just the kind of horse that Mel needed to start riding again.

Mel used to be an advanced rider before she was thrown. Yet, since she was so anxious about riding again, Mel was essentially. Starting out as a beginner, insisting on being led on a pony line when she got back on a horse.

It`s time, Mel thought to herself again as she prepared to mount Skeeter. Before Mel knew it, Jane had given her a leg up and she was once again sitting tall in the saddle.

Well, no going back now, Mel thought as she glanced anxiously at the ground and the horse underneath her, as if she expected him to take off at any moment.

"Take a deep breath and relax," Jane told her, holding Skeeter's lead. "Just sit up on him for a while. We won't go home untill you are ready."

In, out, in, out, in, out, Ya got this Mel, She thought to herself.

"Okay, I am ready," she told Jane.

"All right," Jane said with a smile. "Don't feel like you have to do anything to guide Skeeter. I am right at his head. Just sit up there and enjoy the feel of being on a horse again."

Mel nodded. Easy enough, right?

Slowly, Skeeter started to move forward at a nice, easy walk. Mel tensed up at first, still feeling pretty nervous about this whole thing.

Gradually, though, Mel began to relax, letting her body move with the horse.

I can do this, Mel thought for perhaps the billionth time that day, this time with true confidence.
This is not bad at all. In fact, I forgot how fun this can be! Mel smiled to herself at that last thought.

She still had a long way to go when it came to regaining her confidence riding. Yet today she had crossed a significant hurdle by getting back in the saddle to start things off.

Back it the saddle again!