*A few years later*
Holding a hardbrush, Mel and a brown nd white paint gelding were locked in a staring contest of sorts.
"We are supposed to be going on our first trail ride together, Pablo," Mel said as she gave up on the battle of wills and moved to brush a fleck of dirt off his rump.
"Please don't pick today of all days to be your extra crabby self outside from your regular crabby self."
Jane came out toting Pablo's saddle, and happened to overhear Mel's last remark.
"I would not worry, Mel," she said as she set the saddle on the ground. "He was trained to be a trail horse. Pablo is much better on the trail than in the arena."
Mel gave Pablo a doubtful look. Since she had started riding again a few years ago Mel had regained the confidence to ride on her own. Pablo was a big thing that helped her to regain that confidence.
Mel had been drawn to Pablo almost from the moment he had come to the farm. His crabby, stubborn nature helped to bring her confidence up, because she really had to know how to ride to be able to control him. Otherwise, Pablo kind of went off and did his own thing. He was not the kind of horse to take off. If he did not like how a person was riding him he just stopped in any random spot and tried to take a nap.
In truth, Amelia loved the old Paint's crabby personality. Yet, as this was to be her very first trail ride ever, she felt she had cause to be antsy.
"I guess I won't know unless I try you out,: Mel told Pablo as she drooped the brush she was hoeing in the bucket and prepared to saddle him.
*Back to Present Day*
"I can't believe I thought you were not gonna be a good trail horse, old man," Mel said as she gave Pablo an affectionate pat.
"Yup, he sure did prove you wrong," Renee agreed wryly. Pablo snorted in seeming agreement with Renee's statement.
"I'm glad he did. I not only started riding again, I got to bond with a great horse and a great friend as well!"
Renee beamed "Aw, thanks Mel. You are a great friend too."
And with that, the two friends rode deeper into the forest and off onto great adventures with their horses and each other.
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.
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| Pablo, my favorite horse. I love him to pieces! |
