anyone could get used to this smell.”
“Ah…c’mon. It’s not that bad.”
He took my hand again and we walked towards the stalls. There were two horses standing in their pins, looking at us.
“This is Pepsi,” Alex said , patting the nose of a large brown horse. “And this is Midnight,” he added, looking over to a towering black one.
“And which one will I be riding?” I asked nervously , looking between both of the horses.
“Pepsi. She’s a little more laid back.”
He walked over and picked up a saddle.
“Can you grab one of those blankets?” He nodded towards a stack of what I assumed were blankets that went under the saddle. I grabbed the first one and followed Alex into Pepsi’s stall.
“Just throw that over her back,” he said.
I flung the blanket onto Pepsi and straightened it before Alex hoisted the saddle over her back. He buckled and tightened some straps before connecting the bridle. When Pepsi was all set, we did the same for Midnight and then led both horses out of the stables. The clip-clop of their feet seemed to echo behind us and I couldn’t help think they might get spooked and trample me. I tried not to seem nervous though as we left the stables and stepped out into the afternoon air.
“When you get on Pepsi, just remember you are in control. She’ll sense if you’re scared and she’ll try and take advantage of you.”
“That’s reassuring,” I mumbled.
“Don’t be scared.”
“I’m not scared,” I lied. “Just a little nervous.”
“You’ll be fine. I’ve been riding on Pepsi since I was eight and she’s never done anything.”
“There’s always a first time for everything.”
“Just relax.”
He let go of Midnight’s reigns and came over to me.
“Now, to get on, just grab the horn on the saddle, put your left foot in the stirrup and pull yourself up while flinging your right leg over her back.”
“You didn’t tell me I had to be a gymnast to ride a horse,” I laughed as I stood at Pepsi’s side and grabbed onto the saddle.
“You’ll be fine. I’m right behind you to help,” he said and I realized suddenly how uncomfortable I was , knowing that in a second I’d have my butt right in his face.
“Okay…here goes,” I said hesitantly as I placed my foot i n the stirrup. I tried pulling myself up, but I was struggling and then I felt Alex’s hand on my hips helping me over. I wanted to die of embarrassment, but finally I got my leg over and stared down at Alex, who was smiling up at me.
“See, that wasn’t so bad.”
“Yeah, piece of cake,” I said, rolling my eyes.
Alex walked over and hopped on Midnight with the ease of a seasoned cowboy.
“Now you’re just trying to make me look bad,” I called over to him and he turned and smiled at me. He kicked Midnight in the sides and pulled the reigns in my direction and came trotting over to me.
“You ready to go?”
“Yeah. How do I make this thing move?”
“Give her a little kick, but not too hard and she’ll start walking. To make her turn, just pull the reigns in the direction you wanna go. Don’t jerk it or anything, just pull gently.”
I nodded and then kicked Pepsi’s sides. I expected her to jerk forward, but instead she just started walking at an easy pace. Alex and Midnight were soon at my side. We began walking the perimeter of the fence. The other horses just stared at us and I could tell they were happy they wer en’t the ones being ridden.
“That’s Ruby,” he said , pointing to a small horse with a reddish-brown coat. “And that’s Baxter.” He was pointing to a beautiful white horse with gray spots all over its body. “They’re kinda ornery, which is why they’re in the field and we’re on these two.” He patted Midnight’s neck, who neighed quietly and raised his head.
“So, you’ve alw ays had horses then?”
“ Pretty much. My mom grew up with horses down near Dallas
“Ah…c’mon. It’s not that bad.”
He took my hand again and we walked towards the stalls. There were two horses standing in their pins, looking at us.
“This is Pepsi,” Alex said , patting the nose of a large brown horse. “And this is Midnight,” he added, looking over to a towering black one.
“And which one will I be riding?” I asked nervously , looking between both of the horses.
“Pepsi. She’s a little more laid back.”
He walked over and picked up a saddle.
“Can you grab one of those blankets?” He nodded towards a stack of what I assumed were blankets that went under the saddle. I grabbed the first one and followed Alex into Pepsi’s stall.
“Just throw that over her back,” he said.
I flung the blanket onto Pepsi and straightened it before Alex hoisted the saddle over her back. He buckled and tightened some straps before connecting the bridle. When Pepsi was all set, we did the same for Midnight and then led both horses out of the stables. The clip-clop of their feet seemed to echo behind us and I couldn’t help think they might get spooked and trample me. I tried not to seem nervous though as we left the stables and stepped out into the afternoon air.
“When you get on Pepsi, just remember you are in control. She’ll sense if you’re scared and she’ll try and take advantage of you.”
“That’s reassuring,” I mumbled.
“Don’t be scared.”
“I’m not scared,” I lied. “Just a little nervous.”
“You’ll be fine. I’ve been riding on Pepsi since I was eight and she’s never done anything.”
“There’s always a first time for everything.”
“Just relax.”
He let go of Midnight’s reigns and came over to me.
“Now, to get on, just grab the horn on the saddle, put your left foot in the stirrup and pull yourself up while flinging your right leg over her back.”
“You didn’t tell me I had to be a gymnast to ride a horse,” I laughed as I stood at Pepsi’s side and grabbed onto the saddle.
“You’ll be fine. I’m right behind you to help,” he said and I realized suddenly how uncomfortable I was , knowing that in a second I’d have my butt right in his face.
“Okay…here goes,” I said hesitantly as I placed my foot i n the stirrup. I tried pulling myself up, but I was struggling and then I felt Alex’s hand on my hips helping me over. I wanted to die of embarrassment, but finally I got my leg over and stared down at Alex, who was smiling up at me.
“See, that wasn’t so bad.”
“Yeah, piece of cake,” I said, rolling my eyes.
Alex walked over and hopped on Midnight with the ease of a seasoned cowboy.
“Now you’re just trying to make me look bad,” I called over to him and he turned and smiled at me. He kicked Midnight in the sides and pulled the reigns in my direction and came trotting over to me.
“You ready to go?”
“Yeah. How do I make this thing move?”
“Give her a little kick, but not too hard and she’ll start walking. To make her turn, just pull the reigns in the direction you wanna go. Don’t jerk it or anything, just pull gently.”
I nodded and then kicked Pepsi’s sides. I expected her to jerk forward, but instead she just started walking at an easy pace. Alex and Midnight were soon at my side. We began walking the perimeter of the fence. The other horses just stared at us and I could tell they were happy they wer en’t the ones being ridden.
“That’s Ruby,” he said , pointing to a small horse with a reddish-brown coat. “And that’s Baxter.” He was pointing to a beautiful white horse with gray spots all over its body. “They’re kinda ornery, which is why they’re in the field and we’re on these two.” He patted Midnight’s neck, who neighed quietly and raised his head.
“So, you’ve alw ays had horses then?”
“ Pretty much. My mom grew up with horses down near Dallas
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