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she was doing. “When I want him
to stop, I do more than pull back on the reins. I say ‘whoa’ too,
and settle back in the saddle a bit. He can feel the shift of my
weight and knows that I want him to stop. He’s a really smart
horse. When I want him to go, I squeeze with my lower legs and lean
forward just a tiny bit. I can say ‘walk on’ or ‘trot’ too. He
knows all the voice commands. When you start riding with the
jumping saddle, some of the reining will be different, but almost
everything else will be the same.”
    When Lauren felt she was ready, Charity
held Trooper by the bridle and Lauren grabbed the stirrup. She took
a deep breath, stood in the stirrup, swung her leg over and plopped
down hard in the saddle. Trooper turned his head and looked at her
and Lauren was sure he was smiling at her clumsiness.
    Lauren took another deep breath, trying
to calm her pounding heart. She was riding! Actually riding a
horse. And a beautiful horse at that. His long black mane and tail
accented his golden coat perfectly. She gathered the reins and
Charity let go of Trooper’s bridle. Lauren raised the reins and
shook them. Trooper didn’t move.
    “Remember, you have to squeeze your
calves against his sides and say ‘walk on,’” reminded
Kjerstina.
    “Walk on,” said Lauren in a small voice
and squeezed slightly. Trooper took a step forward and Lauren
grabbed for the saddle horn.
    “He’ll be fine,” said Charity. “You
don’t need to hold onto the horn.”
    Lauren slowly released the saddle horn.
“How do I stay on then?” she asked.
    “Just stay balanced in the saddle. He’s
not going to run unless you ask him to,” said Charity.
    “Okay,” Lauren breathed and sat up
straight. Trooper stepped across the field in slow, measured steps,
as if he knew it was her first ride. When they reached the end of
the pasture, Lauren laid the reins across the left side of his neck
like Charity had done. Trooper made a quick right. Then Lauren
turned him the other way.
    “That’s it. Practice makes perfect,”
called Charity.
    “We’re going to get Orion and Coyote
ready now,” yelled Kjerstina.
    “Okay,” said Lauren and turned Trooper
toward the barn again. She wove him left and right, then said
“Whoa,” shifted her weight and pulled back on the reins. She pulled
too hard and Trooper tossed his head.
    “Sorry,” said Lauren and glanced at the
barn. She was glad Charity and Kjerstina were inside and hadn’t
seen. Lauren asked Trooper to walk again, then stopped him, but
this time she used less pressure on the bit. He stopped without
tossing his head and Lauren patted him on the neck.
    “You are so amazing, Trooper,” whispered
Lauren to the horse. She smiled when he turned his head slightly
and looked back at her.
    His mane
is like ebony silk, she thought as she ran her free hand
through the thick black hair. And
he’s so gentle that I don’t feel scared at all anymore. She
leaned forward in the saddle and kissed the top of his neck. “I
still can’t believe you’re mine. All mine and no one else’s. It’s
so weird. And so wonderful! How could Dad keep you a secret?”
    Lauren turned Trooper toward the bottom
of the pasture. His hooves thudded rhythmically on the soft grass
and Lauren revelled in the sway of his body as he walked. When they
reached the fence she turned him around.
    Charity and Kjerstina were riding toward
her. Their horses’ shone like satin in the sunlight. The green
field and wooden fences and trees and mountains behind were like
something from a painting. Lauren smiled at her cousins as they
approached.
    “You still look like you’re in shock,”
laughed Kjerstina.
    All Lauren could do was nod.
     

 

     
    “We’re going to take the short
trail through the woods. It goes to this really cool clearing,”
said Kjerstina reining Coyote beside Trooper. “We can’t go far
because we have to be back in a couple hours for dinner, but you’ll
like it. Trooper likes it there