I can barely get the two of them out of the pants long enough to wash them.”
“Maybe you should was the girls and the pants together,” he said, smiling.
She laughed. “Now that’s a definite possibility.”
John carried the trunk inside and up to MaryAnn’s room.
CHAPTER 5
She put on the pants John bought her for riding. It was strangely liberating to wear them. Each of the girls had a pair as well. They looked so cute with their red plaid shirts and pigtails.
Sarah wore her green striped shirt and her hair in a long plait that reached to the middle of her back. John had also gotten her and MaryAnn boots. Katy already had a pair. She was tempted to wear them with her skirts too. They were much sturdier than her regular shoes and very comfortable.
She wasn’t so sure it was a good idea, but the girls had been adamant that they come to her lesson, too. Well, MaryAnn had been adamant; Katy just grabbed her hand and pulled her down here.
“So, are you my student today?” John said, his voice full of amusement.
“If you laugh, I’m leaving right now.” Her chin shot up and her back stiffened.
“I’m not laughing, love. I promise,” he said around a smile.
He went over to a large gray horse. “This is Bertha. Don’t laugh. Katy named her when she, Katy not the horse, was three. All of us including Bertha thought it was hysterical.”
“You expect us to get on one of these monsters and stay on top while it moves. And I don’t understand why a little girl naming a gray horse after the gray haired cook would be funny. I’m sure I’ll appreciate it more when I have all of this behind me.”
He came over, took her by the hand and walked with her to the horse.
“Sarah meet Bertha. Take your hand and let her sniff it.”
She did as he asked. Bertha smelled her then butted her hand with her head.
“She likes you. Scratch her behind the ears. That’s right. See, she’s just a big ol’ softy.”
“She’s nice.”
“And she’s gentle. Come on let me help you up. Come around her head to the left side. I’m not sure what the original reason was for the left as opposed to the right. I think it had something to do with the sword being carried on the left side of the body. You couldn’t mount a horse from the right side while wearing a sword. In any case the horse is broken to the left side mount.”
She walked back to the left side where he stood.
“Now grab the saddle horn with both hands, put your left foot in the stirrup and pull yourself up. Then swing your right leg over the saddle.
She tried. She really did. She was barely able to reach the saddle horn. Trying to put her foot in the stirrup was impossible. She was too short.
Suddenly John’s strong hands were at her waist, lifting her high. She fell face first over the saddle.
She yelled. “John I’m going to fall off.”
“No you’re not. I’ve got you.” He hadn’t released her, she was safe. She relaxed a bit.
“What do I do now?”
“I’m going to put your foot in the stirrup. Then you put your weight on that foot and stand up. Keep holding on to the saddle horn and swing your right leg over the top and sit on the saddle. Then put your right foot in the stirrup. You ready to try?”
She nodded and then realized he couldn’t see her. “Yes. I’ve got it.”
Following his instructions exactly she was amazed to find herself sitting up in the saddle.
“I did it.” Pleased with herself she grinned down at John.
He smiled back. “Good. Now take the reins in your right hand.”
She did.
“That’s right. Now punch your heels into her sides. This lets her know it’s time to move.”
Sarah lightly touched her boots to Bertha’s side. She did nothing.
“You have to do it harder than that. She has to feel it and know you mean business.”
She kicked her harder and Bertha started walking.
“Yahoo,” Sarah yelled.
“Yay, Mama. You’re riding.”
“This is good but you can’t walk everywhere.” He
“Maybe you should was the girls and the pants together,” he said, smiling.
She laughed. “Now that’s a definite possibility.”
John carried the trunk inside and up to MaryAnn’s room.
CHAPTER 5
She put on the pants John bought her for riding. It was strangely liberating to wear them. Each of the girls had a pair as well. They looked so cute with their red plaid shirts and pigtails.
Sarah wore her green striped shirt and her hair in a long plait that reached to the middle of her back. John had also gotten her and MaryAnn boots. Katy already had a pair. She was tempted to wear them with her skirts too. They were much sturdier than her regular shoes and very comfortable.
She wasn’t so sure it was a good idea, but the girls had been adamant that they come to her lesson, too. Well, MaryAnn had been adamant; Katy just grabbed her hand and pulled her down here.
“So, are you my student today?” John said, his voice full of amusement.
“If you laugh, I’m leaving right now.” Her chin shot up and her back stiffened.
“I’m not laughing, love. I promise,” he said around a smile.
He went over to a large gray horse. “This is Bertha. Don’t laugh. Katy named her when she, Katy not the horse, was three. All of us including Bertha thought it was hysterical.”
“You expect us to get on one of these monsters and stay on top while it moves. And I don’t understand why a little girl naming a gray horse after the gray haired cook would be funny. I’m sure I’ll appreciate it more when I have all of this behind me.”
He came over, took her by the hand and walked with her to the horse.
“Sarah meet Bertha. Take your hand and let her sniff it.”
She did as he asked. Bertha smelled her then butted her hand with her head.
“She likes you. Scratch her behind the ears. That’s right. See, she’s just a big ol’ softy.”
“She’s nice.”
“And she’s gentle. Come on let me help you up. Come around her head to the left side. I’m not sure what the original reason was for the left as opposed to the right. I think it had something to do with the sword being carried on the left side of the body. You couldn’t mount a horse from the right side while wearing a sword. In any case the horse is broken to the left side mount.”
She walked back to the left side where he stood.
“Now grab the saddle horn with both hands, put your left foot in the stirrup and pull yourself up. Then swing your right leg over the saddle.
She tried. She really did. She was barely able to reach the saddle horn. Trying to put her foot in the stirrup was impossible. She was too short.
Suddenly John’s strong hands were at her waist, lifting her high. She fell face first over the saddle.
She yelled. “John I’m going to fall off.”
“No you’re not. I’ve got you.” He hadn’t released her, she was safe. She relaxed a bit.
“What do I do now?”
“I’m going to put your foot in the stirrup. Then you put your weight on that foot and stand up. Keep holding on to the saddle horn and swing your right leg over the top and sit on the saddle. Then put your right foot in the stirrup. You ready to try?”
She nodded and then realized he couldn’t see her. “Yes. I’ve got it.”
Following his instructions exactly she was amazed to find herself sitting up in the saddle.
“I did it.” Pleased with herself she grinned down at John.
He smiled back. “Good. Now take the reins in your right hand.”
She did.
“That’s right. Now punch your heels into her sides. This lets her know it’s time to move.”
Sarah lightly touched her boots to Bertha’s side. She did nothing.
“You have to do it harder than that. She has to feel it and know you mean business.”
She kicked her harder and Bertha started walking.
“Yahoo,” Sarah yelled.
“Yay, Mama. You’re riding.”
“This is good but you can’t walk everywhere.” He
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