Don't Let Worry Ruin the Ride

"What am I doing up here?  I don't think I want to do this.  He's so tall!" I heard my brain say after I had swung my leg over the saddle of a giant horse.  We hadn't even begun our hour-long trail ride, and memories of nightmarish equine experiences were, already, making me regret my decision to conquer this fear.  Putting a fake smile on my face, I prayed that my 17-year-old steed wouldn't feel my apprehension.  I listened to directions on how to handle Chief, a beautiful brown and white American Paint.  His eyes reminded me of our Golden Retriever's eyes, but I still couldn't shake the slight, but bothersome, knowledge I have of horses, regarding their skittishness.  What if a snake or some mice were to run across our path?  Would Chief bolt, catching me unprepared to hold on for dear life?  What if he tripped?  I've seen that happen before.  In that instance, the horse's mouth hit the ground resulting in a bloody gash in its lip. 

Even though I was told to use the words, "Giddy up" and "Whoa" for commands to move and to stop, none were needed, as Chief and I were third in line after Wrangler Dave and my friend Bonnie.  My horse nonchalantly followed the others, but I was still a little shaky, especially when Chief stopped abruptly and arched his back, placing me even higher into the air.  I should have known that he was just relieving himself of a rather large pile of poop, but fear has a way of blocking out common sense sometimes.  Then, as the scent of it reached my nostrils, and Chief starting walking again, I calmed down and made a decision.

It was only one week after the beginning of fall, so the colored leaves were interspersed with the unchanged green ones, and the contrast was gorgeous.  The sounds of late summer could still be heard throughout the woods.  Coming out of the forest, into a clearing, the heat of the sun felt like joy penetrating my soul.  We were heading for the beach of a glistening lake when I decided to stop being such a worry wart. Instead of having the shakes over past events and possible "what ifs", I thanked God for all of the ways the ride was affecting my senses.  I thanked Him for the ability to sit upon a horse, for my friend who suggested it and went with me, and for faith (however late) that everything would be okay.  A half hour later, I was treating Chief to a goodie and wishing that I could go again.
My photo, "South Haven Sea Glass, Merged II" reminds me of the colored leaves along the wonderful trails at Simpsarosa Stables in Grand Junction, Michigan.