Chapter 2 - Runaway

The riders began to canter around the ring as they had been instructed.  Libby squeezed Cracker-Jack hard and even nudged him with her heels a little.  Cracker-Jack must have been daydreaming about munching on that green grass on the other side of the fence.

Libby's brother Jason had not been riding as long as Libby and was still a little nervous, especially around such big horses.  He was riding McCloud for today's lesson. 

McCloud was a smaller gray horse.  He was mostly white, but he had little black flecks of color scattered throughout his coat.  He carried his head high and champed at the bit nervously.  McCloud trotted anxiously along the fence feeling a little unsure of his rider.  A horse can sense a lot from his rider, and Jason's nervousness was having a big effect on McCloud.

As Cracker-Jack caught up to the other horses, he and Libby cantered past Monica on her lesson horse, Lady.  Lady was a beautiful buckskin colored mare. She had a bright golden color with a dark black mane, tail, legs, nose and tips of her ears.  She was one of the prettiest horses at the stable.  She was much smaller than Cracker-Jack, but she didn't quite look small enough to be called a pony, at least to Libby, anyway.
Not wanting to be the last one in the line, Monica kicked Lady hard in the ribs, and she lunged forward.  Her nose bumped into the back end of McCloud who just in front of her.

McCloud went into a tizzy.  He bolted for the gate, turned the corner, scraping Jason's leg against the post and began to gallop through the woods.  He dodged trees left and right with Jason holding on tight.
Miss Lee galloped after him on her own horse, Dixie.  McCloud was a runaway, and Jason could be in trouble.   "Hang on, Jason!" cried Miss Lee.  "Try to pull his head around into a tight circle!" she shouted.  Jason tried, but he was just too scared to move.  If he tried to turn him in a circle to stop the runaway, he risked crashing into a tree.

Instead he held on to McCloud's mane with his fists tight and his eyes closed while they galloped through the woods and out of sight in the direction of the main barn with Miss Lee close behind. 

Jason lost his grip and dropped the rein from his left hand.  "Grab the reins, Jason!" Miss Lee shouted.  "Show him that you're the boss!"
Jason didn't care who was the boss.  At this point, McCloud was the boss.  He only wanted to get off that horse without too many broken bones.  McCloud's speed increased to a full gallop.  He was headed through the woods, but had not stayed on the trail.  The brush was high and Jason ducked his head under the low tree branches as they whizzed by them.

A large log lay on the ground ahead of him.  McCloud saw it and jumped.  Jason held on for dear life.  He had only one rein and one stirrup as his seat left the saddle.  It would have taken a miracle for him land square in the saddle again.  He landed all right, but not in the saddle at all.

He was now sitting just in front of the saddle on McCloud's withers clinging desperately to his neck.  McCloud grew even more panicked at his rider's new position of having both arms and legs wrapped around his neck.  He threw his head up and down trying to shake him off.  It was as if Jason were having a bronco ride! 

McCloud rounded the bend into the barnyard area and came to a sudden halt right in front of the main barn.  McCloud lowered his head and Jason fell to the ground in a heap.  McCloud snorted his nostril and looked at him.

Miss Lee rode up beside him and jumped down off her horse.  "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," Jason replied with his heart pounding.  "Just a little shaken, that's all."

"That was quite a ride!  I'll give you a minute to catch your breath, but then it's important that you get right back on that horse and finish the lesson.  You'll be glad you did."

Although still shaken, Jason agreed.

go to Chapter 3 -- The Creek