Her Own Way

by Warhorse
(Texas)

Part One

Melissa goes into the arena for practice, she's on an Eventing team and tonight they were practicing show jumping. She warmed her horse up, a mustang who doesn't look the part of a show horse but makes up for it with her jumping ability. She cantered her horse around the arena to warm up. Since she arrived rather early, Melissa has time to take Pepper, her horse over a few lower jumps. Then she walked Pepper to cool her off. She noticed the newer girl, Nellie, come into the arena with her horse...

Nellie steered her horse towards the arena. He was a tall bay horse with a lot of energy. Nellie knew he would be an eye catcher tonight. She came into the arena and saw Melissa coming towards her on her mustang.

"She's so cool", Nellie thought, "She can train a once wild horse to keep the fancy horses on their toes. I wish I could be like that". But Nellie showed none of the longing of friendship to Melissa, instead she made it seem just the opposite. She tried to do as little as possible with Melissa. Nellie trotted around the arena around the rail holding her horse, Bentley , back so he wouldn't run. Melissa came over to her on her pretty mustang.

"Maybe you should canter him around the arena and burn some of his energy that way?", Melissa suggested "and it might help if you inch your hand down on the reins to give you more control".
Nellie stiffened. She didn't like taking advice, it seemed to her that taking advice just made it seem like she didn't know anything. " No thanks", she said, and trotted off.

Later, during practice, she failed to change leads when turning sharply to cut off some strides and her horse refused the jump. Practice ended and Nellie was not happy. "I'm going to practice tomorrow at home", she tells herself. But then she remembers her parents are going put of town and she would be alone. "Ughhh!" She thought ," Fine! It doesn't mattet. I can do it anyway!" The only problem was that Melissa lived next door to her and had warned against riding with no one there... Nellie hoped she wouldn't get caught...

The next day she played it cool until her parents left. She then tacked up her horse. By the time she was done dark clouds started rolling in. Nellie was frustrated with herself for not checking the forecast! She quickly hoped on her horse and started to warm up, racing against the threatening sky. Bentley cantered perfectly around the jump but Nellie still felt a sinking , dreading feeling deep inside. "Oh stop it silly", she told herself. There was nothing wrong. She collected Bentley and centered him on the highest jump she had out. Suddenly it thundered and seconds later it started pouring down rain. Bentley spooked and jumped to the side quickly. Nellie pulled him back,"We are going to do this!" She ran him towards the jump, but something didn't feel right. Nellie panicked right before the jump. Bentley, sensing his rider's distress hesitated, but he had already committed to the jump! He couldn't stop! He landed on the wet, slippery ground and skidded, sending Nellie flying forward off of him, he slipped and fell to his knees. Nellie landed in a muddy heap in front of him.

Okay! That is part 1 please comment if you want me to continue.