Run-a-way Horse, a Memory

I got to thinking about my grandparents today. I remember one year we went on vacation in Colorado to visit them with my brothers and sisters. We had family reunions ever so often and my aunts and uncles and all of my cousins came in from out of state and joined as well. It was a fun time for all of us. I'm thinking I was about seven, or maybe eight years old when this incident happened.

We went camping in the Black Forest near Colorado Springs. The forest was made up of thick Ponderosa Pines. It's where my grandfather and uncle Andy took us to go horseback riding. I don't remember too much, just a lot of dry land with tall trees with it being very warm during the day. We were all told to look out for rattle snakes, because there were always some around. I remember wishing there was a creek to play in, because it was so warm.

I was a middle child and younger than most of my my brother, sister and cousins who thought I was just a pest at the time. All of us younger kids were pests according to the older kids. I was chased away many times and told not to follow them. I was disappointed, because I just wanted to be apart of the group.

My grandpa hugged me letting me know I was loved and told me not to worry about it. He sat me up on one of his horses and let me ride the beautiful animal around the camp and even let me go with them on the trails where we went as a group through the forest trails.

I'm not sure what happened, but the horse started trotting faster than the group and I pulled back on the reigns, but the horse kept going. I heard yelling behind me as the horse picked up speed as it charged into the woods. I remember leaning forward and just hanging onto the horse for dear life as I bounced around. It was a good thing I hung on too, because the horse ran into some trees where the limbs hung low and I could have gotten hurt real bad.

I remember crying as the horse suddenly stopped making me lose what little balance I had and fell off of the horse. I landed hard on the ground in a sticker bush. I heard yelling and screaming from everyone who was looking for me.

My Grandfather found me and helped me up. I had stickers all over me and he brushed me off making sure I hadn't broken anything. The horse stood nearby watching us and tears ran down my face as I realized things could have been a lot worse.

Grandpa put me back on the horse, but this time he held onto the reigns and made sure nothing else happened.

I look back on that memory and was glad that the experience didn't make me afraid of horses after that. I was just a little weary and I gained a huge respect for that majestic animal. I never let it stop me from getting back up and riding when we visited my grandparents.