July 2009 Story Contest

To Scared to Canterby pony_girl_101 & skylark  age 6

Characters: Abby (Main)
                  Emma (Abby's best friend who is to scared to canter.)
Ponies: Monkey (Abby's Pony)
Horses: Pegasus (Emma's Horse)

 
            “Come on Monkey, faster, faster!” Abby told her pony as they were cantering around the field.
 
            “You and Monkey are already going fast!” Abby’s best friend Emma smiled.
 
            “Well aren’t you going to canter Pegasus?” Abby asked.
 
            Emma looked nervous. “I don’t know Abby, last time I cantered Pegasus, I fell off and broke my wrist.”
 
            Abby smiled sympathetically. “Emma, don’t be nervous the only reason you fell off is because Peggy, tripped in a tiny mole hole! My daddy filled all the mole holes so there is none left! Pegasus couldn’t trip if she tried.”
 
            “I guess, Abby. I’m still too scared though.” Emma said. “Do you want to have a trotting race?”
 
            Abby nodded. “I guess so.”
 
            Abby nudged the sides of Monkey her black and white paint pony. The pony picked up a trot. Abby was dying to squeeze his sides just a little more to make him canter, or even gallop. Except, Abby knew it wouldn’t be fair to Emma and Pegasus if she did that. Abby looked back at Pegasus, who was just fox-trotting as she was a Fox-Trotter. Pegasus was a beautiful gray horse. Abby reached the end of the field first and patted Monkey’s neck until Pegasus and Emma came.
 
            “That was fun Abby. Do you want to do it again?” Emma asked.
 
            “No thanks Emma. I think I want to do some cantering. How about you?” Abby asked her.
 
            Emma looked shocked. “Abby!! I thought you knew I was too scared to canter!”
 
            “You will never be able to canter if you don’t face your fears now Emma. That’s what Momma always tells me.” Abby smiled. “It usually works. Besides you used to LOVE cantering. You even won first place in the cantering contest at the fair!”
 
            “I did win first didn’t I?” Emma smiled. “That ribbon is hanging up in front of Pegasus’s stall. The fair was great wasn’t it?”
 
            “The fair was great! But that’s not the point. The point is you used to love cantering! Now you’re just giving that up because of one little accident? I fell off and broke my leg when I was riding Monkey and I did the exact same thing the next time I got to ride!” Abby explained.
 
            “I know Abby. It’s just, It’s just, that you are umm so much braver then me.” Emma confessed quietly.
 
            Abby gasped. “Oh Emma! I’m so sorry. You can canter when you’re ready. I won’t push you anymore.”
 
            “No Abby, I want to canter!” Emma cried.
 
            “Are you sure?” Abby asked.
 
            Emma nodded. “I want to canter.”
 
            Abby nodded and Emma breathed in and out as she got Pegasus into a trot. She sat deep in the saddle and gave her horse a little kick in the side. Immediately, Pegasus picked up a steady canter and Abby nudged Monkey forward to catch up.
 
            “Abby! This is great! I forgot how much I loved to canter!” Emma giggled.
 
            Abby giggled back. “I told you, you would love it!”
 
            The two girls cantered around the field three times before there horses started to tire. They rode back to the barn slowing talking about thoughts of cantering again tomorrow.