Great Horse Stories by Rebecca E. Ondov Page A

bucks me off, remind me that You’re here to dust me off. With Your help I know I can put my foot back into the stirrup and ride. Amen.
    â€¢ Thoughts to Ponder •
    Has life bucked you off? What did you do? Are there dreams God wants you to pursue? What do you need to do to put your foot in the stirrup and ride toward His plan for you?

15
    BLACKIE
    Choosing Obedience
    O n the outskirts of Mobile, Alabama, the mid-afternoon sun beat down. The muggy air was still. A long row of saddled horses were tied to a hitching rail by the barn. Some stood with drooped heads as they took afternoon naps. Others switched their tails and occasionally stomped a foot to shoo away the flies. Ed glanced down the row of horses. It was June. School had let out, and one of Ed’s friends had asked him to rent a horse and go riding with her.
    A group of people milled around the horses, trying to figure out which mounts to ride. Ed’s eyes stopped on an obsidian horse. There was a spark in his eye that cinched Ed’s decision. The horse looked like a kindred spirit. Turning to the teenaged wrangler, Ed pointed at the black horse. “I want to ride this one.”
    The wrangler’s eyebrows furrowed while sizing up Ed’s gangly 140-pounds on a 6-foot-tall frame. “Have you ridden before?”
    Ed nodded. He was 16 years old and in charge. He knew all about riding. After all, he’d been on a mule when he was 4 years old.
    The wrangler cautioned, “Blackie is spirited.”
    That was the wrong thing to say. Now Ed wanted to ride that horse no matter what.
    After getting the horses sorted out and everyone mounted, the riders guided their horses down a well-worn trail through a 10-acre pasture. Ed loosely held the reins that had been tied together so he couldn’t drop one. He nudged Blackie into a faster walk to get next to his friend’s horse. The horses ambled across a grassy meadow dotted with oak trees. When the trail wound down a small dip, Blackie’s bodytipped downhill. He stretched out his neck, pulling the reins so they hung loosely. Ed’s hands and body were relaxed as he visited with his friend. The horses sloshed through a small ditch full of water and continued across the pasture.
    Blackie’s body tensed, and he clamped down on the bit. He turned his head and looked at Ed as if to say, “Okay! Here we go!” Rearing up and pivoting 180 degrees, the horse leaped into a gallop.
    Ed fumbled as he grabbed the saddle horn and pulled back on the reins. Blackie’s hooves hit the earth hard, and the teen’s rear slammed into the saddle. A wave of pain shot through his spine. Desperately he hung on as Blackie’s body flattened in an all-out run. The beast was headed for the barn. His churning hooves sounded like thunder as they quickly covered ground. Clods of dirt sprayed behind him.
    The other kids stopped their horses to watch the show. Laughter and excited chatter rolled across the meadow.
    Squinting into the wind, Ed clutched the saddle. His heart pounded in his ears. Then his eyes grew wide. The ditch! Although it was only two feet across, it looked like the Grand Canyon to Ed. Dropping the reins, he grabbed the saddle horn with both hands and hung on white-knuckled.
    Without hesitating Blackie cleared the ditch with ease.
    Ed’s body slammed the saddle again when they landed. His teeth rattled. He gasped and looked up. The barn was next. Ed cringed as he imagined entering the building at this speed.
    Suddenly Blackie locked his front legs and dropped his hindquarters, sliding to a stop.
    Ed somersaulted over the horse’s head. Whop! The teen hit the hard-packed dirt on his backside, knocking the wind out of him. He groaned. Fortunately the only thing that was seriously hurt was his ego.
    Yep, Ed had picked a horse that mirrored him perfectly.
    In Ed’s senior year of high school, he lost interest in school. Although he sat in the various classrooms all