The ground felt hard as Joanna crash-landed.

She watched Jake her 14.2hh New forest cross gallop off. The one day event was only a week away.  Joanna had entered Jake months ago. Sarah, her instructor, had said "It will be good for you both-and you will need points to qualify for the riding club trophy".

But now as Jake bucked and pranced in the distance, Joanna wondered if she should withdraw her name from the event. She rose with a sigh and went to catch him. Oh why did he run off? 

Those beautiful horses she could see in the distance probably never ran off with their riders! The next day hacking around the roads, he behaved beautifully. Perhaps her cross-country course was jinxed or was he really afraid of solid looking fences?  She felt her anger rise.  It just wasn't fair. It was her first one-day event and she had been looking forward to it. 

As she turned the problem over in her mind, she remembered her last cross-country lesson with Sarah.  It had been encouraging. He had galloped around the stables cross-country course, jumping whatever she asked him. It was just at home-she needed to practice jumping into the stream in the field, in and out of it (they had no water combinations at the stables) but she never got near it, before Jake bolted. 

By the end of the hack she had decided to ring Sarah and lay out her problem before her. She should have before, but she often felt shy especially as her mother insisted on coming at talk non-stop.  This time she would invite Sarah to come and see Jake on a day mum was shopping. 

Ring...Ring... "Hello" said Sarah "Ready for the one-day event?" 

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about. I'm having a problem practicing cross-country on Jake" 

"That's strange you seemed finein lessons"exclaimed Sarah. 

"It's in the field" explained Joanna  "He always bolts and I usually fall off" 

"Hmmm..........why don't we go to the course, you ride and I'll try and see what the problem is."

This is what Joanna had dreaded

........To be continued If you liked my story and want to here the end email me on: SophiePapi@aol.com

by Soph

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