Lisa asked quietly.
Merrill turned to look at her, and Lisa saw that she hadn’t been mistaken. Merrill was clearly very nervous, though Lisa couldn’t quite understand why. She thought that seeing Lorraine and Stevie go over the course with no trouble would give Merrill more confidence, not less.
“It’s just that everyone is doing so well,” Merrill replied. “I’m afraid I’m going to mess up again.”
Carole had overheard, and she leaned over from her positionon Starlight’s back. “Don’t you like Chip?” she asked anxiously.
“I like him fine,” Merrill replied, giving the horse a pat. “I’m sure I could ride him all day on the trail with no trouble at all. But I’m not so sure I can jump on him—or on any other horse, for that matter. I’m afraid I’m just no good at it at all.”
Carole and Lisa exchanged worried glances. This was bad news. If Merrill was feeling this nervous, her horse was sure to pick up on it.
“Just try to relax, Merrill,” Carole advised, not knowing what else to say. “Pretend nobody is watching you. Just do the best you can. That’s all Max expects, and it’s all you should expect from yourself, too.”
“I’ll try,” Merrill said, watching as Adam Levine began the course.
Then it was Merrill’s turn. She began a slow warm-up lap around the ring. Stevie had ridden back to join her friends, and Carole and Lisa quickly filled her in on what Merrill had said.
“I really hope she does okay this time,” Lisa said. “Otherwise there’s no telling what she’ll do.”
“She’ll be fine,” Stevie said, trying to sound confident. “She can do it—she just hasn’t realized it yet.”
“Well, I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed until she’s safely through the course,” Carole said, crossing her fingers.
Stevie and Lisa crossed their fingers, too.
Finally Merrill sent Chip toward the first jump. The gelding moved along easily until he was almost there. Then he seemed to sense the hesitation in his rider, and his stride wobbled. Hecontinued on and took the fence, but his approach had been thrown off just enough to make him bring down the top bar. As it clattered to the ground, the gelding came to a halt.
Lisa bit her lip. “Go on, Merrill,” she whispered, though of course Merrill couldn’t hear her. “Move past it and keep going.”
Merrill seemed to be thinking the same thing. She brought the horse under control with her reins and legs, then urged him back into a trot, taking him in a few tight circles and then pointing him toward the next fence. They finished the course without further incident, although Carole suspected that had more to do with Chip’s solid training than with Merrill’s riding, since the girl was obviously still hesitant and uncertain about what she was doing. There was a distinct look of relief on her face when Chip had cleared the last fence and their turn was over.
“Maybe just having gotten through it will help her state of mind,” Lisa whispered as Merrill headed toward them.
“Let’s hope so,” Stevie said.
But Merrill didn’t seem much happier now than when she had started. She brushed aside the other girls’ congratulations. “I stunk,” she said flatly. “The only reason I made it over anything at all was because Chip did all the work. I just sat there like a sack of potatoes.”
“That’s okay, Merrill,” Carole said. “You’re still learning. No one expects you to be a champion.”
Merrill just grimaced in reply. It was clear that she didn’t feel like talking.
* * *
T HE REST OF the day went more or less the same for Merrill. She didn’t do anything terribly wrong, but The Saddle Club could tell she wasn’t having fun.
By the end of the afternoon’s session, even The Saddle Club was glad to dismount and head inside. They were too worried about Merrill to enjoy themselves completely, even though they were all learning a lot.
“How are you doing?” Lisa asked, falling into step
Merrill turned to look at her, and Lisa saw that she hadn’t been mistaken. Merrill was clearly very nervous, though Lisa couldn’t quite understand why. She thought that seeing Lorraine and Stevie go over the course with no trouble would give Merrill more confidence, not less.
“It’s just that everyone is doing so well,” Merrill replied. “I’m afraid I’m going to mess up again.”
Carole had overheard, and she leaned over from her positionon Starlight’s back. “Don’t you like Chip?” she asked anxiously.
“I like him fine,” Merrill replied, giving the horse a pat. “I’m sure I could ride him all day on the trail with no trouble at all. But I’m not so sure I can jump on him—or on any other horse, for that matter. I’m afraid I’m just no good at it at all.”
Carole and Lisa exchanged worried glances. This was bad news. If Merrill was feeling this nervous, her horse was sure to pick up on it.
“Just try to relax, Merrill,” Carole advised, not knowing what else to say. “Pretend nobody is watching you. Just do the best you can. That’s all Max expects, and it’s all you should expect from yourself, too.”
“I’ll try,” Merrill said, watching as Adam Levine began the course.
Then it was Merrill’s turn. She began a slow warm-up lap around the ring. Stevie had ridden back to join her friends, and Carole and Lisa quickly filled her in on what Merrill had said.
“I really hope she does okay this time,” Lisa said. “Otherwise there’s no telling what she’ll do.”
“She’ll be fine,” Stevie said, trying to sound confident. “She can do it—she just hasn’t realized it yet.”
“Well, I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed until she’s safely through the course,” Carole said, crossing her fingers.
Stevie and Lisa crossed their fingers, too.
Finally Merrill sent Chip toward the first jump. The gelding moved along easily until he was almost there. Then he seemed to sense the hesitation in his rider, and his stride wobbled. Hecontinued on and took the fence, but his approach had been thrown off just enough to make him bring down the top bar. As it clattered to the ground, the gelding came to a halt.
Lisa bit her lip. “Go on, Merrill,” she whispered, though of course Merrill couldn’t hear her. “Move past it and keep going.”
Merrill seemed to be thinking the same thing. She brought the horse under control with her reins and legs, then urged him back into a trot, taking him in a few tight circles and then pointing him toward the next fence. They finished the course without further incident, although Carole suspected that had more to do with Chip’s solid training than with Merrill’s riding, since the girl was obviously still hesitant and uncertain about what she was doing. There was a distinct look of relief on her face when Chip had cleared the last fence and their turn was over.
“Maybe just having gotten through it will help her state of mind,” Lisa whispered as Merrill headed toward them.
“Let’s hope so,” Stevie said.
But Merrill didn’t seem much happier now than when she had started. She brushed aside the other girls’ congratulations. “I stunk,” she said flatly. “The only reason I made it over anything at all was because Chip did all the work. I just sat there like a sack of potatoes.”
“That’s okay, Merrill,” Carole said. “You’re still learning. No one expects you to be a champion.”
Merrill just grimaced in reply. It was clear that she didn’t feel like talking.
* * *
T HE REST OF the day went more or less the same for Merrill. She didn’t do anything terribly wrong, but The Saddle Club could tell she wasn’t having fun.
By the end of the afternoon’s session, even The Saddle Club was glad to dismount and head inside. They were too worried about Merrill to enjoy themselves completely, even though they were all learning a lot.
“How are you doing?” Lisa asked, falling into step
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