Narrative+Essay

2-2-10 7G **
 * Lizzie Jeon

Another hot summer day greeted me as I made my way out of the house and toward the forest green-colored car. Excited but nervous, with tiny butterflies in my stomach, I got in the vehicle, knowing that my first jumping lesson was ahead of me. I was reminded of my first time riding a horse, the time I had no clue that I would have so much fun and that I would love horseback riding. I made a small guess that today’s jump will not be a huge matter like my first time riding but, I clearly didn’t know how different it would be. Jumping on a horse might be seen as an easy-looking experience. But I learned that without willingness, you can’t achieve everything you want to. After a long drive through the private, countryside roads, the car slowed and entered the open wooden gates of the Palmer River Equestrian Center. The familiar smell of hay filled my nostrils and I was overcame with excitement. After a short goodbye to my mom and a quick adjustment with my black riding boots, I entered the barn and was greeted by my teacher, Anita. “Ready for your first ever jump? Don’t worry, I picked the perfect horse for your first time. He’s in the last stall on the left,” Anita said in her cheerful tone and went to the other student who was having trouble with the stirrup. The last stall that Anita pointed to contained a chestnut-colored horse, chomping down the bundle of hay. The name tag glued on the stall door read “Peanut” in bold letters. “Let’s do our best, Peanut,” I smiled, sliding the door to get ready for the lesson. I grabbed the round, red brush and the hoof pick from the shelves and began grooming Peanut’s well-built body. I brushed his gleaming fur and scraped the dirt from his hooves. Peanut remained calm during the course of cleaning, quietly munching the last remains of hay and occasionally gulping down water from the bucket. I gave a firm pat on his back and placed the grooming supplies back on the shelf. After putting down the grooming materials, I locked the stall door and strode over to the big barn, which contained all the riding equipments that a rider needed. I clutched the saddle with one arm and snatched the bridle, saddle pad, and the girth with my free hand. I headed back to where Peanut was and started settling the equipments on him. With his saddle on his back, girth locked firmly, and bridle fitted into his mouth, he was all set for the lesson. “Okay, head on up to the indoor ring!” Anita shouted from the other end of the small barn. I pulled on the bridle, leading Peanut up the little hill and inside the indoor ring. I heaved myself on top of Peanut and adjusted my feet into the stirrups. Anita directed us to trot around the ring a couple of times to get warmed up before the main lesson. Peanut cooperated more than I thought he would and this gave me courage for my first time jumping. “Lizzie, come here,” Anita said, waiting for me in the middle of the ring. I made Peanut change directions and walk toward her. “I’m going to let you try your first jump today. All you do is stay in your posting position when you’re jumping. You can approach the fence by trotting. Go around the ring once and try, okay?” Anita said, giving gentle pats on Peanut’s neck. I began to trot again, repeating the steps in my head as if I was afraid to forget about them. As I got close to the white and red striped fence, I braced myself and just as Peanut lifted his front legs I went into my posting position, finding it hard to balance properly on the saddle. Panicking, I found myself leaning dangerously toward the right and with a noiseless thump, I was on the ground, finding myself in a puff of light brown dirt. My heart was beating so loudly with shock that I thought everyone could hear the rapid rhythm of my heartbeat. Blinking, I looked up and found Anita with Peanut next to her. “Congratulations on your first fall! Remember, you have nine more to go to become an official rider! Hop back on Peanut and let’s try it again!” Anita smiled, handing me Peanut’s bridle. The surprise from the unexpected fall still overwhelmed my senses but I did what I was told and steered Peanut to the right. Slowly, the shock from the fall disappeared and I tried to bring back what I had done wrong. Frowning, I remembered that I did the posting stance a little late than when I was suppose to. Now knowing what I did wrong, I decided to try again and aimed for not making the same mistake again. For the rest of the lesson, I kept trying on getting the hang of jumping. I was able to master the basic steps of jumping on a horse at the end of the day and was also able to finish the lesson, satisfied. After this day, I learned to go over my mistakes and put effort into everything I do. It was a big day for me because first of all, I got to encounter a new experience and second of all, I had a chance to work with Peanut. Even though I had to go through a fall, I think it taught me a valuable lesson. This memory will remain as one of the most thrilling experiences I have ever went through in my life. I still love horseback riding and I wish to continue it when I go back to America.