Page 32 of Wrangled

I followed. There was no sign of the others.

“Where is everyone?”

Paul chuckled. “I know they tell you it’ll be work right from the get-go, but it really isn’t, not the first day at least. They like to take their time, make sure the guests are happy before they throw them into the deep end.” He grinned. “Then it’s like you said—sink or swim time.” He closed the gate behind us, threw the blanket over the fence, then dropped the reins. “Now show me how you saddle a horse.”

I grinned. “Sink or swim time?” I placed the saddle alongside the blanket.

He returned my grin. “So what’s the first thing you do?”

“Tie the horse. He needs to stay put.” I searched my memories for everything granddad had ever taught me. I took the lead rope, slipping its tail through the loop of a quick release knot. “In case Lightning knows how to untie knots,” I said for Paul’s benefit.

He chuckled. “And he does, so good call.”

Then I checked the area where the saddle would be for any sores or wounds. There were no lumps, bumps, or swellings either. I glanced in Paul’s direction, and he smiled.

“Doing good so far.”

I grabbed the blanket and placed it on Lightning’s back, putting it a little higher on the withers, then slid it back into place just behind the mane.

“Tell me why you did that,” he demanded.

“So the hair on his back lies flat under the blanket and the saddle.” I made sure it was even on both sides, then grabbed the saddle. I stood on Lightning’s left side, and flipped the right-side cinches and stirrup over the seat of the saddle to keep them from getting caught under it. Then I swung the saddle over the horse, rocking it back and forth into position, unfolding the cinches and stirrups, and ensuring the center line lay over Lightning’s spine.

“Yeah, you’ve done this before.”

I slid two fingers under the curve of the saddle just under the horn, and made sure I could fit three or four fingers between the horse’s withers and the cinch. I marveled at how it all came back to me.

“Now what?” Paul asked.

“I need to secure the main cinch. Can’t ride without that.” I pulled it under Lightning’s belly toward me, slipping the strap through the cinch buckle and ensuring it wasn’t twisted. Paul watched without comment as I untied the horse, then walked him around for a minute or two, letting him relax to the saddle before I finished tightening the cinch. Then I loosely secured the back cinch, attached the breast collar, and latched it to the saddle’s cinch and front D-rings.

Paul beamed. “Very good.”

I smiled. “I guess some things you don’t forget.” I walked the horse over to the fence, climbed onto it, and mounted him.

“Wow. Now I’m impressed.”

I blinked. “By me getting onto the horse?”

“By thewayyou mounted him. Most guys just put a foot in the stirrup and throw their leg over. You know, like they’ve seen in the movies.”

I frowned. “Mounting a horse like that puts undue pressure on him, my granddad used to say.”

“Your granddad obviously spent a good deal of time around horses.” He folded his arms. “Okay—show me what you can do.”

As soon as I tried to get Lightning to move, it became obvious he was going to be a bit of a handful. “You said no one’s ridden him in a while. Exactly how long are we talking about here?”

Paul’s face tightened. “Too long. Persevere. He just needs to remember, that’s all. He’s a good horse.”

It took me about twenty minutes to get him to do what I wanted, and I spent the next ten minutes after that trotting around the paddock under Paul’s watchful gaze. We picked up a little speed, slowed, sped up again, and then I brought Lightning to a dead stop in front of him.

Paul smiled. “Yeah, you know your way around a horse.”

It occurred to me that if we weren’t in a hurry to get started, there was something I wanted to do while I had the chance.

“Can I go for a ride?”

Paul shook his head. “I can’t really go out right now. I need to sort out a horse for Garrett.”