Little Man the first great ride

At the Riding Academy where we stabled Dolly I signed up for lessons I wanted western my Mother said English first. Well Mrs. Elliot who owned the academy told me it wouldn’t matter which I took first that Dolly was still far away from being rode .I still came every day I could to take her for walks around the pasture and after about 2 months around the trails. I wasnt permitted to do that till I became an intermediate rider

Mrs. E. had me go though the stable of riding horses to pick one to ride. Well I fell for Little Man a beautiful quarter horse that had a lot of spunk whinnying away . They all laughed saying only expert riders could ride him. Well I admit I pouted, and stubbornly wouldn’t pick another. They decided for me and gave me the gentlest horse in the place. then I was given Lilly to learn on. She was a small Pinto and was the best they hade to learn on but I still wanted to ride Little Man even though I did enjoy and learn quite a lot from sweet Lilly.
I went to visit Little man at least for a half hour when ever I was there which was every day there wasn’t school. One day as they had warned he nipped my shoulder. Not bad enough to need stitches ,in fact I didn’t even any one My sister saw the blood on my sleeve and told mom. I thought my mother was going to blow a gasket, but Mrs.E said ifI was brave enough to ride him It would be the best thing for me to do. Well if I knew that’s all it would have taken I would have made him bite me. My Dad agreed with Mrs. and I was so excited I couldn’t sleep that night !

I had Dad drop me off extra early that Sunday and took Dolly out for a long walk out to our favorite tree so I could feed her her apple and carrot, as I talked to her about my riding Little Man. Then at nine O clock sharp I was at the stable when they brought me Little Man out for me to saddle up. I needed my box and moved it around a lot but I got the girth tightened correctly then mounted him with a little help. I was a bit nervous and I am sure he knew, but he was very gentle which surprised every one but me. It was my first western saddle ,and first horse that really had some spunk I knew one day would have a quarter house of my own one day