muscles of my horse stretch and contract in full gallop, I realized
we’d made a mistake. Jericho’s mane lashed my face as I leaned
forward to grab the reins that dangled uselessly from the bit
clenched between his teeth. The leather lines whipped against his
churning legs and danced wildly away from my grasp. “I’m such an
idiot,” I hissed through clenched teeth. “How could I have dropped
the reins?
“Whoa! Whoa!” I yelled and lunged for them again.
‘I had to stop him. Jericho’s staccato hoof beats echoed the
pulse pounding in my ears. Through nostrils, wide and red, he
sucked air in and out in a noisy cadence that matched the beat of
my heart. Sweat foamed a white lather that slimed my cheek and
seeped into the corner of my eye as I lay flat on his neck. The salt
stung and I blinked to clear my vision. But I didn’t need to see what
lay ahead; I knew with certainty what was coming. Above the
clacking hooves and blowing horse, I could hear the music of tires
whining along asphalt. The highway!
“Jump Mary!” Katy yelled.
‘Her mount couldn’t come close to matching Jericho’s long
stride. On her short-legged pony, she ran behind me uselessly
shouting dumb instructions like, “Grab the reins!”
‘What did she think I was trying to do? Pick my nose? “I knew I
would die young,” I whispered to the wind. “This is it.”
‘It’s true. Your life does flash through your mind before you die.’
Two friends grow up with a shared love of horses. It’s a love
that grows through trials and tragedy and brings to us an
evocative, shared memory of what we hold dear in our lives.
ISBN: 9781845502836
Catalogue code: N/A
Publisher: CHRISTIAN FOCUS - published 15/11/2007
Format: Paperback