Bravery

I’ve been sewing Christmas presents over the weekend and having to whisk the object and bits of material out of sight every time one of the grandchildren has wandered in.  Luckily they have been arriving on a quad, so I’ve have been able to hear them approaching and had enough time to do the whisking. 

At one stage my city dwelling granddaughter, Jami was having a ride on the quietest of the horses on the farm.  Can’t say she looked relaxed but she had her brave smile in place.

And brave she is.

Shortly after this photo was taken, my daughter-in-law, Heather had gone for a ride on her horse which was being a bit frisky and needed a work out.  A while later Jami was leading the horse she had been riding back home and  was standing on the track outside my house holding its reins.    I heard her calling, “Granny, come help me!”  and although she wasn’t shouting I thought I heard fear in her voice and raced, as fast as I can race these days, out to see what was going on.  Arrived at the door in time to see Heather’s horse, minus it’s rider, galloping full tilt towards her.  And the courageous girl put out her arms and stepped into its path to stop it.  She wasn’t to know it would stop when it came up to its mate.  She must have been terrified but there were so screams or shrieks, just courage.

Shayde, who had been with her, was on the quad and off in search of her mother before the galloping horse reached us.  I took the reins of the  loose horse and, after dithering for a minute, and hearing that Shayde was still moving around on the quad, thinking she couldn’t find her mother and imagining Heather laying in a drain somewhere, led it into the paddock beside the house, took off the bridle and let it go, jumped in the car and went in search of Heather.  

I tell you, my heart was in my throat.  The thought of something bad happening to one of my family makes my blood run cold.  I found Shayde and Heather quickly enough, they weren’t too far away and I was so happy to see an angry Heather.  That’s a sight you don’t see very often and she was furious.  She’d stopped and dismounted to open a gate and the horse had jerked free and taken off.  Oh, you should have heard the things she said to that horse when she got back to her.  I’d behave myself for a long time if I were her.  

It was only after she’d finished her tirade and was about to remount the horse that she stopped to tip the water out of her boots and shake out her drenched socks.  She’d had to wade through the creek to get back. 

I went back to my sewing feeling very proud of my grand-daughters.   Jami and Shayde, I hope you are around if ever I need help!