Free Sea Horse by Bonnie Bryant

the ride.
    “Good work,” a man’s voice came from behind her. “You’re really a good rider, aren’t you?”
    “Not really,” she said over her shoulder, wondering what Frederica had said to the poor man by way of preparation.
    Frederica raised her hand. “Prepare to canter!” she called out.
    In spite of her earlier promises not to touch it, Lisa gripped the pommel so tightly that her knuckles turned white.
    The horse in front of her picked up his pace to a trot and then to a canter. Jasper, trotting willingly, strained at his bit. He was ready to go. Lisa continued to hold the reins taut. Her horse might be ready, but she wasn’t sure she was.
    She heard the rider behind her cluck to his horse, urging him to a canter. She couldn’t keep him back. She had to get going. Jasper trotted faster. His smooth trot was a very nice gait. She could even sit it, but for how long? She couldn’t really go on for the rest of her life pretending she was cantering when she was actually trotting.
    Her foot slid back on Jasper’s belly, touching him behind the girth. At the same time her hands gripped the pommel more tightly, if that was possible.
    Jasper responded immediately to her signal, rocking his head and changing his gait to a canter. Lisa gripped the horse firmly with her legs, but didn’t hold him in the viselike grip she’d used on her last ride. She had to hold her legs steady, and the best way to do that was to hold her horse firmly. She loosened the reins, letting Jasper know that what he was doing was right.
    Lisa looked forward. The trail followed the curve of the beach, and the horses splashed in the shallow tongues of surf. It was much easier for horses to canter onthe wet section of the beach than on the dry sand, where their hooves sank into the softer footing. Jasper seemed to appreciate it. In fact, Jasper seemed to love it, almost coming to life on the beach. Lisa could feel his speed under her, but, thankfully, she didn’t feel out of control. She moved one of her fingers on the right rein ever so slightly and Jasper immediately flicked his right ear to her. It was a sure sign that he was paying attention to her. At the same time, he clearly loved his canter by the sea. She smiled to herself. Jasper was a real sea horse. Now, she realized, since he was letting her take charge, she had to be worthy of his trust.
    She sat deeply in the saddle, sliding forward and back easily with the one-two-three beat of Jasper’s canter. Like most horses’ canters, it had the feel of a rocking chair—moving fast, of course. Lisa looked up ahead and watched where Frederica swung her horse to the left to the part of the trail that led into the wooded area. It was the scene of Lisa’s first tumble. The other horses on the trail ride followed. So did Jasper, when Lisa signaled him.
    The horses slowed to a walk. Lisa felt relief, but there was more than that. She also felt comfortable. She was in the saddle of a gentle, responsive horse, riding through what surely had to be one of the prettiest trails in the world. She began to relax and enjoy herself.
    Frederica led the riders up the curvy trail that snaked up to the hilltop. On the straightaway they cantered again, this time through the open field up toward the promontory. Now that Lisa knew something about the formation of the island, she had a better understanding ofwhat the promontory was. It was a piece of land built up from the center of the island by a volcano, and cut back at the island’s edge by the sea. She and her parents had seen several more of them on their trip with Ben. There was something about being on horseback, between the work of a volcano and the work of the ocean, that made Lisa feel very close to the heart of San Marco. She liked the feeling. Once again, she noticed Jill shy away from the promontory. Jill definitely didn’t like heights.
    The horses then descended down into the palm grove, once again passing the shabby little farm. The boy