“How do you ride a horse?” Morro asked, his voice tinged with nervousness. He shifted from foot to foot, unsure of how to approach the animal.
Mia gave him an incredulous look. “You’ve never ridden a horse before? Seriously?”
Morro shook his head vigorously. “Nope. I’ve seen them, but I’ve never actually ridden one.”
Emma, watching from the sidelines, couldn’t help but groan. “This is going to be interesting.”
Mia sighed, stepping up to the horse and patting its neck. “Alright, Morro, let’s get you acquainted with our friend here.”
With some encouragement from Mia, Morro approached the horse, trying to appear calm. He reached out to stroke its mane, but just as he did, the horse shifted suddenly. Morro stumbled back, barely managing to catch himself, but the horse, spooked by his clumsiness, bolted forward.
Before anyone could react, the horse reared up, and Morro was knocked to the ground, landing with a thud. He let out a startled yelp, and the horse's hooves brushed dangerously close to him.
Emma gasped. “Morro, are you okay?”
Morro groaned from the ground, rubbing his sore side. “I’m fine, just a bit bruised!”
Mia hurried over, helping him to his feet. “Careful! Horses can be unpredictable. Let’s try that again.”
Determined but wary, Morro approached the horse once more. This time, he was more cautious, taking slow, deliberate steps. He reached for the stirrup and tried to mount the horse, but his nerves were betraying him. As he swung his leg over the horse’s back, he lost his balance and ended up sitting upside down, his legs hanging awkwardly over the horse’s sides.
Emma couldn’t hold back a laugh. “Oh my goodness, Morro, you’re doing it all wrong!”
Morro tried to right himself, his face flushed with embarrassment. “I didn’t realize it would be this complicated!”
Mia was stifling her own laughter, stepping in to help. “Okay, let’s get you adjusted.”
As she tried to stabilize Morro, the horse, sensing the commotion and feeling more agitated, gave a sudden, sharp kick. The impact wasn’t hard enough to cause serious harm, but it was enough to send Morro flying off the horse’s back, landing in a heap on the grass.
Morro lay there, looking dazed and thoroughly defeated. The horse, now calm again, trotted away a few paces, its ears flicking in curiosity.
Emma and Mia rushed over to Morro, helping him up from the ground. Emma had tears of laughter in her eyes. “Well, that was definitely a show!”
Morro dusted himself off, his face a mix of frustration and amusement. “You can say that again. I feel like I’ve been through a rodeo.”
Mia patted his back sympathetically. “Hey, it’s all part of the learning process. You did better than most first-timers!”
Morro sighed, looking at the horse with a mixture of wariness and newfound respect. “I guess I’ll need a bit more practice before I’m ready to ride properly.”
Emma grinned. “Or maybe you just need to stick to less dangerous activities.”
Morro chuckled, shaking his head. “Agreed. I think I’ve had enough excitement for one day.”
Mia, still grinning, gave him a reassuring pat. “Don’t worry, Morro. Practice makes perfect. And in the meantime, we’ve got plenty of other adventures lined up!”
Morro nodded, feeling slightly better despite his misadventures. “Alright, let’s see what else this day has in store.”
Mia’s grin widened as she gestured toward a seemingly innocuous section of the ground. “Step there, would you?”
