“No, Michael, I don’t understand,” she retorted. “Do you mean me taking a horse from your barn without asking you? Or not using a saddle? Or is it my wearing leather breeches? Because I have a very good reason for all of these, if you would care to hear them.”
“I don’t want to hear any excuses you may have. You are not ever to do these things again. You could have killed yourself.”
“Michael, I’ve been riding since I could walk. And riding astride for nearly as long. These breeches are made to my specification for exactly what I do. They provide better grip on horses’ backs than a saddle does. The horses seem to like it, too. They feel my seat and leg cues more clearly, thus understanding comes easier. I’ve found when training a horse, the most common mistake the human makes is not being
