Craziest Horse Ride Ever: Would you have done this?

One of my new characters is a horse.

Yes, a horse.

Her name is Nelly, and her creation was inspired by true events.

In the “Society for Paranormals” series, she starts out as the laziest creature on God’s green earth. However, after a brief bout of demonic possession, the horse inherits supernatural speed, and takes her owner on one very crazy ride.

An unforgettable ride inspired in part by my own experience.

You see, I went on a horseback safari while 5 months pregnant.

Yes, you read that correctly.

It was my first pregnancy and I hadn’t been informed that women in my condition shouldn’t do such a thing. Blissfully unaware, I embarked on a safari through the Kenyan savannah on a horse while pregnant.

Now please tell me: who could honestly resist riding amongst the giraffe and herds of zebra, with the tantalising possibility of coming across a pride of lions basking in the sun? Certainly not me, and a little bit of ignorance goes a long way.

Before you accuse me of being completely irresponsible in regards to the safety of the next generation, allow me to mention that I did insist on receiving the calmest, gentlest horse. I pointed to my obvious pregnant status, in case there was any doubt as to why I needed a calm ride.

“Oh yes,” the guides said, nodding their heads sagely. “We’ll give you our best horse.”

Perhaps I should have clarified with them that I wasn’t actually interested in their best horse, only their calmest.

Clearly the message was lost in translation, because I was soon astride a very energetic, high-strung creature whose version of ‘calm’ was a bone-jarring, belly-jiggling, bouncy trot. If I hadn’t been firmly tugging on the reins, the beast would have taken my unborn offspring and me flying across the open plains.

Meanwhile, my husband’s horse had perfected the art of sleep walking, and regularly slipped into snooze mode. It required vigorous prodding and kicking to move more than a few steps at a time, while I raced circles around them both.

Nelly is therefore a composite of those two memorable horses. She’s also a warning, in case I should ever forget why it really isn’t advisable to undertake a horseback safari while pregnant.

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