--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He held her a moment longer, allowing the…" description: "\"“He held her a moment longer, allowing the merhorse to become accustomed to her. \"How do I steer?\" she asked. \"You don't,\" he said. \"She steers. You ri..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff6/sarah-beth-durst-10639_hippocampus_he-held-her-a-moment-longer-allowing-the_1862884.jpg" --- # He held her a moment longer, allowing the merhorse to… ![“He held her a moment longer, allowing the merhorse to become accustomed to her. "How do I steer?" she asked. "You don't," he said. "She steers. You ride." He then released her. Instinctively, she leaned forward and grabbed onto Sian's mane as the merhorse lunged away from the rocks. Sea spray and…” quote by Sarah Beth Durst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff6/sarah-beth-durst-10639_hippocampus_he-held-her-a-moment-longer-allowing-the_1862884.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff6/sarah-beth-durst-10639_hippocampus_he-held-her-a-moment-longer-allowing-the_1862884.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff6/sarah-beth-durst-10639_hippocampus_he-held-her-a-moment-longer-allowing-the_1862884.jpg) > ““He held her a moment longer, allowing the merhorse to become accustomed to her. "How do I steer?" she asked. "You don't," he said. "She steers. You ride." He then released her. Instinctively, she leaned forward and grabbed onto Sian's mane as the merhorse lunged away from the rocks. Sea spray and wind spattered Kiela's face. The merhorse picked up speed, jumping through the waves like a dolphin. Kiela clung to her mane, feeling as if she were holding on to seaweed, slippery but soft. She let out a shriek as Sian leaped over the top of a large cresting wave, and then she laughed as they sailed down the other side. She'd never felt anything like this. It was terrifying. And wonderful. She felt as if her blood had become the wind, and her breath had become the sea spray. She tasted salt, and she tasted freedom. Both were glorious.”” [Sarah Beth Durst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-beth-durst/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A rider learns to trust the creature’s instinct, experiencing fear and exhilaration, symbolizing surrender to natural forces and the joy of freedom. **In simple terms:** Trust the creature’s instinct and feel freedom. Key Takeaway Embrace instinct, release control. Themes trust freedom adventure fear joy Mood exhilarated awestruck reflective Type narrative inspirational descriptive When to use this quote - learning to ride - overcoming fear - seeking adventure - experiencing nature - letting go Key Concepts instinct surrender transformation Questions to Reflect On - How does surrendering control change your experience? - When does instinct fail? A Different Perspective The rider’s control is limited; reliance on instinct can be risky. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Hippocampus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hippocampus/) [Horseback riding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/horseback-riding/) [Mythical creatures](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mythical-creatures/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [“Across the water, she saw a herd of merhorses rise and fall with the waves. Her breath caught in her throat. Half horse and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-beth-durst/across-the-water-she-saw-a-herd-of-merhorses-rise-and-fall-with-the/) [Sarah Beth Durst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-beth-durst/) > [It turns out that this part of the brain is one of the first areas that's attacked by Alzheimer's disease. 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Later, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-rollins/human-memories-were-organized-in-the-hippocampus-region-but-recent/) [James Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-rollins/) > [“Indeed, brain scans done by scientists at Washington University in St. Louis indicate that areas used to recall memories are the same as those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michio-kaku/indeed-brain-scans-done-by-scientists-at-washington-university-in-st/) [Michio Kaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michio-kaku/) > [One definitely wants to have a functioning hippocampus. 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Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-sapolsky/) > [If you have a lesion in the hippocampus in both sides, you have short term memory, but you can convert that short term memory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-kandel/if-you-have-a-lesion-in-the-hippocampus-in-both-sides-you-have-short/) [Eric Kandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-kandel/) > [“And so, with a torn sleeve and a keyboard on which cigarette ash can rest, writers ended up arsonists of recycled material with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christos-rodoulla-tsiailis/and-so-with-a-torn-sleeve-and-a-keyboard-on-which-cigarette-ash-can/) Christos Rodoulla Tsiailis ## More by Sarah Beth Durst > [“I can't be bound by a past self I don't remember.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-beth-durst/i-can-t-be-bound-by-a-past-self-i-don-t-remember/) [Sarah Beth Durst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-beth-durst/) > [“She'd always been a little excitable, a little more passionate about books than your average person, but she was supposed to be -- she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-beth-durst/she-d-always-been-a-little-excitable-a-little-more-passionate-about/) [Sarah Beth Durst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-beth-durst/) > [“ 'Hubba-Hubba' never slips out," Zeke said. 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So we can now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-keefe/it-turns-out-that-this-part-of-the-brain-is-one-of-the-first-areas/) [John O'Keefe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-keefe/) > [If you have a lesion in the hippocampus in both sides, you have short term memory, but you can convert that short term memory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-kandel/if-you-have-a-lesion-in-the-hippocampus-in-both-sides-you-have-short/) [Eric Kandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-kandel/) > [“Across the water, she saw a herd of merhorses rise and fall with the waves. Her breath caught in her throat. 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Later, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-rollins/human-memories-were-organized-in-the-hippocampus-region-but-recent/) [James Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-rollins/) > [Neurobiological research has shown that in people with chronic PTSD, both stress hormone secretion and areas of the brain connected to memory function, such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siri-hustvedt/neurobiological-research-has-shown-that-in-people-with-chronic-ptsd/) [Siri Hustvedt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siri-hustvedt/) > [“And so, with a torn sleeve and a keyboard on which cigarette ash can rest, writers ended up arsonists of recycled material with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christos-rodoulla-tsiailis/and-so-with-a-torn-sleeve-and-a-keyboard-on-which-cigarette-ash-can/) Christos Rodoulla Tsiailis [Browse all 11 Hippocampus quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hippocampus/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“He held her a moment longer, allowing the merhorse to become accustomed to her. \"How do I steer?\" she asked. \"You don't,\" he said. \"She steers. 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