Extra Lesson. . .

We had an extra little horse lesson this afternoon because Gloria was invited to be in a special horse riding event this weekend and she needed to brush up on a few things. It was also our first real taste of serious horseback riding.



When we go to the farm on Thursday afternoons, the only people around are the two instructors, the kids in Gloria's home school class and their parents. The only horses in the barn are the ponies the kids ride plus one or two bigger horses (always in stalls) that pretty much mind their own business. It has a comfortable, laid back feel about it and I've begun to think that I'm perfectly safe there and, even more, that I know what I'm doing. . .



Today the atmosphere was completely different. Not in a bad way, but maybe in a realistic way. The riders in the class were more experienced, quite comfortable in their saddles making parents and spotters unnecessary, the ponies seemed to respond well to the experience and stepped it up a notch, instructor expectations were higher, and there were very tall horses with tall riders in the arena, the barn and along the road. The weather was unsettled and bone chilling. It even tried to snow. . .



There will be many riders in the arena for the show this weekend so Gloria was given a pony she has never ridden before so she could get to know it before Saturday.

Penny is a beautiful brown pony who seemed a little more spirited than the ponies Gloria is used to. She is used to being pushed hard and they are trying to train her to be more gentle on her rider when she picks up speed. Obviously Kim thinks Gloria can handle her or she wouldn't have matched them together but one of us stayed close by, just in case.

I wasn't worried. The horse was gentle even though she seemed a little anxious and I trust that Kim knows what she's doing. . .

By the end of the lesson, Gloria was feeling more comfortable and really stepped up to this new challenge. The lesson is one hour rather than her usual two hour class and it flew by very quickly. There was less instruction, more expectations and even more responsibilities. We unsaddled and unbridled Penny and even gave her some grain as we brushed her.

There were older students saddling and unsaddling large horses in the barn which was very intimidating to me. Those fears I thought I'd conquered tried to weasel their way back in to my head to tell me I couldn't walk safely through the barn without one horse kicking me through the stall of another who would then trample me to death!! I'm proud to say I looked the situation over, reminded myself that I don't have to be afraid as long as I use the right precautions and I walked right in between these two horses not once, but twice!! No kicking, no trampling, no dying.

It was a great lesson. I think Gloria and I both learned something about ourselves today and I'm pretty sure this is only the beginning . . .