Friday was my fifth riding lesson.
I arrived 20 minutes early and watched a young girl riding her horse.
I tried to pay particular attention to her lower legs
so I could make sure mine were doing the same thing.
I walked round to the stable and chatted to David and his wife,
then he went off to get my horse, handed me the reins
and told me to walk it over and get on.
He may have said mount the horse, but I heard get on.
It is getting easier to get on.
I walked round the ring several times,
changing direction so the horse got exercised on both sides.
He's not so keen going anti-clockwise for some reason.
Next I was to trot slow at first, then picking up the pace;
for the next 40 minutes I trotted fast and slow or walked.
I was starting to feel like a real rider when I spurred the horse
on to a fast trot then slowed it down. I'm not allowed to use spurs
because I'm a novice and they only use them for show in the competitions.
Two other riders entered the ring.
One was a very experienced rider who could make his horse do anything
and he only held the reins in one hand looking so laid-back and casual.
The other was a young girl.
So now I had to make my horse do all the things I had been doing,
but pass or follow the other horses.
After 40 or so minutes I was asked if I wanted to try a canter again.
A little voice inside me wanted to say NO; another wanted to say YES.
I walked the horse to the bottom right corner,
dropped the reins a bit and asked him to canter.
Whoosh off he went . . . three lengths before I pulled him up.
I turned him round, walked back to the corner and set off again.
Whoosh off he went nearly five lengths this time.
Back round and without stopping straight into the canter from the walk.
I reached the top of the ring and had to make a left turn.
I reached the top left corner and had to make a left turn.
I was half way down the left side when I pulled him up to a trot then a walk.
I was grinning from ear to ear.
I walked him back to the bottom right corner and
off we went twice round the ring without stopping.
David gave me a round of applause.
"Well done, Jackie," he said. "I'm very proud of you;
you have done very well." "I'm very proud of me." I said,
and reminded him that it was only my fifth lesson.
"Yes," he said, "you have done well. I have to tell you
that I saw you on your second lesson and I did not think
we would have you trotting let alone a canter."
I smiled and said, "I thought the exact same thing on my second lesson."
I walked the horse to the middle to dismount.
I noticed a young man standing with his hard hat on
and assumed he was next in line for a lesson.
I dismounted without looking too silly,
took the reins and walked over to the young man.
"Here," I said. "I've warmed him up for you."
Everyone laughed except the young man
who clearly had not understood a word I'd said.
When I got home I sat down with a cup of tea and ouch!
I now experienced the pain in the rear everyone had been joking about for a month.
First stop on Saturday was the sports shop for
a pair of cycle shorts to wear under my jeans.
If I was going to be several hours in the saddle,
my rear was going to need a bit of extra comfort.
Ten days to go and one more lesson next week.
I have my suitcase and I've laid out one tee shirt and a pair of shorts.
I'd better make my mind up soon what else I intend to pack.
I studied the cattle ranch website on Sunday;
I'm looking forward to this holiday even more
now that I have a bit of confidence on horseback.
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