 |
[RC] Mercy me, a 50 miler! - Chris PausI teach riding to very beginners, you know, people who have never touched a real horse. One of those students is a horse crazy 8YO girl who never saw a live horse until she met Zabbie. Well, after 8 lessons, she was begging for more challenges. So on Wed. we went to our local state park trails. We rode about 4 miles,which isn't much for us, but is a lot for a rookie. She was unfazed! We went up and down some steep hills. The worst was almost knee deep mud down a steep incline. it took a lot of coaxing to get Ali to go down that hill, but she did it and then Zab and S. followed. I've done distance riding for 8 years, and when I saw the condition of that hillside (we've had an incredible amount of rain this year), it made me gulp. but little S. just took it in stride. she laughed when mud splattered on her from Ali's hooves. We spent much of the ride batting down spider webs in the trail and eating a lot of them. That didn't freak her out. She told me she's a "nature girl". I guess she is, LOL. We had to jump logs, go up and down steep stuff, etc. Scramble over rocky terrain, etc. She just kept asking, "can we do more..." LOL! When we would get out of the woods and into a clearing, I would be thankful.. no more spider webs. Not S. She wanted to go back into the woods and do more of the "hard stuff." Today we rode on the "blue" trail. It's a nice trail with moderate challenges. She kept asking about the "red" trail, which I never take beginners on. It's very steep in spots. Even my friends from the mountain states think it's a tough trail. But as soon as we finished part of the blue trail and got back to camp,l she wanted to do the red one right away, LOL... Next time I'll throw some steeper hills and some creek crossing at her. Today, she learned to ride with one hand on the reins. She learned to position herself up and down hills. She learned a one-rein stop when she accidentally let go of one rein. She learned the rudiments of posting. She learned why I've been drilling her on some of the skills we learn in the round pen and paddock. I told her that next time we'll pack a lunch and ride longer. THEN, she begged me to let her ride Ali. Now Ali is my 4YO mare who has never had anyone else on her back but me. Little S. hopped up there. She wasn't real clear with her "steering," but she and Ali understood each other and did OK. I just had them walk around the trailer area. Mercy me! I think this kid is going to ride the legs off ME! And Zabbie needed a nap after S. went home, LOL chris ===== "A good horse makes short miles," George Eliot Chris and Star BayRab Acres http://pages.prodigy.net/paus =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
|