I ended up going to the stable early yesterday---and so I got there at about 12:20 instead of 1:00. I got home sometime after 9:00.
It was very busy! Though I had a great time. I helped feed the horses, bring them in, separate them, and halter them---releasing the ones we didn't need. First, we had a group of five beginners to take out, and while we were out with them, we had two others groups of riders come by. (One group persisted of 3 people, and the other was just 2 people: a man and his daughter.)
So after we finished the ride with the first group, which was conveniently coming to a close, we took out both the smaller groups on the same horses. Miss Terre doubled with the youngest members briefly to make things easier, and though we had a few hectic moments, it all went pretty good.
I rode Jonesy, and was so pleased---he did much better than he had the day before! He only bucked a handful of times, and even started to trot fairly willingly. I got him to canter for just a tiny bit, but that didn't last long (because in the hunt seat English saddle I was riding in, I couldn't stay in as easily and got unbalanced enough to slow Jonesy unintentionally.) He also racked some, though I pressed him through it and into a trot, mainly because I wanted to focus on trotting and cantering at the time. However, after I get better at them---and he stops bucking so frequently---I will see if I can get him to rack.
I've been thinking about calling Miss Terre and asking if I can come up to ride Jonesy and help out some (if she's there,) but it's getting later now, and I generally stay there for several hours. I'd really hate to miss dinner tonight---because Mom's making Navajo Tacos!
But, I have cleaned the medium-sized saddle that we got from our Aunt Susie. We actually have three---of varying sizes, though I decided to start with the one that I would actually ride in. It's looking much better now, but wow is it squeaky! We're pretty sure that being worn will work some of that out, but I'm fully prepared to use some baby powder if I must!
I plan on taking it up to the stable sometime in the near future (we are going to get a cover for it) to see what Miss Terre thinks about it, and maybe try it out on Jonesy to see how it fits. It's still awful stiff, but now that I've cleaned it it has loosened up quite a bit, and I'll keep flexing the leather some to help loosen it further. :)
I going to ask Miss Terre and my parents if I can go riding tomorrow. I don't want to leave Jonesy without being ridden for too long, especially after I've seen that he can make progress quickly. Yesterday, besides a decrease in the bucking, he was easier to halter as well. I plan on working with him on all those things, and also "standing." Or even better "standing still." He doesn't always wait calmly to be mounted, and tends to try and stray when on a lead and being held from the ground. I will probably work on whoa-ing him on a lead, then working with standing for being mounted and groomed. Actually, grooming isn't much of an issue to far---he really likes it!
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This is the horse I rode/worked with yesterday, his name is Jonesy, and he has lots of spirit.
In the picture, you may notice that we are a little wet.
That would be because he laid down with me in the pond.
We always ride the horses into the pond while trail-riding because it is good for their hooves, and their legs, and so I went out there with Jonesy, and he kept walking further in, until the water was nearly up to his belly, then he kept splashing, and they're me, thinking---oh, he's just cooling off his belly.
Then he flopped down onto his side. On purpose, the little bugger! :)
I had to climb out from under him, and get him to stand. Then I led him out of there, wet up to my hips, with my boots full of mud and water. I had to take them off to drain them out! Meanwhile Miss Terre is laughing, and cursing herself for not getting a picture. It took me a while to get back on, because the saddle I was riding was English, and my boots were so muddy that I couldn't get up on up Jonesy's 16-something-hands self!
Want to know what else Jonesy likes to do?
Buck.
That little bugger bucked and fussed for a good part of the ride, mostly whenever I encouraged him to pick up his hooves and move. He's not ridden nearly as often as the other horses, mostly for this reason, so I'm thinking he could be worked through it. But after the trail-riders I was helping take out (there was five of them this time) left, and I cleaned out my boots a bit and got dry socks, and helped unsaddle the other horses, I went out into a different field with Jonesy, and he was really something. He was all over the place, refusing to pick up into a trot until I fought him for quite sometime, making him do circles---because he wouldn't go forward half the time. And I never could get him to canter.
There were only a few good big bucks that unsteadied me at all, the rest were just powerful enough for me to have to correct him fiercely enough to make him stop, which made out progress very difficult. But like I said, I think he can be worked through this. I do not consider him, like Miss Terre, to be a problem horse. He's just a big stubborn thing, but he really is a good boy.
Miss Terre actually offered to give him to me, because she's having a hard time feeding all of her horses for money reasons. It's very expensive, because there just isn't enough graze out in her fields. They all get hay, and a mix of two different feeds (sweet feed, and pellets of alfalfa, I think, though I may be mistaken). I'd just have to pay for feed and board, but he'd be mine, (leased to me for 99 years, because apparently she cannot actually quote: "sell" him.)
I don't think that's going to work---especially not yet. Maybe by next year, if we having fencing out here (so I wouldn't have to board or pay as much for feed, once he adjusted to grazing) I could get him. I'd also like to see if it's possible for him to be worked through his bucking issue.
And see if I can make it any easier to catch him to put his halter on. He trotted the whole length of the indoor stable back and forth several times before I finally went all horse-whisperer and was able to approach him.
Miss Terre has another trail-ride booked for 2:00 in the afternoon today, so I'll be going up there around 1:00 to help out again, and I may just see if I can ride him again. In a Western saddle, so I'd be able to hang on a little better!
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Blue
10/18/2011
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This is a picture of Blue and I that Miss Terre took during the trail-riding on Sunday!
The ladies that we took out all say they had a great time, so that's good. :)
Remember I said he has two glass eyes? You can sort of see that in this picture---and you can see that I possibly do not know how to smile properly---I look dazed. Plus, can you believe me in that helmet? Can you say: HOT? It just completes my glorious look. Also, I think it turned some satellites that are in orbit.
This is everybody at the pond:
(Paint, Saber, Sky, Foxy, and Blue.)
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I may be going out riding with Sarah again today!
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The stable I'm now going to for riding lessons is excellent, and I'm really enjoying them so far! I've only been up there twice: once on Saturday (first lesson) and Sunday (trail riding), but it's been very nice, and already I have ridden four different horses.
Now, first off I'd like to thanks (again!) my parents and Grandma for buying me these horse lessons, because they're just great. :) I do like this stable, which is called
Peavine Creek Farm. The instructor knows her stuff, and is quite the character; her horses are very nice, and so are her dogs which always make a fine point to greet you when you come by.
My first day there I was introduced to the instructor, Miss Terre, and one of her students who has been there for two years, and boards her own horse at the stable. Then after we haltered (funny how I was confused how to do that at first... I'd knew how---I read, you see---but had never done it,) the horses we, and also another student, would be riding, I brushed them down and she helped me tack up (never done that before either). Then we worked inside for a few minutes, while Miss Terre introduced me briefly to her assertive manner of informing the horses what you want them to do. I swapped horses (I had formerly been riding an old gelding named Saber) with the third student, Brooklyn (a nice little eight-year-old), and then we headed out quite promptly onto the trails.
Sarah and I trail rode (walk, trot, canter; up and down hills, through trees,) for seven hours.
I was very thankful to be able to ride for so long with Sarah, because she was able (in response to my many inquires) to help get my form up to shape somewhat before my "riding lesson" even began.
We went back to the stables to remove the tack from Sky (whom I was riding) and Sarah's horse Apollo, then I went to fetch Paint, Sky's full brother, whom I would be doing my lesson on. We tacked him up, and I rode for another two hours inside the barn.
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I could not figure out what to do yesterday.
After riding horses for nine hours, what exactly can you do the next day? I was very, very close to pulling out schoolwork (that way I would have extra done, and I was really bored) when Miss Terre called and said she had beginner trail-riders coming out, and that I was welcome to come as well.
So I went, knowing that she had been talking on the phone Saturday to a lady who had a group of eight beginners who wanted to trail-ride together. Luckily, they decided to split up, and only four were at the stable. These ladies were very nice, but had pretty much no experience with horses for around fifteen years. At Miss Terre's directions, I haltered the chosen horses and tied them to be brushed down and saddled. The whole while Miss Terre is talking to these ladies and getting their papers ready. I helped them fit their helmets on, carried tack around, brushed the horses, and checked their hooves quickly.
None of their horses that I have seen so far have shoes, and Miss Terre doesn't ever mess with their hooves, though I like to check them anyways if I have time.
So then I went around with each of the ladies, and introduced them to their horse, talked a little about their blind spots, where they liked to be touched, and so on. I also told them that two of the horses---Sky and Foxy---will kick at the other horses, and each other, so you have to watch carefully when riding. Sky also likes to be close to his brother Paint, if possible, who was also going out on the trail.
Miss Terre gave a ridden demonstration on the does-and-don'ts, then got everybody up on their horses.
Going around behind her, I re-explained everything she'd told the ladies (sometimes in a different manner, because Terre certainly has her own style :) ) and then helped them adjust.
Then for the next two-or-so hours I ran around with them each in the stable, correcting their hands and reins, explaining, re-explaining, giving pointers, and helping them move about some. Meanwhile, Miss Terre saddled up the horse I would be riding, who is easily spooked, and led him out. He is really a pretty thing; his name is Blue and he has two glass eyes. I mounted him, and rode him around a little to try and re-practice what I'd been working on the day before. Then I went back to the ladies and was able to show them much easier what to do, and we all went out on the trail.
We trail-rode for a couple hours with Terre on foot, and myself supervising the ladies. Then we went back to the stables, and got there about the time my Mom came to pick me up. We took care of the horses, and Mom and I left. I must have been there at least five hours that day.
So unsurprisingly, I waddle a little when I walk.
But oh, I am enjoying it. I've actually done extra schoolwork today, so hopefully I will be able to go back up to the stable again soon this week, even if it's just to brush the lesson horses for her other students and trail-riders. Miss Terre kept telling me yesterday that I was heaven-sent and that she really hadn't called me into work...but was it really work? I mean, brushing the horses and helping the newer riders? I was just happy to have something I knew how to do---and to be there also. It doesn't feel like work at all.
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I believe I they can fly--
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Smile
10/15/2011
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The movie night went great, and we certainly had a nice time---even though not many people came!
Andrew, Timmy, and John came, and so it was just them plus myself, Quinn and Dad.
Just enough people to sit around the fire with plenty of room!
The movie was really cool, and wasn't at all as "gory" and everybody made it sound to be. It was actually pretty funny, and I think I'm going to like these later-year movie nights, because we can start them so early! After we finished the Thir13een Ghosts, we started watching Sherlock Holmes (the one with Robert Downy Jr,) and watched that until everybody had to leave. We had lemonade, popcorn, candy, and cookies/root-beer on the courtesy of Timmy and John. It was certainly very fun, and we'll be having a double-feature "family" movie-night on the 29th.
Thanks so much to everybody that came!
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Also, I'm starting riding lessons today!
I hope it goes well. :)
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It's movie time!
Tonight we'll be watching the Thir13en Ghosts and will be dining fine on candy, lemonade and popcorn.
We will also have a fire, and hopefully people to watch the movie with!
Now I've got to go get some logs from the chicken lot to burn... We're all quite excited! (Okay, well, Quinn's not looking forward to the movie...but I am!)
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Dane trotted rowdily away from Luke Davis's secluded, well-trimmed house, and cut away easily into the forest, unsettling a few bushes as he forged his own path through the thick, untamed brush. It was apparent that Luke had long since given up on trying to handle the wild vegetation, for many dense blankets of vine hung from the tree branches and twisted among the hedge. But the unruly domestic rgobe was nothing compared to the deeper sanctions of the DragonDust Kingdom and everywhere else between. Dane had personally trudged through many more dangerous territories, and found no trouble getting his bearings and finding a decent trail to lead the trio towards his home.
They'd been traveling for nearly an hour when Dane paused, his head canted at an angel, ear cocked. “Do you hear that?” he asked, laying his palm against a nearby tree.
They were stranded in a seemingly unrecognizable area of forest, where the trees were so tightly inter-knit and the leaves so lush that the fading light of dusk was filtered to mere glittering specks above. The only sound wafting on the grand, flavorful autumn air was the clandestine chirping of insect life, and the distant, high-above singing of cardinals and bluebirds. Dane was very at ease; this section of forest was as normal as any Outside nature park. Songbirds and crickets? That was nothing compared to what the feral black sanctuaries of Jjay Forest beheld.
“The river is close,” he told the girls reverently, slowly edging around the broad oak tree beside him, feeling the ridged bark as he slid his hand across the armored trunk.
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The “river” was no spring brook.
Was it even a river, really? Could it called that lightly? It was dark; a long, graceful swell of shifting, oily liquid colors, surrounded by lavish vegetation and twinkling white asters. The river had a fathomless presence, and though it was clean it held many mysteries, and you could see no bottom anywhere. It had a steady, drifting current that trickled and winked like bells. It was bewitching and exquisite.
Dane's eyes glowed as he staggered down the mossy ravine and towards the bank, which lie patterned with pebbles and small weedy grasses, lapped at by the lulling current.
He squatted down and laid his palm on the water's sleek surface, obviously enjoying the frigid liquid luster. The dappled splotches of failing sunlight that spilled in between the leafy sky canopy seemed to be swallowed by the river, leaving a trail of glistening orange lights to drift solemnly underneath the surface like the drowned souls of a million fireflies.
“Isn't it nice?” Dane straightened, eying his damp hand.
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The lake was fed by the nursing hand of the River of Shades, and was---at the risk of sounding childish---a wonderland among waterholes. It was serene, nestled in the wooden ocean of greens, coppers and blacks. Its darkened waters held an infinite number of lights, flickering like candle flame beneath warped glass, blurred and haunting, but beautiful beyond human description. The air was heavy with the invigorating smell of pine, and the guided cloth of an early night washed the lake with a faint mist as the double suns from well past the seemingly endless field of ancient trees sunk into their midnight cradles. Dane took a deep breath, gliding down the bank, his eyes wide open as if he'd never seen before.
“The stars are even coming out,” he said, craning his neck to gaze towards the heavens. Between the clamoring tangle of branches, twine, and leaf, you could indeed see hundreds upon thousands of tiny pinprick stars peeking out from the dusky orange swill of sky, to be swallowed by the lake's black abyss, their reflections swirling.
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