Lessons

Yesterday was supposed to be our barn's monthly fun schooling show, which my trainer puts on mostly for the little kids to get some experience riding in front of people and understanding the horse show environment. It's usually about eight little girls, and then maybe one or two of the teenagers riding in the jumper classes. Occasionally, one of the moms or other adult students will come and ride, too. I am usually the show secretary, handling the entries, tracking the class placings from the judge, and organizing the ribbons, so I don't tend to ride in the show. Our January show was canceled by winter weather. Yesterday, our February show was rescheduled because of snow.

Wren is the only kid I know who cries when I tell her it's going to snow. "But I wanted to ride in the horse show!!", she wails, "I don't want it to snow!!"

Since it is Sunday, and my trainer has a small indoor arena, she will usually go ahead with lessons if the show cancels, so the kids can ride anyway. After a stop at Southern States and Wal-Mart to get some chemical handwarmer packets and some horse treats, and then a Starbucks' run for fortification for the grownups, we headed out to the barn in the snow.

It turned out to be a terrific day. And the kids didn't even have to ride indoors, since the weather was totally weird, and got warm(er) and sunny after a while, which thawed out the frozen riding ring enough to allow them to ride outside.

I don't know what the deal was with our beloved Champ, but he was in a GREAT mood yesterday! He wasn't ticklish, he didn't pin his ears back during grooming, he even lowered his head for Wren to put on the bridle, and he let me hug his head and neck without flipping my arms off him. No dancing in the cross-ties, no nervous chewing on the end of the ties....it was wonderful! We fed him treats and loved him even more.

I think salty pretzels might be his favorite.

Wren did a great job riding him, even though she declined to trot very much, and certainly did not want to do anything that might result in his cantering anywhere. But he worked well for her, especially once she got a crop in her hand, and they even did some work over cavaletti poles without any incidents. She worked on two-point position while Travis took a bunch of pictures for his photography class.

Even though it was cold, and the weather was changeable, it was the kind of day that just makes you tired but soul-satisfied. I love to watch Wren ride just as much as I like to ride.