Riding

My passion for horses has been life long. My daughter is wonderful my only disappointment is that she didn’t inherit the trait, I’m rather hoping it may have skipped a generation though, my granddaughter has just started riding lessons.

Leading her around the ménage I’m transported back in time. It’s that unmistakable smell of pony and leather that was such a huge part of my childhood.

Watching my granddaughter’s face it’s clear that she is hooked already, she has a natural balance and is concentrating hard to position herself properly as the friendly but firm instructor has told her to do.

There’s a lot to remember, trying to maintain a straight vertical line through your ear, shoulder, hip, and heel. The constant smile however smile takes no effort and she looks quite at home.

I watch her after the lesson in the yard, she is keen and confident, and has a gift in her manner around the stables. It’s almost as if she has done it before.

I’ve planned for her to be a part of the ‘mini camp’ over the next couple of days, she’ll be on her own making new friends and learning new skills, the lesson today an introduction to this new world.

Think I’ll be booking myself a few sessions in future too, today has ignited something inside me I’d forgotten, maybe it’s not too late ‘to get back in the saddle’.