educating yourself with horses

Od has been horse riding for about six months now.

She's been doing pretty well and I've been pleased to see her learning and growing in confidence.

Od rides at a private livery yard where the lovely owner gives her a fortnightly lesson and we part loan a pony.

She used to loan a sleepy little pony who would quite happily spend his days snoozing and ambling along at a snails pace. He was really quite a little pony and it was suggested that she move on to a bigger one, with a little more go, so we moved to a mare, we shall call her Nippy, because compared to Sleepy, she is very speedy.

Just the slightest leg contact and she will go.

Now, I tried to explain this to Od before she got on. She didn't heed me (because I'm not her lovely riding teacher who is currently on holiday.)

Which is why when Od asked Nippy to canter with enthusiastic legs, Nippy took her at her word and sped round the school eight times without stopping.

I didn't panic, and managed to maintain a calm voice, asking Od to take her legs off and to use her outside rein.

Instead she wailed alot and kept yelling "I can't stop! I can't stop!"

Eventually she calmed down, and she managed to get herself organised enough to calm the pony to a walk.

I asked Od if I could blog about this, and she said I could. Here is the bit that impressed me:
She said that she knew that the pony wasn't at fault, that it was her riding and that she should have listened to me. She said she wasn't scared to ride Nippy again, and that now she knows, she will be more careful.

This is a huge admission from a girl who hates to be wrong, and rarely admits it.

I know adults who lack this level of maturity, and I am so proud of her.

I just really hope it goes better next time.

The much loved sleepy