... I'm sure Heather will adjust. It's difficult getting to know the new horses, but (IMHO) essential for a good horsewoman....you never know what will come up
And as someone mentioned earlier...she doesn't look too bad on Penny.
(wondering why her mom hasn't let her on the other horses?)
I can see that by Penny's pic, she seems like a real doll
So glad you can be riding again
I'm
thrilled to be back on Penny! Today I'm giving her a rest, since she worked pretty hard for an out-of-shape horse the last 2 days giving Heather lessons. I think it's more stressful for her to have a beginner ride her. Penny is gentle, but she's very sensitive, and she gets confused when aids aren't clear. Plus someone learning to post is probably harder on her back.
I wonder, too, why the barn owner's kids aren't more into riding. They have been on their mom's horses, I hear, though I never saw one ride till Heather got on Penny on Saturday.
I was also told that Heather wasn't particularly into riding before Penny & I arrived at the barn. You could have fooled me! Every time I came to the barn, Heather would come out of the house and hang out to chat and pet Penny. She was good with Penny, too. She has some kind of natural touch with horses that calms them down. I told her she's good with animals and should think of a career working with animals.
How Heather got involved with Penny was that she was there the day the trimmer came to do Penny's feet for the first time. The trimmer said Penny had to be hand walked 20 minutes every day, plus doing stretches with her. I wasn't prepared to go to the barn daily, so I asked the barn owner if one of her kids would like to be hired to walk Penny, and since Heather was right there, she said enthusiastically, "Me! Me!" So I explained the commitment it'd be -- she couldn't get tired of doing it after a week or 2, she had to be out there in all kinds of weather, she had to do it every day, even if something more interesting came up that she'd rather do. Heather assured me she was ready to do it, and she did. When I saw how well it was working, maybe a month into Heather's job, I told her that I really appreciated her attention to Penny, and when Penny was able to be ridden again, she'd get to ride her. The trimmer warned us that Penny might not be so gentle once her feet felt better, but Penny was. I rode her 2 days before I gave Heather those lessons, first in the ring, then the 2nd time for a short trail ride. Penny was perfect, as if it was just yesterday I had ridden last. She's one of those fortunate horses that can get some time off and then you can ride with no worries. Some horses get unmanageable if they aren't exercised regularly. I think that might be more common with horses kept confined in stalls, though. They get plenty of exercise when they have acres to roam on in a small herd. It's a much more natural way for a horse to live.
Anyway, for some reason, Heather just wasn't all that interested in riding before, and that first lesson, after a few minutes of being very nervous on Penny, when she finally relaxed, she said with surprise, "Hey! This is fun!"
I'm glad Penny & I are an inspiration to her, and I'd like to see her become a good, confident rider. I think she catches on rather quickly, and I'm hoping she'll become a riding partner.
It's Imagines fault...
