This One is still out of commission. Maria and I took her on a test ride the other day, and heard the disappointing hack three or four times. So the filly will continue to romp about the pasture while Leetie pushes on with her training.
Up until now, the only thing we’ve done to work the horses has been trail riding and cantering a few rounds at the gallops. But yesterday, George, Maria, Leetie, and I clunked over (the roads are so full of potholes here that every trip with a trailer results in a good deal of clunking) to Patrick’s arena for some free-jumping. Free jumping basically involved us setting up the arena in such a way that Leetie would have no choice but to jump – but she wouldn’t have the pressure of a rider. After setting up the very low jump, Patrick, George, Maria, and I took our posts around the arena, urging Leetie on (by flapping our arms or something equally silly) whenever she decided she’d had enough. After getting a few good jumps out of Leetie, George told me to mount the mare and not ask any questions.
And then George gave me the most intense horseback-riding lesson of my life.
“Okay, valk on. I said valk on, don’t fall asleep! Good. Tighten up on your inside rein. Don’t let it just hang zere, take it! Drife her on, drife her on! No, vis your inside leg! Ach. Okay, now svitch hands. Vat are you doing, I said svitch hands!”
“I’m switching –“
“No, I said do not talk -- only listen. Svitch hands. Keep her going; do not get lazy. Yes, I know zis is hard. Zis is not easy -- zis is vork, hard vork. But I do not feel sorry for you. Do NOT drop za inside rein! Keep her going! Ach. Okay. You vere almost zere.”
I believe I learned more from my half hour riding lesson with George than I learned in five years of lessons put together. George has trained both of his daughters to compete at an international level, has had one of his horses in the Olympics, and was a national rider himself. George is a very good trainer.
I was very disappointed when I finally realized that Ireland has no Thanksgiving. I spent the morning mucking out stables (as usual), and actually ended up underneath a wheelbarrow full of manure at one point. Definitely not the highlight of my day. Dinner was a quiet affair, and probably the first Thanksgiving that hasn’t sent me into a food induced stupor immediately following the meal. Maria and I enjoyed some Indian spiced vegetables and white cod while watching Master Chef.
I missed my family.
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| This One |
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| This One and Leetie |
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| Tubby! |
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| This One |
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