The first time

Last Saturday, I had my first horseback riding lesson at Clover Ridge Farm with owner Miss Joan.

After I sign a waiver, Katherine, a sixteen year old helper, escorts me through the dusty, musty barn to the tack room for a helmut.  It took us several tries to find one that fit and adjust the chin strap.  That done, Katherine walked with me to the pasture where Miss Joan waited with a horse who was already saddled English style.

Miss Joan quickly introduced me to Jester.  I wanted to take time to get to know Jester.  Have tea together.  Discuss our upbringing.  Come to some sort of understanding that he won't toss me off his back and I won't pull too hard on the reins and hurt him.  Miss Joan didn't give me anytime for such foolishness, no time to be nervous before she's holding my hand while I walk up a mounting block.  Put your left foot into the stirrup, she instructs, and then swing your right leg over.

I do as I'm told.  For a fraction of a second, I felt like I was going to tumble past Jester's neck.  An English saddle doesn't have the large horn like a Western style saddle has, so there isn't anyplace to hold onto for balance.  It's just me precariously balanced with one leg in the left stirrup and the other dangling mid air.  Somehow before pitching over Jester's neck, I flop in the saddle.  So graceful.

Joan helped me get my right foot into the stirrup (which you are supposed to do without bending over in the saddle and looking) as she explained that I'm supposed to rest the balls of my feet in the stirrup, not shove the entire foot into it.

Then she showed me how to hold the reins: pull back to stop, and tug left or right to steer.

Joan walked Jester through the small pasture, holding onto his bridle.  Katherine met us at the gate where she walked me around the ring.

It was awkward at first.  The movement of Jester's hips as he walked jostled my hips from side to side.  It wasn't until my second or third lap that I started to relax into his gait, moving with him instead of holding myself rigid.

Next are in-saddle exercises in the middle of the ring.  Diane is my teacher now, instructing me and my fellow student Jan to bend at the waist to touch our toes while sitting in the saddle.  And not fall out of the saddle, mind you.

Seriously?  Do you know how hard it is to lean forward in a saddle to touch your toes with nothing but stirrups to support you?  Hard!

Somehow I managed not to tumble out of the saddle.  

Diane takes Jan and I through a series of exercises like reaching forward, up, and behind your body (not holding the reins, of course) while using your legs to keep you in the saddle.  At one point, I actually stand up in the saddle with my arms stretched overhead as if I'm reaching for an apple that is just a little too high on a branch.

Yeah, it was difficult.

I did it, though.

After the exercises, I walked Jester over PVC pipes that were on the ground and walked Jester in a circle.  Katherine walked with me too, helping me navigate or steer Jester.  I was really concerned about tugging too hard on the reins and hurting Jester even though Katherine assured me that I would have to yank on the reins really, really, really hard to hurt him.  Still.  What's too hard when you've never done it before?

Now Joan resumes our instruction.  She tells me to maneuver Jester over and around a series of PVC pipes on the ground and to weave in and out of barrels.  This time it's just me and Jester.  This is where I really get the feel of hard or soft to tug on the reins to direct Jester.

I walked Jester in a tight circle inside a triangle of PVC pipes.  All by ten in the morning!  It was empowering to tell a 1200 pound animal to go left or right or stop and he listened!  (Unlike my children.)

By now, my knees are protesting with ache and my inner thigh muscles are burning mightily.  Joan helped me dismount.  Thank goodness, too, because my legs were wobbly.

I had so much fun!  Even though my legs ached for two days afterwards, I look forward to this Saturday for my next lesson.