In May, The Boyfriend had a job in St. Helens. "What does this have to do with you, Cupcake?" You ask. Well, it means that I get to tag along. And while he labors all day in the field doing fancy, scientist stuff, I get to go ride with Joanne at Skyline Equestrian Center. AND I get to stay in a fancy hotel room and soak my tired bones in a fancy spa tub! And eat out! And drink beer and margaritas!* I love The Boyfriend's job.
* I just want to note, for those watching his expense account, those drinks are out of pocket and not billable!
Since I live a million miles from anything I don't get to take regular lessons. And I'm not gonna lie, I miss it. I also miss being at a fun barn, and Skyline is the FUNNEST (haha) barn out there. Where else has a Ladies' Night lesson that involves lots of beer, jumping horses, gossip, and high calorie food items? By the way, I am an honorary one of the "ladies" because I once jumped a course while drinking a beer. Just cuz I knew I could... well, the beer I was drinking knew I could. Anyway, since I don't get regular lessons, I come down for Boot Camp: 3-4 days of getting my butt (and Mac's) whooped. And Joanne is good at boot camps. I personally think that she should add them to her lesson offerings.
Skyline E.C. is lovely. It's on top of a hill, it has a coverall, which means automatic light. The stalls are light and airy and open, the arena is a cushy rubber/sand mix, they have a watering system for the arena (genius), and a club house! Mac always walks in like it's his second home.
So, in one of our lessons, Jo set up a crazy, twisty course that I can't wait to try at home. This is my drawing of it:
Can you tell I come from a family of artists? So, you jumped a jump with a barrel under it, turned on a circle and jumped a vertical, continued round and over this strange "T" concoction dreamed up by Jo. It's a spooky, upright jump, so you really have to balance the horses on their haunches and maintain control because it's a short bending line after that to a skinny arrowhead. After the arrowhead you turn and jump the crazy "T" going the other way, hold to the wall to make a deep turn to a short one stride, then over the barrel again then a sharp turn to make that vertical again (no easy circle this time!) at an ANGLE so that you can jump the roll top head on. The End. Got it? Yeah, me neither. It took a couple turns. But what a great exercise for control of your horses' stride and direction, and what a great thinking exercise for the rider! Macky, of course, was a star.
I decided I needed an occupation for the rest of the hours of the day and I volunteered to ride whatever needed it: that means PONIES! I love ponies. I really do. I know I am way too big, and I know I don't technically need one, but man, I want an 11.2hh cutie!
So, everyday I rode Ace, Tom, and Sunny. I gave Tom a makeover. He wants to be a hunter pony:
He's tiny and is meant to be a lesson pony, so we worked on steering. Lots of steering. And spooking. He obligingly let me knock barrels with my feet and bounce them against his sides, carry plastic flowers and dust his neck with them, and we carried a cone all over the arena. Many times.
Because Mac is a peppermint whore I always have tons in my pockets. On a whim I offered one to Tom. He loved it. And he has a very original way of eating them: he actually sucks on them. He holds it between his tongue and mouth, sticking his tongue out, and then sucks on it, making funny little sucky noises. Here's the tongue:
On another day, I was super proud of my Macky when we jumped 4 barrels one stride apart- hello straightness! And then turned and galloped a huge triple bar. I was especially proud when I put him in wrong and he trotted and jumped the triple. "Isn't it nice to have scope?" Jo wryly said to me. Yes. Yes it is, because he saved my butt.
And, Mac did not go home alone. Ace has come for a sleepover! Excuse the sorry pic, he did not wish to hold still.
He's come to spend thirty-ish days with me and learn to jump and ride on the beach and do leg-yields, and move off the leg and hopefully learn that riding is fun!
