It was to be a school friends birthday. Always a problem at this age. Are they still children, young adults or teenagers (as they should be)? What to get for a present?
SOC came in and said that they had discussed it on the way home from school and she was going to have a riding lesson! No objection really except before she spends our money we like to be involved in the decision. We are just old fashioned like that.
I made all the arrangements with the riding school and the day came around. Her friend had ridden before but several years ago and for several more years than SOC and so had outgrown all her gear. Her mum had spoken to friends and relatives and come up with boots, gloves, whip, boots and a hat for the day. The hat didn't contain the sticker for the correct BS standard and so could not be used in the school but one was borrowed and everything was OK.
The lesson was mid afternoon unlike SOC's normal time and was in a class of experienced riders - more experienced and capable than SOC.
Her friend gave an excellent show demonstrating her ability and experience and frightening the life out of poor old Benny who normally takes much more junior riders and gets his own way most of the time. The thing that impressed me most though was SOC. From the first trot she was a different rider. She sat taller, rose and fell in the saddle more positively and moved Enoch much more commandingly.
As a more advanced lesson they moved on to canter, something she hadn't really done with Enoch, but she went for it after having been asked if she wanted to have a go and she trotted three sides of the manege!
I was hugely impressed with her, although her friend had had Benny do the same and Benny is a very lazy animal.
We are now going to try a lesson in the same group at the same time, but without her friend and see how things go. It may not have been peer pressure, but the group or the hour of the day. We will see. It may mean we have to give her friend lessons EVERY week!
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