More Roadwork

jill thought maybe the pony did have some lameness behind. should she have lunged him to study his way of going? at least she had tied knots in the new lunge line. he was certainly trippy on the grass and tenderfooted on the gravel. but, what a good boy! after 15 min of dressage school he had already done everything she could think of nicely. he even had the SWINGING trot, and finally, she was sitting. transitions, circles, changes, he was lovely. a little low, maybe and a little overbent. all the more reason to keep it short right? he was really soft and really listening. just a little slow off the leg on the up transitions maybe, and not quite coming off the left enough. she'd meant to bring the dressage whip.

"Today, he got away with two things on the roads" Jill reported. They'd walked all the way down to the sheep stop and then past the ever lying down brown foal. he didn't winny. the only thing he spooked at was big rocks. she made him do ten second halts beside or facing the scariest ones. "we went past the driveway and towards the construction. when we came upon that big trailer bed with the big grate gate backing he stopped dead. shaking." he was so small she could like FEEL his heart pounding, through her saddle. "and then he did something he hasn't done for weeks, where he turned and ran away. got about 3 or 4 strides down the road away from it, before i could make him stop."

she had gone back to face it, but a big dumptruck was coming up over the crest of the hill now, from behind it and towards them. when she turned around to see where they could wait it out, she saw another truck coming, this one with a trailer behind it with blue johnny on the spots jiggling around on the back of it.

she trotted right up the asphalt between the trucks, playing chicken in effect, but making sure they were seen until they got to their own driveway and then she turned in. walked back to the barn and that was that.

bike bike bike bike bike. when would she try it?

AND, when would she start jumping?? she was comforted to know that even the Grand Prix horse spooked at the pink planks. it wasn't just her. or, her pony.
*

Jill enjoyed how their friendship was evolving, and recognized a closeness in their silence. They were comfortable together not talking, and it implied to her a level of intimacy. There was never a physical expression of affection, just the occassional glance or smile to show intuitive understanding and that they were in synch with each other. It was a constructive partnership, even though it was not romantic. She was pleased to have a male friend without sex being in the picture. They could choose to be romantic, and somehow the fact that they chose not to "wreck it" made the relationship feel somehow superior. Jill felt smug and triumphant.

And, instead of being disappointed that she still didn't have a boyfriend, she was grateful for so many good men in her life.

A friendship based on strong opinions and common ambitions and the pleasure of professionals. The treat was always dutch and the conversation always lively. Passion and friendship are two different things and while the ideal relationship features a balance of them, Jill could see that the presence of one did not neccessarily imply the other.
*

i have no recollection of this, but it says here in the old pages the old man wouldn't let me clip his ears.

*