Now that he was looking so healthy and happy, and she was being asked to turn her attention to him, she realized how much he reminded her of her handsome Rio.
With that partner, Jill finally actually felt the difference between warming a horse up for stadium work, vs. warming up on the flat. She had long known there was a difference and dutifully shortened her stirrups two holes each time to implement the process, She would lighten her seat and use half seat or two point position, with her reins shortened... But, Rio was the first time, that she could truly feel the difference in the horse. He had a jumper style for jumper work and it put Jill into true balance with him. His hind end was engaged, as in for his best dressage, and he was bending and flexible but he was up in front. He stayed up. She could really feel what it meant... When the teacher outlined the next exercise, the oblivous boarder that usually hogged the arena spooked Jill saying "I will halt" as she began. They whipped effortlessly around all the obstacles in the challenging course exercise the coach had dictated and Jill was pleased to learn to enjoy jumping very big jumps, from the horse's enthusiasm and talent for it!
She basically swooned when her teacher confirmed it out loud, "He will take care of you." Jill believed and Rio came through.
It was so sad when he was sold out from under her so early in their relationship. She had been looking forward to the day he would pack her around a Training Cross Country course...
Meanwhile, Jill was stood up twice that day. once by a new student and once by the man of her dreams... Even after she'd stumbled into Tronas, the cowboy who cleaned up so nice, and who followed/talked and walked with her around a beautiful cemetery, as a way she enjoyed getting to meet each together. To her friend she said, she was glad she'd had cowboy boots on in the moment, "They fit on okay, but they weren't comfortable. For riding or even for walking!" Despite how lucky it was she had them on, doing the trial, when he showed up in his, but she would be donating those hand-me-down cowboy boots away as soon as possible. O u c h.
Was it true that Blundstones were on sale at the mall? She liked to get a new pair every year or two and only ever add to the collection, she never threw a pair out... two summers in a row she'd gotten away with no sandals, sporting a skirt 'n boot fashion ha, and yes, it was always time for a new set.
