Jill had just asked if they needed any help exercizing any horses on a whim, on her way out the door, and the next thing you know, splat, she was back in the saddle. Yay, for the nerve to ask.
The boss was riding a big chesnut mare and ponying a big bay. The cute working student told Jill the pair of them were like an old married couple...
They group rode against the cold wind, tiptoeing on the icy-in-parts roadway to the conservation area. Her mount was frisky, but Jill was trying to stay off her face and slow her by thinking of a nice walk rhythm and keeping her posture right. Lots of sweet talk thrown in for good measure, and heels down for secure anchors, ha.
When the reached their "destination" through the gate entranceway, the boss said they could pick up a trot. Jill liked her spot in the middle, she felt secure... A horse blockade in front of her and an expert in behind to pick up the pieces as need be? Well, she felt as secure as someone as rusty and out of shape as she could be. The fact was that, even in top form, she probably would have been in over her head with current company, but you don't get better by NOT doing things was always her motto and she was t h r i l l e d to be there, keeping the company of a role model.
Just a few steps in, to the left of her, the bay horse came up and easily trotted past. Loose? What the heck? She whipped her head around to see what had happened to the boss, who was grinning ear to ear. She'd let him off the lead! And he took the lead, of their line of herd animals...
"Do you know that scene when you take some dogs out to the park for a walk? That moment when you let them off the leash and they all start bounding around and racing all over the place?!" Jill smiled at the awestruck young riders because her experience that first day was a lot like that, "except we were riding some of the animals!" Yeehaw. She promised to them more of the details about it, after they concentrated on the leg yielding exercize she'd asked them to get underway with... talk about inspired warm-ups.
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