A Cold, Beautiful Winter Outing

At the same time as thy called her "not such a handsome woman" they thought she was pretty hot.

What's the biggest challenge about riding her?" Jill asked the Olympian, bringing the woman's giant mare to the extra tall block in order to mount.  She was thrilled but nervous to be joining the icy hack aboard the huge chestnut.  "Her personality." the vet advised, smiling but not joking.

*

The garbage truck was lead by a salter through the curvy, hilly winter rural roads they were out on.  Jill could sense the horse underneath her tensing and tensing as the racaus trucks came nearer.  The horse really started to freak when the trucks turned the corner where the three were walking.  She was in the middle, a good place to be and the working student who was behind her started shouting.  Jill could not hear his suggestions, over the racket that was terrifying her horse.  She turned the mare's head away and sat deep, faking a smile to relax her body.  The mare was doing tiny bucks and trying to dive into the gully at the side of the road but Jill pulled back on the reins and softened her hips and knees to stay glued to the saddle.  She spoke firmly to the mare: Easy mare, whoa. And turned in the same split second towards the leader's hind end asking for calm walk steps onward.

The trucks glided past, using their brakes and still sliding, luckily alongside instead of towards and then the din began to quiet.

Jill shouted back saying, "I couldn't hear you."

"Oh, I was just telling you she doesn't like trucks." ha.

Grace (and the lack of)

"Please don't become a memory"the almost-horse-guy pleaded with her while spending inordinate amounts of time in gaming adult chat rooms, yikes.
*
Jill was so happy to be riding horses she'd been reading about in the Canadian Eventing Team Media kit, to be learning the inside scoop first hand.

"She slipped a lot less than him" Jill had observed on their return from the hack.  Can you imagine being conditioning for Burley at the walk?

"Oh she is the most careful horse on ice I have ever known! That's where she gets her name!"
*
At the same time Jill felt sorry for her former friend who's reputation she now knew was so tattered by her drunken public, and promiscuous sexual behaviour.  Never mind the fun that the top brass had made of her earlier for living out a horse trailer and refusing the ambulance ride after she'd insisted they call one for her.  Poor gal.  Jill wished she would stop phoning and texting with invites.  When would she get the hint?
*
Jill knew the farm supply salesman was not at liberty to speak freely and actually fill her in on the training philosophy and staff reputation of a particular high level facility, so she joked "but maybe I can read your aura while you think the truth."
*
The big chesnut mare put her nose through the bars and opened the stall door and scooted out down the hall in a smoooooth split second.  Jill was out of the stall across the hall in a heartbeat and caught her, half by holding blanket and half by actually reaching the mare's halter, and also coming eye to eye with the smiling boss, who'd clearly known to expect it and was stepping out from another stall, ha.

Full Disclosure

"I need to know where exactly your riding him." uhoh. Jill was in trouble. She had taken the horse on every square inch of the property, except over the cross country jumps as other hoofprints in the snow had done.

He kept pulling shoes! Really twistedly mutated shoes! yikes. Jill had to admit she was used to riding horses with barefeet. Hadn't they mentioned snowpads - did they help? Surely the snow would all be gone soon and she could get properly conditioning on the property with the owner's blessing and permission!
*
While gaining respect for his work as an artist, she was losing respect for him as a person. Full disclosure means telling your friend you're thinking of travelling or taking a new job, before you actually do... as opportunity allows of course. That kind of thing. What he had done was avoided mentioning his plans even after he had made them, and while they were together discussing nearly related events! He also said he was spending the weekend on renovations when in fact it was his art he devoted effort to. She didn't mind that, but she wanted friends who actively told the truth - to themselves and others.

Furthermore, Jill thought that it was ridiculous to use the argument that the person pictured doesn’t find their own actions offensive as proof that the action/image isn’t offensive. Yikes. But, the way he used his model’s intentions as public argument was proof of his esteem of her, ha. Or maybe just proof that most of the events were happening under her direction. Luckily, Jill was too busy rushing across campus to give their drama any more attention than that.

She hoped one of her new suitors would prove suitable, and turned her fantasies towards new avenues. Including the family's preferred candidate - What did he mean when he said her parents "had to deal with her too?"

*
The presents the taller every week rider brought to her teacher each class really touched Jill. She felt so lucky!
*
Jill didn't tell the boss that her horse had been drugged at the boarder barn where she'd placed it temporarily. She only mentioned that the trainer there was terrified of the grey horse at the time but still refused to let Jill try riding it instead of her. And it felt good to get at least that much off her chest.

The boss told her on the ride back about the paint's difficult childhood and Jill was actually glad she hadn't known all that going out. But she felt extra attached to the mare after that!

She was surprised and admittedly over the moon to hear the boss say "I thought you rode her well." It had not been easy, but Jill had felt largely invisible...

Patience

If she couldn't be in the love affair she longed for, then Jill wanted at least some modern, current romantic relationships to admire. The handsome she'd investigated seemed, unfortunately, to be engaged. So it annoyed her that he'd said "I've put an offer in on a farm" instead of "we" -- as if that meant he was denying his relationship status somehow. Sour grapes? No doubt.
*
The flirt-painter had asked her to be his first topless model. ha. It was cute to see her bareback calendar idea stolen and underway with someone less modest than she. Since he wasn't replying to her emails anymore, she assumed it was romantic for them. She tried to think, good for them! The truth was she was far too private to post such nonsense on facebook or a blog, and was annoyed when her ex posted photographs of her in a bikini in the snow, right around the same time.
*
It was with great disappointment that Jill called the potential riding buddy at the Equestrian Team members farm to say she couldn't make it anymore, at least until she found paid work. It took up half a day just to ride one horse! Not to mention the prohibitive travel expense. She did not mention the condescending discouragement she felt somehow from the paid staff in the boss's absence, but it was a part of the picture too. She felt she had other pony options much closer to home and with much more freedom and potential for new friendships, but she still hated giving up the Wednesday/Weekend hacks that had made such a wonderful winter!
*
"Oh trust me, I know what you mean when you mention needing patience, and what you mean when you say hard to catch!" Jill said.

"I remember trying for ages in the big field to catch Stoney, when I was first getting to know him, while he ran around me as if being lunged, or ran repeatedly away or even just walked out of reach. Over and over and over for ages and ages and ages. I even remember losing it once and whipping handfuls of oats at him til they were all gone and then throwing the bucket at him in frustration as well, just before driving off in a huge huff, because he'd wasted our riding time. And, I consider myself one of the most patient horse people I know!"

But, after Stoney came to love cross country, he became easy to catch. Jill could still remember the first day she noticed. As she drove in, he was in the front paddock. She rolled down the window to say "well hello handsome" and he put his head up cheerfully and instantly started walking to the gate. She was overjoyed. Isn't that ... well, er, ...handsome!?!!
*
The competitors and barn staff yesterday got trading stories yesterday and Jill did not pipe up and add that the shared horse they had all experienced was one of the most agreeable, and safe partners she had ever had the pleasure of trying out. She had never ridden a horse like him that LOVED to jump! She must have rode him at least 10 times, and he was always a good boy. It was very sad for her riding career that he left, and she was sorely disappointed that she never did get to put him on autopilot and get packed around a Training course.

This was about the same time that her co-worker had mentioned to the clients that Jill was an unsafe teacher, while the boss was laid up in hospital. Why wouldn't the co-worker just offer her some safety coaching feedback? It left her in a very awkward position, and she decided to resign in the hopes of supporting everyone's best interest. It was unfortunate for the poor boss's bottom line that her unpaid hours would have to go to the co-worker that got paid in cash, but she was trying to do the right thing.

Jill vowed to learn how to make friends and supporters, rather than undermining enemies as she moved forward towards new opportunities. She truly wished to work as a team, she believed in synergy. She wanted to be a generous spirit, and made conscious efforts to take "the high road" as her older brother had always suggested.

Audacity Rides...

What an amazing ride! AMAZING!

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.

Taking it in Stride

she sent the wrong picture, as a potential attachment for the article and worried she'd ruined her reputation for life!

*

Jill had been telling her horse crazy kid friends how Beezy adjusted her stride and height to duck Jill under the branches, after two or three in a row whacked Jill in the face the clever mare made changes, that's what impressed Jill and some of her kid friends seemed interested to hear it.

But when the owner and fellow working students looked impressed that she'd noticed such a thing Jill was suprised to wonder what it meant that the mare was already taking care of her. The word was that she'd do anything for you, once she trusted ya. The trick was earning your way onto her good side.