Jill had found a shared accomodation arrangement just before she started 1st year at the U of Moo, and she had never moved out. If it ain't broke, don't fix it, right? It seemed to work for everybody in the house. Her landfamily was a single mom voice coach and music professor 17 years her senior, and her 2 children. The boys were not that interested in horses, but it was one passion the women shared...
She was surprised therefore to come home from working the Mane Expo to find one of her old Pony Club yearbooks on the coffee table between the young guys sitting there playing video games. Even more surprised when the youngest commented that even though her helmet is not done up, she looks like a good rider, just sitting there on "a bay." Jill picked up the book and it fell right open to the photo of the horse-partner she remembered was named Baye. There was a poem she'd written there too. She wasn't thrilled to read it:
i am horse
people beat me with whips
stick spurs in my side
make me do jumps
or stop on a dime
BUT
i get carrots and apples
and room service food
people clean my room daily
i'm scratched and i'm cuddled
i'm horse and i'm loved.
"There's another picture of me in here," she showed the boys one where she was not mounted but was dolled up "EARINGS at the barn!? Nailpolish too. I guess to match the chaps?"
She could actually remember that day. She was coaching students at a show and recalled how lil Mr. Poppy won a white ribbon for third place and screeched her name in quite a scene and was running to show it to her up close up, when he fell with it in a huge mud puddle in front of all the spectators.
"They gave him a new ribbon." She emphasized his gender as she gestured to the boys, showing his picture and telling them how he'd purchased his horse with his commercial money. They were both actors. His profile read pony club level, D age 8, mount: Pop, 3/4 arab 1/4 welsh 4 yr old chesnut pony, 13.2 hands
"Pop is very nice and she protects me. Once she tried to climb a ladder because other students asked her to. Her brothers and sister are show ponies in the states. She bucks but I don't fall off anymore. She loves the stallion at our barn. She comes into season everytime he walks by! She's a silly pony and we all love her A LOT!"
His quote about why he enjoyed pony club was "the snacks and the movies and christmas."
Jill didn't seem to have been asked that question. But it stuck in her mind how the caption about her mount Baye, was actually the story of her whole entire life: "I've been riding this horse all summer but the owner is back so I'm not sure who I will be riding now, perhaps the very green mare that's just arrived..."
*
Before she'd taken the week long contracts to work the booth at a few different equine trade shows for the bitless-bridle folks, she'd done a few personal trials, at stables she frequently visited ~ mostly focused on horses she really thought might really benefit, but also on those that the one cob-sized nurtural model she'd picked up would simply, actually fit.
First she took it to the cowboy's place, where she was riding the only English horse on the property. A challenging mount to get over the bridge/creek on the driveway and sometimes a speedy/spookster, she'd asked the handsome property owner to keep her company while she tried the little thoroughbred completely BITLESS for the first time ever. It felt good to be under the supervision (aka full on one on one attention) of such a sexy handsome, ha. He didn't think bitless was a big deal at all, in fact every horse he broke went in a hackmore as the first step ~ which was also good influence. Jill did not concentrate on the fact that he tended to ride quiet quarter horses, while her mounts could tend a little more to the firey side. And then, not only did the new bridle fit her horse-friend perfectly it work like a charm, both indoors and out, for the goals of the ride that day.
At the english place she was teaching, there was marvellous success with the flea-bitten grey school pony who had the terrible headshaking habit. Jill had always thought it looked like the sweet, calm mare was in pain rather than being difficult and had suggested to the boss/owner countless times that she suspected a tooth problem. She was not at all surprised that the dead quiet school horse did better in the trial tack, and Jill was delighted to imagine beginner students balancing on the reins with no bit.
She'd only used it on the speedster of a black mare she hoped would be her partner for the Level 8 Rider Exam once. The little black pony that was so strong indoors and out, driven or ridden, didn't seem easier or harder to stop with the alternating gear, but Jill missed the feeling of having the beauty on the bit!
During the fair, Jill did not admire the design of the one in use for the first time in the North arena, as much as the figure 8 design of the one she was representing. Overall, she was actually quite unsettled by the unsafe nature of the tent pegging display! She was glad when they stopped it and concluded it as they did, but she wondered if it would be detrimental to her sales. It was true that both horses it worked really well with in her experience would be proven to have tooth issues shortly thereafter, but Jill was still able to sell the product, honestly, from the heart, because of the trials...
Showing posts with label Pony Club. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pony Club. Show all posts
2011-05-03
2011-04-10
Pony Club Rules!
Of course the pony she had the crush on would be available for such a price, lol. What other sales ponies might she be able to find to make friends with? She had already gladly signed 483 waivers, but she still had to find a way to show him how she rode. As she got older, she also began to recgonize the importance of seeing an animal go, before hopping on yourself, ha. "Your idea of an obedient horse and mine, are two completely different things."
*
It really bugged Jill when she asked her former co-worker to sign some mentoring time sheets for some of the coaching she'd provided in the meetings, lesson observation and other student/lesson plan/horse update discussions, because she refused to. They'd worked together for almost the full prior year and Jill was just asking her to sign off on five hours or so.
It turned out, after being marketed and paid more than Jill as a certified COACH (vs Jill's certified INSTRUCTOR status), she wasn't actually certified yet.
Slightly less frustrating was the feedback on the pony club clinic she stole from Jill (with the finally obtained actual "superior" credentials), was that they didn't like the way she SOUNDED when she taught, her voice was alienating. As was the way she delivered her commentary as criticism. Jill hoped there'd be a little room at next year's camp out for her brand of patience, creativity, musicality and f u n.
Jill refrained from comment when she heard the story from the woman directly about selling her horse and how the new owner was having trouble getting the mare to load for shows and such. She had the audacity to feign surprise. Meanwhile, this very same "superior" coach had told Jill about this annoying aspect of the equine's nature in year's prior. Another tricky horse trade? Buyer beware. Meanwhile Jill did not have much credibility in the market place because she didn't own a horse and wasn't competing "Pre-Training."
*
At first she felt bad for stealing the more exciting pony mount from the older sister of her student, as they all when out hacking together. They were all good riders and Jill felt honoured and guilty for getting her favourite mount, even though it made the most sense size-wise.
A few gallop strides later, bonk, the teenager in front of her was fallen on her head and getting a concussion test pop quiz from mean mommy, before being sent round the gallop route one more time. Yowza.
*
It really bugged Jill when she asked her former co-worker to sign some mentoring time sheets for some of the coaching she'd provided in the meetings, lesson observation and other student/lesson plan/horse update discussions, because she refused to. They'd worked together for almost the full prior year and Jill was just asking her to sign off on five hours or so.
It turned out, after being marketed and paid more than Jill as a certified COACH (vs Jill's certified INSTRUCTOR status), she wasn't actually certified yet.
Slightly less frustrating was the feedback on the pony club clinic she stole from Jill (with the finally obtained actual "superior" credentials), was that they didn't like the way she SOUNDED when she taught, her voice was alienating. As was the way she delivered her commentary as criticism. Jill hoped there'd be a little room at next year's camp out for her brand of patience, creativity, musicality and f u n.
Jill refrained from comment when she heard the story from the woman directly about selling her horse and how the new owner was having trouble getting the mare to load for shows and such. She had the audacity to feign surprise. Meanwhile, this very same "superior" coach had told Jill about this annoying aspect of the equine's nature in year's prior. Another tricky horse trade? Buyer beware. Meanwhile Jill did not have much credibility in the market place because she didn't own a horse and wasn't competing "Pre-Training."
*
At first she felt bad for stealing the more exciting pony mount from the older sister of her student, as they all when out hacking together. They were all good riders and Jill felt honoured and guilty for getting her favourite mount, even though it made the most sense size-wise.
A few gallop strides later, bonk, the teenager in front of her was fallen on her head and getting a concussion test pop quiz from mean mommy, before being sent round the gallop route one more time. Yowza.
2011-02-07
An Opportunity to Ride
Jill's newest riding buddy was a very nice person and had loads of confidence and enthusiasm around her horses. And, her animals knew her and had a good rapport. But, she didn't have as much natural horse sense and was just a beat behind Jill in reading their body language.
Jill had never seen any of the animals go, and she didn't know the property. They would be riding roads and open fields and it was certainly a frisky day. But the snow was deep and soft for falling off in and she was confident in her own abilities and looking forward to the fun.
*
"Just so you know I am sitting on a VERY frisky little animal right now." Jill announced as they got underway. She knew the animal's owner thought the pony was bombproof but Jill could sense otherwise, ha.
In the end, or actually quite near the beginning, it was the even more bombproof paint that ditched his rider. He flinched at the sound of a tree branch against riding helmet and lo and behold said helmet was laying in snow. The rider could make a snow angel in the deep snow laughing so all seemed well. But she had to walk the whole rest of the way, being unable to mount with out a block.
Meanwhile, the new saddle did not fit Jill's mount and she rode the hack like those sitting trot lessons in the olden days on the lunge line with no girth! ha. because the slightest bit of shifting weight really caused the saddle to slide even though the girth was impossibly tight!
The pony spooked here and there and would not stand at all. So Jill walked on, and found places for little circles and made many many 1 second halts as training method. What a cute goey little girl! The deep snow was awesome because it did all the work of slowing the pony's rhythm.
Jill was proud on the final stretch when the mare would stand stock still, despite her paddock neighbour running the fence and whinnying in a frenzy, so they could chat with a passing car. "Fun is cantering in deep snow. It feels like swimming!" Jill told how in the olden days, if the water was high enough (from enough rainfall) and your mount was low enough you could go for a couple of swim strides in the deep parts when you went walking the creek.
She loved to use the weather as a training tool.
Jill had never seen any of the animals go, and she didn't know the property. They would be riding roads and open fields and it was certainly a frisky day. But the snow was deep and soft for falling off in and she was confident in her own abilities and looking forward to the fun.
*
"Just so you know I am sitting on a VERY frisky little animal right now." Jill announced as they got underway. She knew the animal's owner thought the pony was bombproof but Jill could sense otherwise, ha.
In the end, or actually quite near the beginning, it was the even more bombproof paint that ditched his rider. He flinched at the sound of a tree branch against riding helmet and lo and behold said helmet was laying in snow. The rider could make a snow angel in the deep snow laughing so all seemed well. But she had to walk the whole rest of the way, being unable to mount with out a block.
Meanwhile, the new saddle did not fit Jill's mount and she rode the hack like those sitting trot lessons in the olden days on the lunge line with no girth! ha. because the slightest bit of shifting weight really caused the saddle to slide even though the girth was impossibly tight!
The pony spooked here and there and would not stand at all. So Jill walked on, and found places for little circles and made many many 1 second halts as training method. What a cute goey little girl! The deep snow was awesome because it did all the work of slowing the pony's rhythm.
Jill was proud on the final stretch when the mare would stand stock still, despite her paddock neighbour running the fence and whinnying in a frenzy, so they could chat with a passing car. "Fun is cantering in deep snow. It feels like swimming!" Jill told how in the olden days, if the water was high enough (from enough rainfall) and your mount was low enough you could go for a couple of swim strides in the deep parts when you went walking the creek.
She loved to use the weather as a training tool.
2010-08-16
Short Course Short Cut
Unless she could find a way to share the expense and work of maintaining the car, Jill was leaning towards giving up the vehicle. Which also meant, essentially, giving up horse-back riding. Again. Sigh.
But the fact was that she really wasn't riding much anyway. Or teaching much. She had two students that she schooled a couple times a month and sometimes she'd borrow the extra pony and hack out them and moms after class...
But, aside from that, she really had nothing on the go.
The good news was, the kitty's needed flea drops, so she may as well call a vet... Might get a hunt or two out of it, ha.
*
I recognize you from Pony Club" he said, standing in line at the secretary's booth at the horse show. Jill knew him then too, they'd ridden the C-rally together on a team. She'd always liked his quiet, determined way with that big tall roan-y apoloosa, back in the day.
"I danced with you at your grad!" he surprised her. High school? That'd be worlds colliding. Her highschool life and her horse life had never intertwined... "Who were you there with?" she was trying to recall it. And, was kind of pleased when he had no idea anymore who his date was back then, ha.
She told him about the ordeal she had to go through because of the lost pony club records, when she decided to get certified as an instructor. "But why didn't you just come back here?" Now that was a different story... Jill hoped they'd find a chance to hang out and really catch up, ha. Had he been at all the work parties she'd missed?
Wasn't it funny how silence fell over the crowd in the sponsor/announcers booth and they'd all watched him walk past. Such a handsome, athletic, pleasant passer-by, one of the few male competitors of the day, ha.
But the fact was that she really wasn't riding much anyway. Or teaching much. She had two students that she schooled a couple times a month and sometimes she'd borrow the extra pony and hack out them and moms after class...
But, aside from that, she really had nothing on the go.
The good news was, the kitty's needed flea drops, so she may as well call a vet... Might get a hunt or two out of it, ha.
*
I recognize you from Pony Club" he said, standing in line at the secretary's booth at the horse show. Jill knew him then too, they'd ridden the C-rally together on a team. She'd always liked his quiet, determined way with that big tall roan-y apoloosa, back in the day.
"I danced with you at your grad!" he surprised her. High school? That'd be worlds colliding. Her highschool life and her horse life had never intertwined... "Who were you there with?" she was trying to recall it. And, was kind of pleased when he had no idea anymore who his date was back then, ha.
She told him about the ordeal she had to go through because of the lost pony club records, when she decided to get certified as an instructor. "But why didn't you just come back here?" Now that was a different story... Jill hoped they'd find a chance to hang out and really catch up, ha. Had he been at all the work parties she'd missed?
Wasn't it funny how silence fell over the crowd in the sponsor/announcers booth and they'd all watched him walk past. Such a handsome, athletic, pleasant passer-by, one of the few male competitors of the day, ha.
2010-08-02
Hacks
"I can see why the deer mistook George for one of them!" Jill joked to her riding buddies after the fact, making light of some of the most athletic moves she had ever enjoyed on horseback. He'd been spinning in complete circles, beside himself, and half passing large left and right trying to keep both deer in sight. He was spooked out of his head and s n o r t i n g. Right before one of the deer did something Jill had never seen one do before, and cut right through their herd.
"And don't forget the loose horse!" her friend posted on her facebook wall.
*
"And don't forget the loose horse!" her friend posted on her facebook wall.
*
"Jill teaches my kids" She liked being introduced to the CEO of the National Sport office this way, on the Ontario Vet College campus, by a Dr. employed there for equine research.
*
Jill instructed her students during the exercise. "C'mon everybody, you should be 15% ahead of the vertical when you increase and on the vertical when you collect.
She also advised a cynical love and leave him attitude to horses.
And then let sweet barn kitties adopted as house cats open her heart again.
Jill was jealous to hear that an equestrian and coach on the market she admired and felt intimidated by had just been given a car by her bother.
2010-07-18
Jones
Jill got the standings and ribbon results about the show but not all the info she really wanted: did they really have fun? did they do their best?
She wanted to write back:
Never mind bringing me a choreographed routine for next year's pre-Regionals practices!
I want to start now working with the girls and the ponies on things like straightness, impulsion, RYTHM, corners, and consistency/correctness of the figures and transitions.
When I use my stop watch to time a circle it shouldn't sometimes be 40 seconds and sometimes be 20 seconds, right? How you can you choreograph to that? ha.
She really wanted to provide LIVE music. How would that be for the rule book?
But before any of that, the riders needed sound mounts, argh, right, etc?
*
The handsome that she hoped would be there turned out to be a good mover buddy, like a farm co-worker mover buddy really, even though he was a musician.
And, he looked so good in red, ha.
His mom had a horse farn? Is that what he'd said? Jill wish some of her other friends had been there so they could tell her. All she could tell them was that now she was seeing spots, and jonesing for appoloosas all of a sudden.
*
It was 2 or 3 seasons ago now that she had gone south with a string of horses on the Canadian Eventing Team, where she was getting paid a small fee to ride 3 or 4 a day of the Team coach, while others were paying thousands of dollars to ride their own one or two. Lucky Southern soul, ha.
Those horses were like fine fine sportscars. It was such a blessing to be given access to them and the scenic roads... she felt at home in the saddle.
Oh for some morning hacks past a burn pile or alligator pond!
*
Even when she wasn't doing anything horsey, she never really ever shook it off entirely.
*
i backed into a tree the same weekend someone sideswiped my parked car. i'm trying not to complain about the damage the second caused when i got by with the first scott free, because it only seems fair.
* * *
i haven't been riding. but i still can get life lessons out of the sport.
i remember how stoney would never chip into the base of a jump when i first start riding him, and he had the scope to leave out a frightening number of strides in front of a fence if i asked too early by mistake, while he also had the scope to jump anything from a standstill as well.
katie taught me to let HIM sort it out. the take off point. my job was to just sit up and wait with my leg on. and, right now i am learning to sit up and wait for the obstacles of my life, instead of taking so many fear inducing flyers...
*
i liked how my rider buddy acknowledged mr. timer when he said one minute. she gave him a nod and the thumbs up from where she was walking, so he'd know she heard and he appreciated it, i could tell. she was the first rider of the ten or so i saw start who did so...
She wanted to write back:
Never mind bringing me a choreographed routine for next year's pre-Regionals practices!
I want to start now working with the girls and the ponies on things like straightness, impulsion, RYTHM, corners, and consistency/correctness of the figures and transitions.
When I use my stop watch to time a circle it shouldn't sometimes be 40 seconds and sometimes be 20 seconds, right? How you can you choreograph to that? ha.
She really wanted to provide LIVE music. How would that be for the rule book?
But before any of that, the riders needed sound mounts, argh, right, etc?
*
The handsome that she hoped would be there turned out to be a good mover buddy, like a farm co-worker mover buddy really, even though he was a musician.
And, he looked so good in red, ha.
His mom had a horse farn? Is that what he'd said? Jill wish some of her other friends had been there so they could tell her. All she could tell them was that now she was seeing spots, and jonesing for appoloosas all of a sudden.
*
It was 2 or 3 seasons ago now that she had gone south with a string of horses on the Canadian Eventing Team, where she was getting paid a small fee to ride 3 or 4 a day of the Team coach, while others were paying thousands of dollars to ride their own one or two. Lucky Southern soul, ha.
Those horses were like fine fine sportscars. It was such a blessing to be given access to them and the scenic roads... she felt at home in the saddle.
Oh for some morning hacks past a burn pile or alligator pond!
*
Even when she wasn't doing anything horsey, she never really ever shook it off entirely.
*
i backed into a tree the same weekend someone sideswiped my parked car. i'm trying not to complain about the damage the second caused when i got by with the first scott free, because it only seems fair.
* * *
i haven't been riding. but i still can get life lessons out of the sport.
i remember how stoney would never chip into the base of a jump when i first start riding him, and he had the scope to leave out a frightening number of strides in front of a fence if i asked too early by mistake, while he also had the scope to jump anything from a standstill as well.
katie taught me to let HIM sort it out. the take off point. my job was to just sit up and wait with my leg on. and, right now i am learning to sit up and wait for the obstacles of my life, instead of taking so many fear inducing flyers...
*
i liked how my rider buddy acknowledged mr. timer when he said one minute. she gave him a nod and the thumbs up from where she was walking, so he'd know she heard and he appreciated it, i could tell. she was the first rider of the ten or so i saw start who did so...
2008-03-31
Olden Days
I was recruited for pony club when Meadowvale didn't have enough riders for next year's C rally. I guess my coach, who taught them suggested me? anyway, I took the max allowable tests, the D D1 & D2 in the fall, and then in the spring I took the C C1 & C2. And then me and my lovely horse actually got to be stabled at Mohawk Raceway. And we did our first real cross country course. And, it was great to compete as a team, with other horse and rider combos.
Shortly thereafter I hit the age limit to get kicked out of Pony Club.
(I always liked the Quiz too. Our team went pretty far.)
*
When I called up that coach, in the hopes she could help me track down those Pony Club records (to avoid the rider level testing for instructor certification) she said "You should just come and teach for me, I don't care if you're certified."
And so it was that I came to part board the nicest horse in her school of them that summer, in exchange for teaching to start in the fall.
Shortly thereafter I hit the age limit to get kicked out of Pony Club.
(I always liked the Quiz too. Our team went pretty far.)
*
When I called up that coach, in the hopes she could help me track down those Pony Club records (to avoid the rider level testing for instructor certification) she said "You should just come and teach for me, I don't care if you're certified."
And so it was that I came to part board the nicest horse in her school of them that summer, in exchange for teaching to start in the fall.
2007-03-28
The Pony Club Test
The other rider called “inside” but Jill didn’t have enough control of her horse to make it work. Luckily the more skilled and confident equestrian changed course and avoided colliding with the only other pair sharing the arena. Thank goodness! You never knew what to expect on a show day like this, and Jill was relieved that riders from other stables were playing by rules she recognized AND that they could adequately adapt to change for everyone's benefit.
When her teacher had changed the line up and sent Jill to her pony club test on the greener horse, the teacher's very own, she'd said it was because the other student wouldn't be willing to switch mounts. But Jill knew it was a gift from her mentor, in that at least the younger beast had the benefit of very good training! She just hoped she'd be able to maximze that advantage.
When Jill told her friend about failing the pre-test simulation for time faults, despite all the compliments in regards to her style, her bud made a funny outraged faced and told a story about almost failing her driver’s lisence for “ONE Steamboat!” Jill just loved her pal's moxy. And she hoped luck would be with her on test day - while the level she was testing for was a stretch, she'd heard that the examiner's sometimes just asked all the right questions. "That's what I'm hoping for" she enthused, "Afterall, I got my driver's lisence without having to parallel park!"
When her teacher had changed the line up and sent Jill to her pony club test on the greener horse, the teacher's very own, she'd said it was because the other student wouldn't be willing to switch mounts. But Jill knew it was a gift from her mentor, in that at least the younger beast had the benefit of very good training! She just hoped she'd be able to maximze that advantage.
When Jill told her friend about failing the pre-test simulation for time faults, despite all the compliments in regards to her style, her bud made a funny outraged faced and told a story about almost failing her driver’s lisence for “ONE Steamboat!” Jill just loved her pal's moxy. And she hoped luck would be with her on test day - while the level she was testing for was a stretch, she'd heard that the examiner's sometimes just asked all the right questions. "That's what I'm hoping for" she enthused, "Afterall, I got my driver's lisence without having to parallel park!"
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)