Other Horses, The Lesson That Wasn’t, Mares and Me, Not So Much

Awareness of the outside world. To lighten the tone. An Alabama-run Facebook group. Not my thing, but glad folks are having fun. Elmore Autauga News: May Eason’s Beautiful Table Settings Conference Has Huge First Year In Wetumpka, Miller 2022. The Wetumpka Herald: Beautiful Table Settings is still growing, Williams 2023. “As the group has grown, Eason has added administrators to help monitor every post and comment to ensure the group stays true to its mission. She personally spends eight to 10 hours per day posting, commenting or monitoring the group.” Mobile Bay: Setting the Table with New Friends, Gentry 2021. I had no idea. Hat tip to M.

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Well, that was not the most fun I’ve ever had at a lesson. Selfie because I was wasn’t on long enough to get an ears pic. New horse, so I figured I ride first and then do the photo shoot later.

Pffft.

I was told that Nila could mildly misbehave from time to time. So, when she fussed, I landed on her. She felt this was excessive and fussed about that. I could feel the whole thing starting to escalate. I asked Coach Courtney to grab the front end and then I hopped off.

Walked a bit. Got back on. With help from the ground team, managed to relax enough to get a decent walk. Asked for a trot. Back to square one. Enough of this.

The mare wasn’t being bad. I was not handling it well. I could have continued if I’d had to. Maybe. Wasn’t anybody gonna be happy about the result.

Mentally, I made a list of the bad rides I’d had with mares, and geldings who channel their inner mare, *coughMiltoncough*. Posting that is just adding negative energy to the universe. Instead here is a list of wonder mares.

Opinionated Jumper Mare, “She was so reliable, I remember coming out of a corner for a fence on the diagonal and knowing, with iron certainty, exactly where she was planning to put her feet 6 strides away.” [Bucket List – Accomplished]

Priney. A 13.2 pony. Most fun I ever had on cross-country. [Life is a Puzzle, photo]

Dottie [La Prima Rules]

Tuesday [Chestnut Mare Fanfare]

In each case, the lady in question was super-competent. All I had to do was be supportive & stay out of their way. “I was there to count the jump numbers and point out which one came next.” [Accomplished]

Overall, I get along less well with the average mare and sensitive geldings. I get along well with hardy mares and the average gelding. Basically, I’m out for any situation that calls for tact & subtlety. My instinctive response is not the correct one.

And then there was Sam, who would spook or bolt or fuss, and I would (metaphorically) yell at him to get over himself and he would say, ‘Okay, I’m good.’ I miss him. [Show Report]

Back to the lesson. Unhappy that I bailed. I wish I were a brilliant, adaptable rider, capable of getting along with any horse. It’s not clear that I ever am. Certainly not right now.

Onwards!
Katherine