Heidi's Riding Lessons

This afternoon students have been slowly trickling back onto campus, from spending the weekend with friends and/or family.  It's been amazingly quiet!  I'm sure that it won't be this quiet every weekend, since this unusually in that it was a long weekend with Labor Day.  That doesn't affect my schedule much, though.

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A couple of weeks before leaving for Arkansas, I took Heidi to her last horseback riding lesson of the summer.  I had taken her the weekend of Reagan's birthday party, so that Mama could be at home to supervise those festivities, and had completely forgotten to take my camera!  I was glad to get another chance to document some of Heidi's adventures.  :-)

Here she is, brushing Shilling in preparation to tack up.  She likes to ride Shilling, so she was happy. 

I asked if she needed help getting the saddle up on his back, but she managed it by herself!  I think that later she did need some help tightening the girdle the right amount -- she had to get someone else for that, because I don't know much about those kinds of things. 

When all the girls were ready (it was a big class, consisting of 5 students) she lead Shilling out to the arena.

At her level of instruction, they do some leading during the lesson as well as some free riding.

I think this exercise is known as the 2-point (though don't quote me on that).  It appears to be designed to help students with their posting (which is what riders do when their horse is trotting).

Good job, Shilling!  You deserve a washing down before heading off to pasture.  :-)