Why the hell would Liz ask out of the blue if Thunder was a quarter horse? That's so random. I mean, I can see asking if he was a Thoroughbred, but beyond that...seems like a random assumption. You'd think snotty Lila would want a Thoroughbred.
Also, I know Liz had only had one lesson, but IT'S NOT THAT HARD TO TURN A HORSE. Hell, if your only motivation is to AVOID SLAMMING INTO THE FENCE, the horse'll probably do it for you. Just sayin'.
Even as a kid it bugged me that Liz was so snotty about Lila, like, you can't be so snobby that all you do it badmouth her and STILL get horse privileges. I nearly died of jealousy when my Lila-like friend got a horse, but damn, I was never such a bitch about it.
A quarter horse is an odd choice for someone like Lila... I would have thought she'd get an Arabian or a Palomino, the preferred horses of twelve-year-old girls everywhere.
Ouch, I preferred Quarter Horses at 12, until I met the Arabian horse. Now I am obsessed because they are loyal, stubborn, beautiful, fiesty, and high-strung. Just like me, except for the beautiful part.
Once you go Arab, you never go back. I fell in love with my lesson horse, who my parents bought for me years later...if I ever get another horse, I can't consider another breed. Alf was just too much fun, with the most personality of any horse I've ever known. That's him in my icon, razzing everyone :)
Sweet recap! I myself never really had that "horse luv" phase - I think I skipped it - and promptly ignored every YA novel that had a horse on the cover cuz I knew it'd be boring. And that description of Thunder? Kinda weirded me out ... what is a ten-year-old girl supposed to GET out of that?
I think I'm convinced that that "damn" was a weird typo or something. Maybe the editor was having a really late night and mixed this book up with something else???
Oh, and Liz? You're a dork. I think I was cooler than you at your age.
I agree! I rode horses, I liked horses, but I was far from obsessed with them. My only animal obsessions have been foxes and tarsiers...neither rideable.
I myself never really had that "horse luv" phase - I think I skipped it - and promptly ignored every YA novel that had a horse on the cover cuz I knew it'd be boring. Same!
Cavaletti are poles trained to help horses WALK over them without fucking up and kicking themselves with their rear hooves. Having them jump cavaletti is kinda impossible, at the least its like having little kids jump over a shower curtain rod lying on the ground.
Thumbs to the sky? That really messes up your pull-backs. What the hell is carry the forearms? Positive rein contact? *head, meet desk. Desk, head*...well, I guess they don't want NEGATIVE rein contact. Lila beating and jerking on her horsie's mouth!
Actually, the cavaletti bit isn't necessarily true. Cavaletti aren't necessarily just poles on the ground; they can be set higher for a gymnastic combination (like a bounce). They are usually built as a pole set between two Xs, IE they can definitely be trotted over (if one were to exercise over a series of them) or cantered over, if working on lead changes. So, even though some of the horse show jargon used in this SVT is a little weird, it's not unusual to see beginners jumping over small cavaletti in a show.
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Also, I know Liz had only had one lesson, but IT'S NOT THAT HARD TO TURN A HORSE. Hell, if your only motivation is to AVOID SLAMMING INTO THE FENCE, the horse'll probably do it for you. Just sayin'.
Even as a kid it bugged me that Liz was so snotty about Lila, like, you can't be so snobby that all you do it badmouth her and STILL get horse privileges. I nearly died of jealousy when my Lila-like friend got a horse, but damn, I was never such a bitch about it.
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Ah, the rules of parenting from Sweet Valley!
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I think I'm convinced that that "damn" was a weird typo or something. Maybe the editor was having a really late night and mixed this book up with something else???
Oh, and Liz? You're a dork. I think I was cooler than you at your age.
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Same!
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Thumbs to the sky? That really messes up your pull-backs. What the hell is carry the forearms? Positive rein contact? *head, meet desk. Desk, head*...well, I guess they don't want NEGATIVE rein contact. Lila beating and jerking on her horsie's mouth!
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