Elfin in lessons and in show.
I was on Doc again in my lesson. Again, he was mostly a brat. Towards the end of the lesson, one of the girls dropped her crop. Marty went to pick it up, just as I on Doc and Hannah behind me on Freckles went by. Well, the sight of Marty with a 'motivator' in her hand spooked both the horses, and they bolted, and for a minute there I thought they were going to run right out of the arena. But it didn't take but a couple seconds to regain control and continue the rest of the lesson.
Then our lesson was over, and we walked the horses about to cool them down. And the beginner class after us came in and started their lesson. As they passed us at the trot at one point, Elfin tripped and went down. First to his knees, then all the way. He even rolled onto his side. My first thought was terror that the woman who was riding him had her leg pinned. She was perfectly fine. My next worry was that Doc and Freckles would spook and bolt. But they were champs and stood perfectly calmly. The next worry was for poor Elfin. He didn't want to get up. He just rolled over onto his side, all stretched out-like. I was so afraid he wasn't going to get back up. But Marty just marched right over, grabbed a rein, and gave him a couple swats with a whip, and up he went. Much relief from those of us that thought he was a goner.
Sunday was the show. I heard that the girl who went down with Elfin rode him in the walk-trot class and they got the championship. It was her very first show, too! I rode Elfin in the novice division. Did not do so well. It is *SO* hard to sit the trot on him. I was bouncing around all over the place. And then, for whatever reason, he was being a brat to steer. Always wanted to be behind someone, which doesn't work so well since he's got really long legs. The judge came up to me to criticize my sitting trot (which is awesome on any horse *but* Elfin) and also said that I was an aggressive rider, and she liked that. I never thought someone would consider *me* an aggressive rider, considering how timid I was when I started!
Then our lesson was over, and we walked the horses about to cool them down. And the beginner class after us came in and started their lesson. As they passed us at the trot at one point, Elfin tripped and went down. First to his knees, then all the way. He even rolled onto his side. My first thought was terror that the woman who was riding him had her leg pinned. She was perfectly fine. My next worry was that Doc and Freckles would spook and bolt. But they were champs and stood perfectly calmly. The next worry was for poor Elfin. He didn't want to get up. He just rolled over onto his side, all stretched out-like. I was so afraid he wasn't going to get back up. But Marty just marched right over, grabbed a rein, and gave him a couple swats with a whip, and up he went. Much relief from those of us that thought he was a goner.
Sunday was the show. I heard that the girl who went down with Elfin rode him in the walk-trot class and they got the championship. It was her very first show, too! I rode Elfin in the novice division. Did not do so well. It is *SO* hard to sit the trot on him. I was bouncing around all over the place. And then, for whatever reason, he was being a brat to steer. Always wanted to be behind someone, which doesn't work so well since he's got really long legs. The judge came up to me to criticize my sitting trot (which is awesome on any horse *but* Elfin) and also said that I was an aggressive rider, and she liked that. I never thought someone would consider *me* an aggressive rider, considering how timid I was when I started!