Perfect Memories

    Last Friday, Rosie and I had the most amazing lesson with Nancy. It was one of those lessons that you just can't forget. One of those moments that you can't plan for. With the sun streaming in through the open arena door, Rosie and I picked up an energetic trot. We battled out an "on-the-bit" war and slowly harmony began to sink in. Then, without warning, WHOOSH..... down went her head. A perfect arch, a graceful curve only the muscular neck of a horse can produce. The feeling was enormous. The reins were slack and we were together, as one, moving in perfect harmony.

     Nancy's voice speaks somewhere in the distance, "Alright, pick up the canter."

    My breath catches as I urge her into a canter to the left. The momentum increases and then, effortlessly, we are in a canter, but not just any canter. It's a canter that she nor I have ever ridden or produced. One so graceful and effortless that I had a hard time believing I was really riding Rosie. As we rounded the far end of the arena, the sun danced on Rosie's mane.

    "Circle over there."

    So we circle. Reins slack, foam at the mouth, Rosie and I dance along with the sun's games. As it plays through Rosie's mane, her mane wavers and flows at its touch. Its perfect.

    All too soon, we come back to the trot and then the walk. For a moment, everything was silent. Nancy nor I spoke, Rosie stood perfectly still, and everything was quiet. Then we all breathed, and life began once again. With great jubilation, a small smile spread across my face, soon accompanied by Nancy's. With great pride, I take in the compliments Nancy gives us. Rosie knows she did something good, as to what she did, she probably had no idea!

    After a thousand and one hugs and kisses and pats, we move on to jumping. Friday wasn't just a first for flatwork, it was also a day for our first ever gymanstic jumping line. To say the least, Rosie and I are addicted to them! Using small cavaletties at a 9 ft, 9ft, 18ft, 9 ft, 9ft. stride length, Rosie and I approached the first rail.

Bounce..Bounce..Stride...Bounce..Bounce

   We did it PERFECTLY! The lesson just kept getting better and better. I couldn't believe it!! We continued to jump the gymnastic line several times and from both directions. Soon thereafter, we added in some 2' verticals, which we had a few issues with, but none that couldn't be remedied. After jumping the gymnasticc line a few more times, we ended on an EXCELLENT note.

    Nancy left, and Rosie was given an enormous amount of praise and let back in to her pasture with kisses and pats and.... TREATS of course!

   Oh, what would life be without my horse???