Gab has chosen horseriding. She is going through a complete pony phase, and is saving up in her Commenwealth school bank account for a pony. She begged me to buy her jodhpurs, and is now angling for a helmet and boots. We negotiated that she can go to the local pony club every three weeks for their kids club - 8 to 12 on a Saturday morning - to play with their elderly well behaved ponies. She gets to catch the horse, lunge the horse, feed the horse, tack up the horse, brush the horse, pick out the horse's hooves, and ride the horse. I sometimes feel I am paying the centre for four hours of child labour. But she loves it. She comes home all smelly and horsey and talks about the day when she lives in the country and owns a pony. Ah - the dreams of a suburban girl!
I understand. I went through a pony phase when I was young, and kept that little dream of learning to ride a horse until I was 27 and had horseriding lessons in Krygyzstan for 6 months.
But I am not sure a pony will fit into our backyard.
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| heels down, elbows in, back straight - she's a natural |
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| check out that smile! |
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| Gab telling the horse a secret |
Yes, I was also questioning the benefit in paying for Harriet to help clean up stables...she has progressed now to taking part in a jumping competition next week ( paid for with her own money )
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