Ever since Evelyn caught her very first glimpse of the tv show "Spirit Riding Free" she has been besotted with horses and the idea of horse riding. Her games and roleplay always involve her Barbie's and dolls riding horses, making horses better and plaiting their hair. So it was only a matter of time before the inevitable happened, she asked to actually ride a horse herself!
We are very lucky in that we actually have two riding schools within about a half hour drive from us. Both offer lessons for everyone from beginners to advanced riders, one to one lessons to group lessons, even own a pony days (definitely one to add to her birthday list!). So with James away for swim camp this weekend, we thought it was the perfect chance to book her in for a one hour long pony riding lesson.
When we told her we had booked it, oh my gosh I can still hear the screams of excitement now. Every single day up until her lesson she asked "how many days", "how much longer" and when the day finally came, she didn't stop smiling!
Evelyn was given a beautiful 14hh cob gelding pony called Trigger to ride and she was instantly in love. He seemed like a bit of a cheeky chap, which matched Evelyn's personality to a tee, a great pairing seemingly.
After getting on her hat and being shown into the arena I had worried that Evelyn might get a bit nervous and change her mind, especially seeing how big the horses really were up close. However I was so wrong, she hopped up onto the step and straight onto her pony without a flinch or care in the world!
It was a lead rein group lesson that Evelyn attended and the lady holding Trigger's reins for Evelyn was a lovely girl who made Evelyn feel instantly at ease. Telling her what was going to happen before it did and giving her lots of tips as they walked around. The lady teaching the group was fantastic too, despite very tricky weather conditions (rain and wind!) she managed to fit so much into the lesson including walking, trotting and even walking over some of the logs and weaving!
Evelyn didn't stop smiling the entire time. Even when the wind came in strong, the rain got heavier and none of us could feel our hands. In fact I am pretty sure her glasses were so wet and foggy she couldn't even see where she was going, but still she kept on smiling.
Unfortunately due to the horrible weather her lesson had to be cut short after 30 minutes, both the kids and horses were completely soaked through and it just wasn't fair to continue. Of course that meant we had some tears from Evelyn as she didn't want to leave. But she soon cheered up when we told her we had managed to rearrange the lesson for another time again.
Whilst it certainly isn't the cheapest hobby we have ever come across, seeing her huge smile the whole time and the fact she hasn't stopped talking about it since has made the cost (and standing in the rain!) all worth it and we will definitely be back for some more lessons. If you want to know how she gets on make sure to keep an eye on our social media pages, especially Instagram!
Do your children have any hobbies or sports they love to do? Let me know in the comments below.
xXx
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