Charlie and Charm (3 page)

I still didn’t feel like riding, but I couldn’t exactly say anything in front of everyone else, could I? So I got on, and it felt really strange because I was much higher up off the ground than I was on Apple. Also, Charm’s slimmer than she was, so my legs were in a totally different position. I kept readjusting my stirrups, but I couldn’t seem to find a leg position that felt quite right.

Still, even if I’m not really into the riding, the other girls are so nice I think I’ll have a fun week. Like, it was so funny when Mischief wandered away from the mounting block, leaving Jemima hanging there giggling with her leg half over the saddle! We all laughed at that,
except Sally, of course, who said, “Don’t encourage him!” and made him back up and stand properly while Jemima got herself sorted out.

For our first lesson we all rode together so that Sally could assess which group to put us in. As we walked our ponies up to the manège, the other girls kept saying how gorgeous Charm was, but all I could think about was Apple. I started getting upset, but luckily Sally asked me to lead everyone into the manège so I had to think about steering Charm through the gate and on to the track.

It was so strange riding another pony after Apple. As we trotted on, Charm was going round with his nose poking out (Apple used to always get nicely on the bit once we’d warmed up). I shortened my reins to try and pull him in, but that didn’t
seem to work. Sally called out, “Relax your shoulders and get your elbows back, Charlie. Charm’s feeling your tension and it’s making him resist you.”

I wanted to say,
It’s not my fault he’s not paying attention to me
. But, of course, I didn’t. I just looked ahead and tried to relax more. We made a few transitions from walk and trot to halt, and Sally called out to all of us, “I said
forward
to halt, which doesn’t mean just sitting there and letting your ponies run out of steam!”
But at least I wasn’t the only one getting told off.

Then we did lots of changes of direction and circles, and Sally got a few different people to lead. That was easier for me because then Charm could just follow the pony in front and I didn’t have to keep nagging at him. But when it was my turn to trot a 20 metre circle I had to kick on loads to even get him off the track!
And when we cantered to the back of the ride (you could choose if you wanted to or not) it took me two corners to get a canter. That was a shock – I only ever had to sit down and touch Apple with my outside leg and she’d whoosh straight off.

At lunchtime I sat with my two room-mates, and Millie told us what it’s like living at the stables all the time. It sounds amazing! I wish I lived somewhere like this – if I did there would have been plenty of space to keep Apple and she could have stayed with me for ever.

When we were helping clear up after lunch, Ricosha and Tameka showed us this singing and dancing routine they’ve been working on. Me, Millie, Skye and Jemima tried to learn a bit of it. We weren’t exactly very good and we all kept bursting into giggles! It was so much fun and it felt like being back with the girls at my old stable yard before I stopped going. It made me really miss them.

Then Sally came in and read out the groups, and would you believe this is the exact thing she said?

I was just
staring
at her then, probably with my mouth hanging wide open. I couldn’t believe it, I’d nearly ended up in the
beginners
’ group! Me and Apple used to ride in the
advanced
lessons at my stables! I couldn’t help feeling annoyed with Charm for not listening to me. He really made me look bad in the assessment!

It’s strange that he’s being so naughty when Sally keeps saying how great he is. Oh! I’ve just had a secret thought. What if it’s just that he doesn’t like
me
?

This afternoon we had our first Pony Care lecture, which was all about tack, and Lydia showed us how to tack up on Yasmin’s cute piebald, Prince. I knew how, ’cos of Apple, but the younger ones hadn’t ever done it on their own, and even Jemima wasn’t sure about whether the noseband did up under or over the cheek pieces. Lydia explained about some of the different bits and nosebands and what they’re for, which was interesting ’cos I only ever rode Apple in a cavesson and Eggbutt snaffle. Then she pointed to parts of the saddle and we had to call out what they were. They are:

Then we had to try tacking up for ourselves. I helped Jemima check Mischief’s saddle when she wasn’t sure if it was in the right place, then I put the bits in for Ruby and Molly because they hadn’t done it before and I was worried they might trap their fingers. I was about to help Skye pick out Fisher’s feet (in case he trod on her toes) when Lydia came over to me and said I needed to get on with tacking up Charm or we wouldn’t be ready in time for the lesson. I told her it was fine ’cos I’m quick at it, but she said, “I didn’t really mean that, Charlie. It’s about spending time with your pony. You can always give him a good brush as well.”

So I tacked Charm up in about two minutes, but he didn’t look like he needed a brush to me. I didn’t know what to do after that, so I just fiddled about with my boot until everyone was ready, pretending that I’d got a stone down it.

After the lesson this afternoon, I definitely think I’m right about Charm not liking me! It’s not that he bucked me off or anything, but he didn’t even
try
to do things properly. I just couldn’t seem to get any impulsion, so I had to kick and kick to make a transition, and he kept trying to put his head down and yank the reins out of my hands, as though he didn’t want me riding him. Sally told me to relax again and a couple of times she got annoyed because my mind wandered off and I didn’t hear her instructions. Of course, it was because I was thinking of Apple and how much fun we’d be having if she’d come on this holiday with me.

Mischief was being cheeky in the lesson, cutting off the corners, and Sally said Jemima had to stop finding it funny and concentrate on keeping her inside leg on, so at least I wasn’t the only one having problems.

There was one good thing, though – quite an exciting thing, actually! After the lesson, Sally called us all into the middle and announced that she’ll be taking a few of us out on to the cross-country course! That was the special surprise Jody mentioned in her welcome letter! Sally also told us we’ll be having a mini
cross-country
competition on Friday when all the parents are here!

I’ve always wanted to try cross country, ever since our stables went on this day trip to the Burghley Horse Trials. It was totally amazing watching the horses leap over these
giant
fences right in front of you! I’ve taken Apple over the odd log or low hedge on a hack out and even that was really exciting, so I can’t wait!

After Sally had made the announcement, she smiled at me and added, “That’s why I said you’re lucky you’ve got Charm, Charlie, because he’s such a great jumper!”

I made myself smile back, but all I could think of was how much Apple would’ve loved jumping a whole course and how we never got the chance to try it.

Skye was really unsure about having a go and Sally promised her that no one has to do anything they don’t want to here at Pony Camp. “It’s no problem if you want to join in with Group A while we go out on the course,” she told her, then said to us all, “And if I don’t feel that some of you are ready to tackle cross country, I’ll ask you to join the other group.”

Ricosha and Tameka gave each other a worried look then, because they weren’t sure Sally would think they were ready. She’s going to decide who’s allowed to do it after tomorrow morning’s lesson, and I really hope she
will
let them join in. It’ll be way more fun if we can all do it together.

Oh, gotta go now. Ricosha’s saying that today’s dryer-uppers have finished (we’ve got a rota – I’m on it with Skye on Wednesday), and Millie and Skye have just come in to change ’cos we’re all going swimming!