Sophie and Shine (2 page)

It felt strange being back on a pony at first, but in the assessment lesson we had a good long walk round on each rein, so I had time to think about my position and get used to Shine. We did lots of halts, circles and changes of direction to get our ponies listening to us. It took me a while to remember to look around to see where I was going, though! Shine is quite forward-going in trot so I could go rising in a
nice rhythm without nagging her all the time. Sally called out to me to change my trot diagonal, though, and I realized I'd forgotten to even check it!

When we had a canter I slid my outside leg back and Shine did as I asked straight away. I'd forgotten how fast it felt – but also how fun! Sally had to tell me to sit back and down, and stop clinging to the reins, but I didn't really mind her saying that because she yells things out to everyone. Shanice hasn't cantered before so she had a trot instead, and Sally said she'd be cantering by the end of the week, no worries. It's great that things are coming back to me already – and it helps that Shine's so lovely to ride! It was just so exciting – and to think, I've got loads more canters to go before the end of the week!

Afterwards we untacked (I helped Shanice with Prince as she hadn't done it before), and
then we all gathered back on the yard to hear what groups we'd be in. Sally said I was borderline but she's putting me in Group A to start off with (the beginners' group) so I can find my feet and brush up my skills. If I do well she's going to move me up to Group B. I'm really disappointed to be honest, and can't help thinking that if Mum and Dad hadn't been so busy with Albie… Still, I suppose moving groups can be a goal for me to work towards.

We then had a lecture about safety on the yard and Lydia showed us where everything was and how to put things away properly so nothing got tripped over or lost. It was fun because she pretended to do dangerous things like mounting without her chin strap done up, or tying up a pony without using a slip-knot, and we had to stop her by calling out “No!” and saying what was wrong.

Then at lunch Aneela was doing impressions of a teacher at her riding school at home who has this really snooty voice and we were all in stitches. She's so funny – in fact, all the girls here are nice. We've just been trying on each others' stuff. Daisy's blue fleece really suited Shanice and Izzy's purple silk looked great on Courtney's hat, and she said she really wishes she'd bought a new one before she came, too. Grace insisted on trying on Aneela's jodhs and of course they were miles too long for her! I know I'm going to have a fab week with them all!

Jody just gave us our welcome letters (I've stuck mine in the front of this diary) and we found out we're going carriage-driving this week – we're all really excited. It'll be great fun
going on a trip together and only Izzy has been in a carriage before, when she was a bridesmaid at her cousin's wedding, so it'll be a brand new horsey experience too!

We've got to go back on the yard again now for our first Pony Care lecture – it's on tack and tacking up. I'm going to pay extra special attention in the lectures because maybe if I show Mum and Dad how much I've learnt they'll understand how serious I am about getting my own pony, and then they might start to think about it at least.

Our lecture was really interesting – we learnt about all the different bits of tack, then watched Lydia demonstrate tacking up on Aneela’s pony, Charm. She chose him because he’s so good at standing still on the yard. Everyone laughed when Millie said that if we’d used Tally it would have been more like a demonstration of chasing an escaping pony down the lane!

Then we had our first go at tacking up our ponies. Millie has done all this before, so went round helping the younger girls. We did it in their stables and pens to make it easier, and we worked in twos so we could help each other. I went with Beth and she was really good about helping me get the bit in (I’ve only done it once before and I didn’t want to bang poor
Shine’s teeth with it). When I helped her with Monsoon we played this game pretending they were our own ponies and we were getting ready for a big comp, and it was really cool. Beth is so much fun! When Lydia came round and checked what we’d done all she had to do was move Shine’s girth up a hole, so we were really happy!

Our lesson this afternoon was fun too. Jody wanted us to just relax and get to know our ponies, so we did lots of transitions and changes of rein to get good control and then we practised weaving in and out of cones. It was so funny when Cracker decided he couldn’t be bothered to go round all the cones
and just carted Grace off to the end of the manège instead!

I also found out that Shine gets spooked easily! It was really windy this afternoon and during the lesson a shed door banged and sent her skittering off across the manège. It really freaked me out, and my heart went all fluttery, but I managed to keep going and put her straight. But then she kept refusing to walk past the bit of fence where it happened and Jody said I had to ride really positively so Shine didn’t go completely silly about it. I felt really nervous but I made myself act calm and after a while Shine was fine again. Jody called out, “You may not have ridden for a while, Sophie, but you obviously have a feel for ponies. You handled that very well!”

At this rate, maybe I really will get moved up to Group B sometime this week! When we had a canter, Shanice decided to trot again instead and Jody gave her a big smile and said maybe she can have another go tomorrow.

Oh, I nearly forgot. Something strange happened before, when we were doing yard duties. We all put our hard hats on the bench in the tack room so we didn’t have to take them upstairs, and I volunteered to sweep the main yard so I could look at Shine, because her stable is right there. When the jobs were done and Sally said it was time to go in for dinner, we all went to pick up our hats. On the way in to the farmhouse, Izzy was asking everyone if they’d seen her silk (the really nice purple one), because it’s vanished. It was on her hat when she left it in the tack room but when she went back after yard duties, her hat was just black, and the silk was nowhere to be seen.
Millie said not to worry, and that it probably got lost behind something, and she’s sure it’ll turn up. But I think it’s strange. I mean, how could Izzy’s silk have come off the hat on its own?

Weird!

I like mysteries, so I am thinking of ideas about what could have happened. Like, maybe a girth strap caught on the silk while someone was putting their saddle away and pulled it off (not very likely, I know, but it’s the best I can think of so far!).

Anyway, I have to go now because we’re going swimming for our evening activity (there’s a pool here – Millie is just so lucky!).

Swimming was really fun – Millie's dad Johnny organized some water races and games, and then we had time to just play around. Me, Millie and Beth pretended to be synchronized swimmers and made up this whole routine (and completely got the giggles, too!).

Afterwards, when we'd had our showers and dried off, we all had hot chocolate together in the kitchen. This really is turning out to be the perfect holiday!

Millie and Beth and me have all been whispering for the last hour, till they both fell asleep. Beth was telling us how her mum still lives in Manchester and how she hardly ever gets to see her. She's got no brothers and
sisters so it's just her and her dad. She says it's fine and she doesn't mind, but I felt really sorry for her – I can't imagine not having Mum around, even if she does spend most of her time with Albie at the moment. Thinking of not having Mum around all the time has made me start missing her, so I'm going to turn off my torch and try to get some sleep before I get really homesick! Goodnight!