I was a horse mad kid but growing up in Sydney wasn't
the place for a horse, or even much riding. But I did go riding on some trail
rides as I grew up and I loved it. When I moved to Wagga Wagga, one of my aims
was to own a horse and learn to ride and care for it. The first people I stayed
with had horses, but they weren't keen to teach an adult to ride. And then I
met a lady through work who not only was willing to teach me, but had a pony I
could learn with.
So I met Shiralee. A beautiful buckskin pony who was
close to twenty years old, and much smarter than me.
I had a few lessons at home, and then I went to Pony
Club. I was worse than a kid. I was so excited to be at Pony Club, something
I'd only ever dreamed of doing. So here I am, 23 years old, on a pony, in the
beginner's class. And Trixie, Shiralee's best friend, was in the advanced
class. They weren't happy. While I struggled to hang out and keep in the circle
and do what I was told, Shiralee bellowed out to her friend, and Trixie made
little calls back.
Shiralee wasn't happy. She was bored with whatever
simple stuff I was struggling to learn. She wanted to be with her friend but we
were separated and mothers blocked her from going to Trixie. So what's a girl
to do?
When you're struggling to learn, you try so hard to do
what you're told and you really aren't thinking of anything else. Shiralee was
bored and cranky, and she wanted to go home.
So off she went.
Knowing I could barely handle anything above a walk,
she did just that, a jig-jog walk, out of the circle, out the gate and down the
road towards home (just two blocks). Mothers called out. Instructors called
out. I had to kick her, turn her, dig in my heels, grab the reins. The list of
shouts seemed endless. All I could do was hang on...and Shiralee knew it.
Before the end of the first block, two mothers caught
me, and took hold of the bridle and led me back to Pony Club. To say I was
mortified was an understatement. Most of the kids were under 8 and they could
control their horses, me...not at all, and I was 3 times their age.
To add to my mortification, one of the kids came up to
me after I returned and said, "Oh, you're so lucky your Mum's not here. I
would have been grounded for a week if I did that."
I kept going to Pony Club, but they locked the gate
after my escape!
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