My girls started horseback riding lessons today. They have been so obsessed with horses the last year or more. They did a "horse camp" over the summer where they got to ride horses for a few hours each day for a week. They had such a good time there. So I finally looked on-line and came across a farm that taught riding lessons. I have to tell you... I have learned a lot about riding lessons in the last three days. I knew there were different saddles but didn't realize there were different techniques. I just wanted them to learn basic riding skills, nothing too fancy. Anyway, I found this lady that teaches Hunter Jumper. They ride an English saddle and have to wear jodhpurs (special pants that have extra padding on the inside of the leg). So I was on the hunt to find these special pants. We ended up at the tractor supply store in Weaverville where we met this very nice young lady. She started talking about the different riding styles: western versus English. In the end, she recommended English style because it is a little more difficult and the gist I got was that if you can conquer English, western is a piece of cake.
I found the special pants yesterday which was not an easy task to complete because the store I went to didn't have a lot in the girls' sizes. Today, we headed to the farm for their first lesson. Most of the time was spent just learning a few basic things: grooming, safety, etc. Then they got to ride on Honey for a few minutes. I have a few pictures and movies I would like to share with you.
Bethany riding Honey with Ms. Julia
along side.
Sarah riding Honey with Ms. Julia
showing her how to hold her hands.
