Bestie and I have a program

She's so cute. She looks kind of out of proportion in this photo but that's photographer error. :)

I started taking lessons with Bestie in the middle of October. This is our third go-round; I'm not the most consistent of lesson students. First round was with former barn manager Emma (probably 5 years ago), then with former barn manager Caitlin (probably 3 years ago), and currently with Paula, who was our barn manager until November 1 and now is boarding her own horse and teaching.

I feel like I'm getting a second chance with Bestie. Since the girls left and I've been the horse mom, she definitely played second fiddle to Dude. He was just more demanding. For instance, when I got to the barn, he was the one who emphatically wanted to get out of the stall. So I'd get him out first. He dropped weight easily, so he got hand grazed more. Stuff like that. She's been very accepting of her role as The One Who Has To Wait.

But now, she's my girl. I have a sense that initially she may have thought, "What the heck is going on here with all this RIDING?" But I think she likes it now. It's good for us to have a program. Healthier for her than just me getting on for a ride every now and again. It's given me some focus after Dude's loss. And I feel like his loss has put a bittersweet spin on my relationship with Bestie. You just never know how long you'll have them in your life. I'd love to develop a partnership, more than my role as the Treats and Grooming Lady.  A partnership definitely has to be worked on and earned, as she is a complicated mare.

Paula gives a little homework, and we practice. It's simple stuff. Basically me asking quietly but firmly for respect. Halting. Smooth turns. Consistency at the walk and trot.  I never took lessons growing up so have bad habits and need instruction on the finesse of riding. And Bestie can be a tempermental and opinionated girl. I spend a lot of time reading her and working around her opinions. It's never boring, and I like that for the duration of the ride or the lesson, that is all I think about.

Paula is really calm and patient, which is just what we need. She's a great observer of the way Bestie rolls and helps me to not escalate the situation when Bestie's timer goes off. I will say that her  24-minute timer slowly has been extended to a solid 30 minutes. I'm really pleased with that. I think my confidence has grown and also that the lessons have made us more in tune with each other. Our last lesson was a solid hour and she really didn't express her opinions too strongly. It's very gratifying.