And here we have Maud on her jumping pony. Do they look sweet together?
Maud is ten; she weighs six stone; she suffers from diabetes. She's just a little slip of a thing, she still takes a teddy to bed...
I jumped her pony this morning, the one in the picture above, the one she competes on in shows.
And I've had to completely review my opinion of my sweet little girl.
For the pony is as strong as an ox. And as stubborn as a mule. And he pulls like a train. And if you don't ride him exactly right, with loads of contact and loads of leg he simply will not jump for you, not even over a pole on the ground.
"I'm starting to understand," I told her, "why you sometimes burst into tears when you ride him."
She's very dismissive, is Maud.
She said, "But when he goes well, it's like flying."
What a beautiful photo, it takes me back to when I used to compete on my ponies. Unfortunately my daughter doesn't ride, but I did from the age of 5 to 19 and loved it.
ReplyDeleteI haven't visited for a while! So glad to come back. That last line gave me goosepumps! They do, indeed, look very sweet together.
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