My Dream Pony

by Katrina Kahler

  I could feel the excitement bubbling up inside me. I was a cauldron, ready to explode; the anticipation of what lay ahead was almost too much for me to contain.

  Grinning widely, I jumped out from the back seat of the four-wheel drive where I’d been sitting next to Mom and headed to the back door of the trailer. Eagerly, I unlocked the clasps so I could lower the door and lead my baby out to this world of wonder.

  Dad had taken some time to consider Tomas’ advice and with agonizing impatience, I had waited for his decision. Some words of encouragement from Sally had certainly helped. And when she offered to lend us her horse trailer so that we could ‘trial this pony club thing’ as Dad had put it, that was the clincher which sealed the deal.

  I was so immensely grateful to Sally. If it hadn’t been for her, I wouldn’t be standing there and pony club would be nothing but a distant thought. I was also very thankful that she was there for my first day. The clubhouse loomed up ahead and she went with me so I could sign on as a visitor. Sally wasn’t riding but was going to stay and watch and her words of encouragement really helped to ease my nerves.

  “You’re going to love this, Julia!” she exclaimed, her own infectious excitement rubbing off on me. “It brings back memories of when I was your age,” she said. “In fact, it makes me want to join up again! If I weren’t so busy, I would.”

  “Oh that would be so cool, Sally!” I said. “I wish you could. It’s so hard going to new places where you don’t know anyone.” My nerves were starting to get the better of me and I tried to calm my breathing and relax a little. This was one of the most exciting days of my life and I was determined I was going to enjoy every moment!

  The president of the pony club greeted us warmly and made us feel so welcome it instantly put me at ease. That was until I had to tack up and enter the arena.

  “You’ll be fine, Julia!” Sally whispered in my ear as she held the reins while I hopped up into the saddle. “Bella is such a beautiful pony and everyone is going to love both of you!”

  I smiled in reply and gave Bella a little nudge to encourage her forward. Taking a deep breath, I entered the arena and was instantly welcomed by a pretty brown haired girl around my age, who was riding a gorgeous grey mare that had the most beautiful conformation.

  “Hi!” she said with the friendliest smile I think I have ever seen on anyone. “I don’t remember seeing you here before. Are you new?”

  I nodded in reply and she eagerly continued, “My name is Cassie. What’s yours?”

  “I’m Julia,” I answered shyly as I smiled in return.

  “I love your pony!” she declared with genuine admiration. “She’s such a beauty! Arab’s are my absolute favorite breed! What’s her name?”

  “It’s Bella,” I replied, instantly taking a liking to this friendly girl. And when she commented that Bella’s name suited her perfectly, I knew with a sudden assurance that we were destined to become firm friends.

  The other girls were just as friendly as Cassie. And the beaming smile on my face as I looked towards my parents who stood watching from behind the arena rails, made it clear to them that pony club might have been a good decision after all.

  To begin with, we were all split into smaller groups according to our riding ability level. As it was my first day and the instructor could see that I was feeling a little nervous, I was placed with some beginners. But after about ten minutes or so, I was relocated to another group.

  “You’re too advanced a rider for that group!” the instructor had explained. “Let’s trial you in this group right here.” And I felt over the moon to see that the group he was indicating was the one that Cassie was in.

  She smiled warmly towards me and beckoned me next to her, where I was able to position Bella in order to hear the instructions being given.

  The class involved focusing on our transitions, something that I had touched on briefly with Sally and was only just beginning to grasp. I began to feel the difference when Bella was on the right lead and concentrated on making my transitions much smoother.

  I felt so proud when the instructor commented on my posture and seat, especially when she announced it to the entire group. “Now that’s the seat that everyone should aim for! Julia you sit so well in the saddle!” she exclaimed.

  I didn’t think that my glowing smile could possibly have become any wider, but it actually increased even more when the instructor who was called Jackie, commented further. “You and Bella seem to be a great team, Julia. You’re very lucky to have found such a beautiful horse! And she has such lovely conformation! You should consider showing her!”

  I felt so full of joy right then. Could things get any better? And when we did the sporting events after lunch, I discovered that they actually could.

  It turned out that as well as being beautiful, Bella was a brilliant sporting pony and very willing. Sally had always said that she was a great all-rounder, but I hadn’t fully appreciated what she meant until today. Without any reluctance whatsoever, I had Bella racing around barrels and jumping over bounce pony logs. I think it was the most fun that I’ve ever had. And I could tell that she had really enjoyed it too. When I was invited to try some jumping though, I decided to decline. I really didn’t want to push Bella too hard on her first day and also, I was a bit apprehensive myself. I decided to stick with just jumping the bounce pony logs for the time being, but I was definitely looking forward to the next pony club meeting day so that we could try something a little higher.

  When Cassie and I hosed our horses down at the end of the day, we discussed how much fun we’d had and how much we were already looking forward to meeting up at pony club again in 2 weeks’ time.

  Bouncing with excitement as I loaded Bella onto the trailer and with so much to talk about on the way home, neither my parents nor Sally could get a word in.

  I had just had the best day of my entire life. Pony club was even more fun than I could ever have imagined and I could barely sleep that night as I recalled every second of the day.

  Feeling very blessed, I’d hugged my dad before hopping into bed and thanked him from the bottom of my heart. I could tell from the look in his eyes right then that he could see how much it all meant to me. And even though he wouldn’t admit it, I think he was as overjoyed as me.

  So lucky…

  Time seemed to pass very slowly over the next two weeks. Each morning I raced into the paddock with a banana for Bella and one for myself and we would sit munching on them together until it was time for me to go inside and start getting ready for school.

  I could barely wait until the next pony club meeting day but in the meantime, I continued to exercise Bella and groom her regularly so as to keep her in top condition. Sally came over for a trail ride and I worked on the natural horsemanship skills that Tomas had taught me, all the while, the bond with my horse growing stronger and stronger.

  When the day for pony club finally arrived, I was up bright and early, waiting impatiently in the driveway for Sally. Bella nickered beside me, trying to get to the biscuits of hay that I had packed in nets ready to take along. When I saw Sarah’s car finally roll down the driveway, I raced over to greet her.

  “Sorry, I’m so late,” she apologized sincerely, knowing how keen I would be to have left already.

  “It’s ok,” I said, pretending not to be bothered. It was so nice of her to be taking me, that I could hardly complain, but I was finding it difficult to conceal my impatience.

  Knowing I would be eager to get going, Sally lowered the ramp of the trailer so I could lead Bella towards it. But then very unexpectedly, I encountered a sudden problem. Bella had stopped dead in her tracks and was refusing to take another step closer. Frowning, I tried to urge her forward but her ears went straight back and she wouldn’t move.

  “What’s wrong with her?” I questioned crossly. All I wanted was to be gone, driving down the highway to pony club and I started to become anxious that we would be very late and I’d miss the first class.
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  “Here, let me try,” said Sally helpfully, as she took hold of the lead rope and walked Bella in a circle then back towards the ramp leading onto the float. But once more, she balked. She was being very stubborn and for some reason was refusing to cooperate.

  I started to get concerned then, forgetting about pony club and the time I had spent the evening before, cleaning all my tack in preparation for the big day. I stopped thinking about my own selfishness and started to focus on Bella, remembering Tomas’ words once more.

  “I wonder why she’s refusing,” I said to Sally. “I hope there’s not a problem with her! Maybe she’s hurt or something? Or maybe she’s feeling nervous about going on the float today?”

  “That can happen sometimes,” Sally explained. “I’ve had trouble getting horses onto trailers before. They can become apprehensive and refuse to enter. They just need to learn that it’s safe.”

  Realizing that this was probably the issue, I gave Bella a big hug and patted her gently, talking soothing words in her ear. I could hardly blame her. Being put in the back of a horse trailer was probably pretty scary. And maybe she hadn’t enjoyed it much the last time and still remembered her fear.

  Then a thought occurred to me. I grabbed a hay net from the back of the car where I had put it earlier and held it out for Bella to take some. Walking slowly back into the trailer, I held it just within her reach, hoping that she would follow me. I then tied the net up on the back wall so that she could eat it on the way, thinking that would take her mind off the journey. As I’d hoped, with some encouragement she walked straight on, the taste of that lovely hay too irresistible to be worrying about her nervousness. I tied her lead rope securely and gave her a big pat before closing the ramp behind her and heading off.

  “Phew!” Sally said as she started the ignition and drove out onto the main road. “I thought for a minute that we wouldn’t be going today!”

  “I knew that she’d be ok,” I replied. “I just have to remember to think like Bella does and understand what’s going on in her head. It really does seem to work every time.”

  “You’re becoming a real little horse person, aren’t you, Julia?” Sally smiled. “I think before too long, you’ll be teaching me a thing or two!”

  I blushed with pleasure at her compliment and turned to look out the window, feeling slightly embarrassed. “I’m so grateful to have your help, Sally. Thank you so much for everything!” I exclaimed.

  She glanced towards me with her lovely smile and replied, “It’s not a problem, Julia, not a problem at all!”

  When we finally arrived at pony club, all the other riders were on their horses in the arena having their tack checked. This was a safety requirement that was conducted before any of the lessons could commence. But at least it gave me the time I needed to get Bella tacked up and ready. Thankfully, Sally was there to help me and I was quickly able to join the riders in the arena.

  Cassie’s eyes lit up when she saw me. “I thought you mustn’t be able to make it today,” she said. “I’m so glad you’re here!”

  “Me too,” I replied, so pleased at her reaction to seeing me. I had felt exactly the same way when I’d spotted her. I explained briefly about the trouble I’d experienced trying to load Bella onto the float and she told me that she used to have the same problem with her pony, Jasper. But after some training, he eventually became comfortable with the whole process.

  I felt that Cassie and I had so much in common. It was as though we were meant to become friends. And I followed her happily to our first class which was once again rider class. I’d been practicing almost every day on Bella, trying to improve my seat further, along with Bella’s transitions, ensuring that she was always on the correct lead. And it seemed to have done the trick because Jackie, our instructor, commented on my improvement. “You’re really getting the hang of this, Julia!” she had exclaimed with a pleased tone and I smiled in recognition of all the effort Bella and I had put in.

  Our next class was dressage, which I had read a little about but really didn’t know entirely what was involved. The instructor made us all practice our paces, first of all a walk, moving into a trot and then into a canter. We had to concentrate on smooth transitions between the paces. Then we were asked to leave the arena and re-enter, one at a time, by proceeding down a center line and halting to salute. It was all quite formal and apparently, that is how it’s done in a real dressage competition.

  I felt that I was learning so much at pony club but the best part was to be riding with other girls my age. There are actually a couple of boys who are members as well, but most of the riders are girls. One boy, named Tom who is around thirteen, I think, seems like such a cowboy. It was so funny watching him in rider class, because to him, riding was all about going fast and has nothing to do with correct posture or correct seat.

  I watched his horse, a speedy 14 hand quarter horse named Billy, race around the barrels at lightning speed during the afternoon. And apparently Tom and Billy are also the club champions at bending and bonfield bounce. It was so exciting to watch them race around the course today with Billy easily jumping the several barrels that had been laid on their sides.

  Cassie told me that Tom’s favorite type of riding is camp drafting which is where the rider has to separate a cow from a herd and guide it to a spot in an arena. I can just imagine him loving that kind of riding and being really good at it too. Apparently there’s a camp drafting competition that will be held at a rodeo in one of the local towns next month and Cassie suggested that we should go to it together. Tom will be competing there, so it will be really cool to watch him in action.

  I think today was even more fun than last time, if that’s at all possible. Although, I figure it’s probably because I’ve become good friends with Cassie that made it so enjoyable.

  Today I even had a go at some small jumps and Bella was very willing. It’s like she’s being doing these things all her life, nothing seems to be a problem for her. And jumping is the best thing ever! I actually do think that I like it better than anything else. Already I’m looking forward to trying higher jumps.

  Before saying goodbye, Cassie and I exchanged phone numbers. We’ve decided that we’re going to try and hang out together some time. She’s even going to see if she can bring Jasper to my place so we can go riding together. That would be the most awesome thing ever!

  Exhausted but extremely happy, I climbed into bed that night and laid there thinking about my life right then. I felt that I was the luckiest girl alive!

  Best friends already…

  Later the following week, I received a surprise phone call from Cassie who was wondering if I was busy on the weekend. She was keen to hang out at my place and the best part was that her parents had said she could bring Jasper as well; but only on the condition that my parents were ok with that.

  Jumping up and down with excitement, I raced into the living room where Mom and Dad were watching TV, to ask their permission. “Of course!” my mom answered, smiling towards Dad. “You’ve been talking so much about Cassie and Jasper; it will be lovely to have them here!”

  Cassie and I both began squealing into the phone at my mother’s keen response. Cassie was just as excited as I was and we eagerly made arrangements for her to arrive mid-morning on Saturday.

  “This is going to be so cool!” I exclaimed to Mom and Dad as I plopped down on the sofa beside them. “Riding is so much better when you have someone else to ride with! It gets pretty boring riding in the paddocks on your own. This will be awesome!”

  I caught the smile that Mom and Dad exchanged as I raced up to my room to make plans. There was so much to think about. Which joddies should I wear? And maybe I could wear my new horsey t-shirt? Which trails should we ride on? My head was spinning with so much excitement that I decided to race out to the barn to share the news with Bella. I knew that she was going to love this just as much as me.

  Finally Saturday dawned bright and clear and I was out of bed early so
that I could be completely organized when Cassie arrived.

  Since moving to the country earlier in the year, I hadn’t made any best friends to replace the friendship I had shared with Millie for so long. Millie and I called each other occasionally and sent emails, but the contact between us was becoming less and less. I knew that we would always be friends but it seemed that we had gradually drifted apart. Millie really wasn’t interested in all my horsey chatter. She had never been an animal lover like me and I think that deep down, horses actually frightened her. Once she’d heard that my parents had bought me a horse, she wasn’t at all keen to come out and stay with me during the holidays. I guess we just have different interests now, but I really did miss her company and the feeling of having a best friend.

  The girls at my new school are all very nice and have made me feel welcome. But Mom said that it can take time for strong relationships to develop and I should just be patient. With Cassie however, I felt that we’d already become close.

  Because both of us are horse lovers, we have so much in common. The majority of the girls in my class live in town and none of them owns a horse, so I have no one except Sarah to relate to as far as horsey stuff goes. Although with Cassie, that is all we talk about, and I waited excitedly in the driveway for her to arrive.

  When I finally glimpsed their four-wheel drive and horse trailer turning through our front gateway, I ran out to greet them.

  While Mom and Dad chatted with her parents, who they had spoken briefly with on my first day at pony club, Cassie and I led Jasper out to the paddock. As soon as Bella spotted him, her ears pricked forward and she stood looking curiously in his direction. Then with no encouragement whatsoever, she walked on over to say hello.