Riding Friends

Chapter Two

This is part two of my book. I hope you enjoyed the first part as well! I can't wait to publish CHAPTER THREE! Meppy xox

She stood holding Blueberry's lead rope. The old pony looked at her tiredly and Harriet smiled back at him, fondly his ears and combing her gloved fingers through his mane. Watching as Kelly moved towards the person next to her, counting down to a leg up, Harriet squeezed the rubber reins. Blueberry snorted and butted her hand. Just then, a voice behind Harriet startled her;
"Harriet?" She spun around to see Kelly standing behind her, one hand on the metal stirrup. "I'm Kelly, and I'm your riding instructor here. I know this is your first lesson, so to start off with, you'll be in the beginners' group. Don't worry, there are a few other people in this lesson who are here for the first time, so today will just be about getting used to being on a horse."
Harriet, who thought that sounded like just what she needed to hear before her first lesson, nodded as Kelly pulled a green stall next to Blueberry and helped her to mount.
"Put your left foot in the stirrup and swing your right leg over Blueberry's back." Kelly held Harriet's leg as she clambered clumsily onto Blueberry, then fiddled with the stirrups until they were the perfect length.
"Have you ridden before?" The instructor questioned, as she slid her hand under the girth. Harriet nodded;
"Once or twice, a couple of years ago, but I think I can still do some of it."
Kelly smiled. "Brilliant. I'll get somebody to walk by you for today, just in case, but, by next week, I think you'll be riding all by yourself." She called over a girl who was sat on the ramp and asked her to walk with Harriet and Blueberry. The girl came over to Harriet.
"My name's Pipa," she said, patting Blueberry. "What's yours?"
Harriet fidgeted in the saddle, nervously clenching the reins the way Kelly had showed her to.
"Harriet. I'm new here," she half mumbled. Pipa beamed.
"I've been here for about half a year now," Pipa replied. "Can I show around the yard after your lesson?" Surprised at how eager Pipa seemed to meet her, Harriet nodded, adding,"but I might have to check with Mum first". Just then, Kelly called out for the riders to start walking around the outside of the arena. The riders either side of Harriet gave their ponies a nudge with their heels, and they were soon walking about, steering with the reins. Harriet tried to copy their technique, but Blueberry just wouldn't budge. Pipa frowned.
"Try giving Blueberry more of a kick than a nudge - he can be quite lazy sometimes!" Pipa's advice worked; Blueberry plodded after the five other ponies, as soon as Harriet tried a bigger kick.
"Thanks," she whispered gratefully in Pipa's direction.

Kelly was right. In the lesson, they all did lots of walking and stopping ( with Pipa and the other helpers' help ) and, at the end of the lesson, Harriet watched wistfully as a few of the more advanced beginners were allowed to do a little trot, with someone running by them, to the back of the ride.
"You'll be able to do that soon - it's fun!" Pipa told Harriet, tilting back her head to see her. She shrugged it off, but really, Harriet couldn't wait until she was allowed to trot as well.

Kelly rounded up the riders and ponies and instructed them to line up facing 'A' ( the letter on the wall at the front of the arena).
"Well done everyone - today was a brilliant lesson! Now, if you feel confident to dismount by yourself, feel free, but if anyone needs help, give me a shout."
The girl perched on top of the huge gelding almost immediately called for help, looking slightly worried. Harriet turned back to Pipa.
"Wow, that half-an-hour lesson went by so quick!" she exclaimed, patting Blueberry on his neck and taking her feet out of the stirrups.
"I know - and now I can't wait to show you around the yard!" Pipa said. Catching hold of Blueberry's head collar as Harriet swung herself out of the saddle and almost landed in a heap on the sandy floor, she giggled.
"You're a natural at dismounting!"
The two girls shared a laugh.
"Okay everyone," Kelly called, "time to take your horses back to their stables. If you need a hand, some helpers are just coming into the arena."
A few of the kids that had just been helping on the yard had bounded up the ramp and jumped into the arena, and were already hovering by riders who looked like they were struggling with their horses. Pipa offered Blueberry's head collar to Harriet, subtly seizing the other side so that Harriet wouldn't realise she was helping.
"Thanks," Harriet said.

Five minutes later, when Blueberry was tied up safely in his stable, Harriet and Pipa made their way back to the office. Mum was stood at the desk, chatting to Katherine.
"Mum, is it okay if Pipa shows me around the yard?" Harriet called, "It'll only take a couple of minutes." Mum turned around.
"Of course!" She replied then, in a more hushed voice, to Harriet, "Seems like you've already made a new best friend!"
Pipa led Harriet around the yard, which consisted of; a couple of pen-like stables; a few single stables along one edge; the strip pen and a few more small pens. There was also a muck-heap piled up on a ramp, an area stuffed full of hay-and-straw-bales, a wash box (where the horses were bathed and washed) and a tack room, full of saddles and bridles.
"And that's Crafty Yard!" Pipa announced proudly, as they stood in the tack room doorway, looking out on the field where the ponies were grazing. "Quite small," she continued, "but brilliant! I'd like to own my own yard when I'm older, and my own horse."
"Me too," mumbled Harriet; she was still in a daze after the thrill of riding. She gazed at the nearest horse to her, a pretty spotted Appaloosa. "That horse is beautiful," she sighed. "What's her name?"
Pipa too stared at the horse. "That's Dotty. She's for sale, and I really wish I could buy her. She's only just been brought here; they're going to train her up and saddle her soon." The mare raised her head and sprang into a smooth but lively trot, tail swinging high in the air.
"So comfy to do sitting trot on!" Pippa said, gazing in awe at the Dotty. Harriet didn't know what 'sitting trot' was but she could guess easily enough, and nodded.
"Pipa, I think I might have to get back to Mum - I said I'd only be a couple of minutes." Harriet said. Pipa snapped out of her trance. "Thanks so much for showing me around the yard, though."
They walked back to the office; Mum just seemed to have finished her conversation with Katherine.
"Ready to go?
Harriet nodded and smiled at Pipa.
"Bye Pipa, see you next week!"
Mum and Harriet thanked Katherine and were just unlatching the gate that led into the muddy car park when Pipa shouted, "Wait!"
She grabbed a piece of paper from the office and furiously scribbled something on it. Running over to Harriet, Pipa handed her the paper. Harriet looked down at it; it was Pipa's phone number and email address.