Backstage

Chapter 22

Belle was at download and esme left early to go begin the editing, so it was just me and eddie, I woke up with enough time to have a quick breakfast , before leaving for college. I hated this miserable weather it made getting up more effort, I only had to go in for the morning on Mondays so I guess it wasn't so bad and later I was going to make use of the small training hurdles which were for the Shetland pony training,that had been set out along the straight gallop, I had both ponies to ride as Emily had asked if I would mind giving teddy a chance to stretch his legs and see whether he was suitable round there for some younger riders. Really it was a fairly good day.

Eddie drove me to college as he had insisted he had nothing better to do, and to be honest I felt bad using the car when I hadn't asked esme if she needed it  and I most likely wouldn't be back till late.

Eddie pulled over and kissed me goodbye before I got out the car. Sam, lu lu, Alex and Fiona were all on the yard  as we had a assessment this was to monitor our progress because we were over half way through the final part of the course, it involved a practical which could be anything from clipping to mucking out and a ridden assessment that could be based on a variety of modules.

We all sat and discussed how our short breaks had been when our instructor Vanessa came over and told us what each of us would be tested on , by this point all 20 of us had gathered to listen to the list being read.

I had 3 topics to do this also included a teaching module, I had to teach a begginer the basics, and I was paired with sam. Oh dear that could be fun I can garentee the hardest part will be trying to keep a straight face both of us were typical giggly girls when we were togther. The second module was loading, and my ridden assessment was to be do used on xc and hacking safety. Three people had the same thing so that it wouldn't take all day, I knew I was with Alex but I hadn't realised Amelia was with us, she was often fairly ride and her daddy that should would often refer to owned a lot of land 8 houses and over 100 horses. Oh well it wasn't like I had to try giving her a lesson.

We had a quiet horse to ride for the teaching, and when I looked at the board to get some tack ready I saw I had bullet for the xc and hacking and fly for the lesson that would be taught by Alex. Aww both were sweet fly was your perfect riding school pony, and bullet was a 13hh who loved to run away with you but a lot of fun none the less.

Bullet loaded nicely and boots were on correctly so I passed that, the lesson I have to sam also went fairly well I think, well actually maybe not afterwards I almost died laughing. It was highly amusing watching someone who was a pretty good rider , try riding Like a complete beginner, but I found it just as funny trying to ride that way when it was my turn .

Hacking and xc was combined because the jumps were a 15 minute ride down the rode this was only because there was a couple of fields in between as the farmer had recently ploughed up the many stubble fields. It also allowed them to hold competitions without it interferring wig the college.

The hack down there was pretty eventful, we bucked out the gate then had a excitable trot down the rode when we met a mini bus and we jumped into a ditch but all in all we got down there without falling of, or in bullets cas falling g over.

On a better note the xc was probably the best ride I had ever had on him, he flew everything I asked of him, even a few of the be 90 fences which for him was a big achievement. We lept down the steps and didn't fancy jumping into the water but to be fair it wasn't pretty cold and he did eventually go in, so he did all that was requiered, and it really was suprising how much more confident I felt on him now.

The ride back to the yard was a bit more relaxing as both me and him were tired , even though we jumped about when the duck decide to cross the rode we had no more ditch insidents, so the hacking I was happy with.

We weren't told how we had done until the following day as we would have individual video reviews, to help us improve and we only had time to brush them of and hose them down if necessary before the morning was over and Eddie picked me up to go rode sugar and Ted.

They had both been in over night because of the rain, which reminded me I needed to get sugar a new winter rug, but for now they were both fairly clean so I only spent 20minutes grooming each of them before tacking up. Eddie rode teddy up to the gallops and I rode sugar as he rode him whilst I was at college. They were both warmed up so I took sugar round the canter with teddy upsides , in front and behind and we put them through there paces.  We then rode down to the bottom of the straights, so I switched of sugar deciding to take teddy down first, he pulled to start with when we reached the 2ft hurdle but gradually gave in and reluctantly went at a more sensible pace, and by the 5th hurdle standing at 3ft he flew it with ease ears pricked. I then trttoed him back down the were Eddie was a got on sugar I knew she would be excited to as she had I my been down there with jumps once but she wouldn't be silly so I led to start with and after the first hurdle I signalled for Eddie to come upsides and we settled into a forward canter for the second and pushed on a bit for the forth before easing them back slightly so not to misjudge the 5th we then cantered them a bit further down than  I had done before, and trotted them of and walked he rest of the way back.

Overall I think we all enjoyed ourselves, and I let both ponies have the night out in the field, because it wouldn't be long until they couldn't , that was one of the downsides of the stable being at the bottom of a steady hill it made the ground so boggy in winter but in summer it didn't dry out.

They both looked to have enjoyed themselves so I left them happily grazing.

Eddie came back to ours for the night and we shared a pizza with esme Dan and a few others, and I scrolled through instagram to find some pics of download it looked as though belle was enjoying her first few days which was good to see.

At 11 I climbed into my freshly washed bed sheets with Eddie and we spoke about the future which was a interesting conversation but we had established that we wanted to stay together for as long as we could, and no matter what hit us we would be there for each other, he also asked if he could spent Christmas with me which was cute as his parents were abroad, and secretly I thi k he wanted to meet my family which I had told him a lot about. Overall the future was looking bright but there was something at the back of my mind but I couldn't put my finger on what it was .....

~ m<3

Hope your enjoying backstage and I have now switched days with B because of commitments, sorry for any inconvenience xx