horse riding week 2 day 5 (last day)

 Today was the best day ever! It was my last horse riding lesson of the summer, and I was so excited I could hardly sleep last night. I woke up early, put on my riding clothes (my favorite jeans and that blue shirt with the horse on it), and grabbed boots. My Brother and my grandma came with us, drove me to the stables, and the whole way there, I could hardly sit still.

When we arrived, the sun was shining, and the air smelled like fresh hay and grass. I walked over to the barn, where all the horses were waiting. They were so beautiful, with shiny coats and big, friendly eyes. I was especially excited because today, I was going to ride Remi, the horse I’d been paired with for the summer. Remi is a pretty chestnut gelding  with a white star on her forehead, and she’s super gentle.

First, we had to groom the horses. I started by brushing Remi’s coat, and she seemed to really enjoy it. I made sure to get all the tangles out of her mane and tail, which took a bit of time but was actually kind of fun. Then, I cleaned her hooves with the hoof pick, making sure there were no stones or mud stuck in them. Remi was so patient and stood still the whole time.

After grooming, it was time to tack up. I put the saddle on Remi’s back and adjusted the girth to make sure it was snug but not too tight. Then I fastened the bridle, making sure the bit wasn’t too high or too low. I was a bit nervous about this part because it’s really important to get it right, but I think I did a good job!

When it was time to ride, I led Remi to the mounting block and got on with a little help from my instructor. I felt so happy up there on Remi’s back. We started with some warm-up exercises, walking around the arena and doing some trotting. Remi was really smooth and easy to ride. My instructor gave us some tips on how to improve our posture and balance, which was really helpful.

Then, we did some fun stuff. We practiced cantering, which is like a faster trot. At first, I was a bit nervous, but Remi was so steady that I felt really confident. We also did some basic jumps, which was awesome! Remi was great at jumping over the small hurdles, and I felt like a real equestrian.

After the riding part, we got to cool down Remi by walking her around for a bit. We also gave her a few treats, which she munched on happily. I felt really proud of how well we did today. I think Remi liked it too because she nuzzled me with her nose.

To finish off the day, we had a little celebration. We all gathered for a picnic with snacks and drinks. My friends and I chatted about our favorite moments of the summer and took lots of pictures with the horses. It was a perfect end to an amazing summer of horse riding.

As I was leaving, I felt a little sad that it was the last day, but also super happy because I’d learned so much and had so much fun. I can’t wait for my next riding lesson, and I’m already looking forward to riding again next summer!

Overall, today was a blast! Riding Remi, jumping hurdles, and hanging out with friends made it a day I’ll always remember.