Riding vacation

I just got back from a great little 5 day vacation where I rode every day.
The place is a kids' camp during the summer that is available to ex campers
and staff members for a week and a half after the kids leave. They have
riding for all levels offered for the first week. There is a children's
ride in the ring, a walk trot trial ride, a walk trot canter trail ride and
an advanced ride. The lower level rides are always booked up but there is
always room on the advanced ride and the main reason I take riding lessons
is to go on the advanced ride.

The horse I usually end up on is a challenge. It is hard to get him jumping
nicely on his own, and he is hard to hold back on a canter. He wants to be
at the head of the pack and always tries to pull out and pass. It is not a
lot of fun to canter or gallop with him in a line because it is is a
constant strain to half halt. He just won't slow down. He got kicked a
because he was tail gating too close.

The first ride was less than ideal. We had to tone things down a bit
because two of the riders weren't really experience enough. One was a guy
in his mid 50s who had never jumped and another was a 10 year old. The guy
just stood by while we did some jumps. The girl had trouble on the jumps.
Her horse kept refusing. When he finally did go over the small X he started
bucking. She lost a stirrup and then lost control as the horse bolted and
headed back to the barn, about two miles away. She fell off about 1/4 mile
down the trail but was unhurt. "Chester" had been testing me all the way.
He tried biting me, he was sloppy in his jumping, and he was hard to hold
back on the canter.

The next ride was a little less exciting. On days 3 and 4 we went for
longer rides, avoided the jumps and went for long gallops instead. It was
fun, but once again Chester was being a jerk and I had a heck of a time
keeping him in line as he kept trying to pull out and pass. He was
especially bad every time we got to a hill because you could feel the
energy building and he would make a dash for it as we went uphill. It
takes the fun out of it when you can't just relax and go along for the
ride.

The right on the last day was incredible. There were only four of us, the
two riding instructors, a teenage girl (avid rider) and myself. We started
off on a short and long neglected trail up and down steep hills. That trail
ended up at the camp's jumping arena where we tackled some small jumps, X's
and logs. Then we hit the main jumping courses and cantering trails. This
time Chester was marvellous. He had stopped trying to bite and had become
quite affectionate. He behaved beautifully during the canters and his
jumping was flawless. When this guy is working properly he is a joy to
ride. He watches his own pace coming in and jumps so smoothly you hardly
feel him leave the ground.

I had tried to switch horses earlier in the week, but they wanted the more
docile horses for the less experienced riders. The girl on the last ride
has a friend who rides at the barn where Chester lives. She told me that no
one but the most experienced riders get to ride him and said that I should
feel honoured that they think enough of my riding to let me on him. I just
wish that Chester would remember me from year to year. He gets spoiled
during the summer and it always takes a few days of being tested by the
horse before he clues in about who is the boss, and from there on he is a
pleasure to ride.
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