Riding Lessons

My granddaughter, Zoe, (8) invited me to watch her horseback riding lesson at Talbot Run in Mt. Airy this week—Zoe has been attending classes for the past few months.

I thought I knew where everything was in our community, but as my daughter, Jaimie, drove past our old wholesale nursery on Buffalo Road and turned onto a road I had never been on, I knew I was in for a treat. I saw horses everywhere down a long lane, but we were not there yet. After another turn or two and up an old driveway, we arrived at Talbot Run.

Zoe was wearing her riding pants and helmet and pulling on her boots as she climbed out of the car and ran toward the barn. She and her mom checked the schedule, which apparently told her which pony she would be riding. Then, with a “Come on, Oma,” we went around the corner to find Wave, the pony she would be riding. This “pony” looked like a horse, but I was assured she was a pony.

As Zoe waited for her instructor to arrive, she spent time chatting with all the other horses in their stalls. She told me who was who and which ones she had ridden. The whole time, lots of activities were happening with young teens (working students) leading horses back to stalls to take care of them. One came over to show Zoe how to put the lead on Wave. She patiently explained how to do it and then had Zoe do it herself. Zoe was told to take Wave to the arena. Thankfully, she and the other little girl taking lessons knew what to do, and off they led their horses as we followed.

Watching how comfortable and confident Zoe appeared as she got up on Wave and followed instructions was terrific. Once the lesson was over, the girls (and their moms) took Wave back to her stall. (The other pony stayed for another lesson.)

The two girls had to remove the saddle, and Zoe had to carry it to another location. While the saddle was heavy, she did her best with some help from her mom. Then, the girls had to put another lead on Wave and walk her back to another field to enjoy. They removed the lead, put it away, and we were done!

I saw how Zoe had learned the responsibility of caring for her pony. Should we start thinking about fencing in our backyard for a horse one day? Her mom says no.