Alida's Response

Anya I’m so proud of you!  I can only guess what it must have taken for you to enter into the big bad world of horseriding schools!  You did amazing!!  Even managed a tiny little jump over a cross bar which I really didn’t expect at all.  Well done girl. 

Anya is most complimentary about my riding skills – thanks Anya!  But its because she can compare my current skills to what it was when I was riding Twissie and knows about most of my injuries and all my fears and issues and their origins.  I just know that every time I ride, I do try and do it a little better than before, not only for myself, but for that wonderful horse Fernando too – he deserves to have a rider that tries incredibly hard every single time, because he does the same. 

One thing you must all know about Anya is that she is an anti.  Not as in my brother’s wife is auntie to my children.  But anti as in anti-authority, anti-establishment, anti-rules and anti-regulations.  So the fact that she was wearing a riding hat, was a bonus! Very un-Anya.  That, and riding English style on an English saddle nogals, made for much entertainment.  And she looked very fancy with chaps, jodhs and boots!  A real proper riding school rider, correctly turned out…very un-Anya hahaha.  If you look at one of the pics of Anya on the big grey mare, Peanut, you’ll see the western saddle that has travelled with Anya over the years.  That’s more her style.  Very similar to mine I had, that I sold years ago (again, bangs head against desk for stupidity)  Mine was just black.  Handmade by El Paso, beautiful workmanship, and still going after many many years.  Just needs the odd fixing due to Czartjie being his normal stallion self!.

Anya is still the same, the original plaasjapie, kaalvoetkind that I got to know so many years ago.  Life happens, but unlike many of us, Anya did not become blinded by the big city lights or modern technology.  She uses it to her advantage and to run her business – and is STILL bugging me to upgrade to a Blackberry!, but for the most part, still prefers the simple things in life.

When Anya changed rein with that 180 degree turn on the forehand, I really did pack up laughing.  But I was laughing with her – not at her! 

Not because it was a “mistake” (I would not laugh at anybody for making one as I make so many every day) but because it is EXACTLY what I would expect Anya to do!  Ag, little Chester is so bombproof.  He is, after all, a schoolmaster pony and has taught most of the young adults at the riding school as little kiddies learning to canter for the first time.  He is an awesome little pony.  His body might be small, but he has the heart of a giant, and I’ve seen him jump extraordinary heights in the showjumping arena, and he can do a very decent halfpass and reinback in a dressage test.

(Anya replies: a decent halfy what-y and a reinback how? Hehehehehehehehehehehehe)
WE LOVE OUR FRIENDS!