Scary Moments

Ok, so before anyone gets excited thinking you are going to see pictures of MMC riding in her first horse show, I need to warn you that the following pictures could be scary for anyone not accustomed to horse back riding! They say you are not a real rider until you take a tumble?! Well, MMC is officially a "real rider" now.

After running all over town yesterday to get all of her stuff ready, her trainer texted me that she probably needed to come out one more time Friday and practice with all the "stuff" that would be in the ring during the show. So, off I go to pick her up from school early - let me mention that she is sacked out at school when I get there. I tell her that we are going to the barn to ride one more time and then give Jimmy a bath. She was so excited! So we get to the barn and it is total chaos out there with horse trailers pulling in everywhere, people everywhere, horses everywhere, the Blue Angels roaring overhead. . .you get the picture! Due to the bad weather the day before, the horses had not been turned out all day because they had so much going on and the horses were wild! A couple of girls had fallen off already. So, MMC gets on Jimmy (who normally has to be wacked and kicked hard before he will run) and off she goes. Everything was great until Jimmy decided he was supposed to jump a vertical jump that was about 2 feet of the ground. MMC did great over the jump (she's never jumped before), but lost her grip and was chunked off the front on the landing. All I heard was gasping and screaming and then I see MMC on the ground in shock. Gratefully, she jumps up and then starts howling crying! Secretly, I think I could have cried too! Her trainer, Carly, who thinks MMC is her own, is beside herself but does her job and makes sure MMC is not hurt. Again, thankfully, nothing hurts, but we go and take a little break and give us all a minute to calm down (Jimmy included). Poor MMC tee-tee'd on herself during all of this (again, I think I could have done the same).

So, as the saying goes, she gets back up on the horse and we are doing great again. Keep in mind not much has changed as far as the "action" at the barn. So, off MMC goes trotting over the ground poles like she's supposed to do and Jimmy is doing great. . .until, he gets a little excited AGAIN and takes off jumping over the ground poles! Little MMC is doing all she can to hold on as he is bouncing her all over the place. She hangs on the first set and then the second set, but she just can't hang on any longer as he makes the turn. Carly and I are both running after her at this point yelling, "WHOA!!! Pull Back Mary Mac! Make Him Stop!!!!" Then, off she comes again and this time in the mud puddle! We could not believe it! Thankfully, again, she was not hurt, just A LOT shaken up. We decided at this point for us to leave, take a break, let everything settle down, and Carly would call us to come back when everyone was done. I know, you all are thinking, NO WAY - DO NOT LET HER BACK ON THAT HORSE, and believe me, part of me felt the same, but the other part of me (and Sam) said she has to get back on, just once more! Maybe it's the stubborness in us both or maybe it's just that she has LOVED it so much until these 2 falls that we didn't want that to be her last memory of riding (if she is totally scared away). So Carly calls and MMC is ready to go back and ride - I couldn't believe it! I guess she does have a little of our stubborn genes. We get there, she wants on Jimmy immediately, and she rides! Whew! Third time's a charm! She was very hesitant and nervous this time and wasn't so sure about trotting over the ground poles by herself, but she did it once and we (and everyone at the barn) cheered for her and told her how proud we/they were of her for getting back on after such a rough day. All the "big" girls hugged her and told that they had fallen so many times and it was just part of riding!

Thank goodness for the helmet!!!!!

Her badge of courage - muddy from head to toe! Notice her little proud smirk!

Needless to say, after all of the excitement of Friday, MMC did not ride in the show! She said she just wanted to go watch this morning and take a few more lessons before she rides in a show. I can't say I don't blame her! I just wonder how many times a mom can watch their child take a fall like those before you get used to it - I'm not sure I can take much more of it! Oh, and by the way, after the second fall, MMC said "mom, I tee-tee'd on myself AGAIN!" Oh, she has no idea! I think I hurtled the fence both times like a track star! She says she wants to ride again on her next lesson, so we'll see! I'll keep you posted! I'm starting to think that playing Chess may be easier on Mom! Just kidding!