>From Susan Foxtrot: We had a Fluidity Clinic today with Jennifer Vaught at Pine Dell Farm. I advertised in the KC Star.
I was checking people in this morning when a new person appeared. When I asked her if she wanted to audit, she was hesitant. So I asked her if she wanted to ride as we had lesson horses available. She hesitated a few moments and said "Yes, I do, but I've not rode for the past 20 years." That was a red flag that prompted me to call for Jenny, the clinician. Jenny decided she could ride as we had two smooth gaited lesson horses... Velvet and Sage ...that were not busy today. Then the clinic started we were sitting around without horses and we all gave our reasons for being there. Our new member, Betty, told us that she had not rode for the past 20 years and she was 80 years old. This is not a typing error. She did not look 80! Everyone about fell out of their chairs although we all covered it well. She told us that she had learned to be grateful for every day and every thing she had. She had horses in the past...raised them-never took a lesson, and rode. She lives in Prairie Village which is all bunched up houses today in the Kansas City metro area. What memories she has of what it used to be like when Prairie Village was a village with rural areas! She continued and told us that she had to sell her horses twenty years ago. She misses horses and riding. So, she decided to take a chance and come out today to learn how to ride with an instructor. We were all amazed. I still am amazed. Jenny decided Sage would be the horse. Sage does a running walk and is way smooth. Smoothness was very important in this situation! Sage (Missouri Fox Trotter) is my first horse. She took me from beginning adult rider on up and we passed the old L2. Betty did great. There were a bunch of horses in the arena with all kinds of different levels of riders and horses! Betty rode and didn't get into any problems. We rode all afternoon. She quit about an hour before the clinic day was ended. What a testimony to the Missouri Fox Trotter personality and smooth gait. What a testimony to fluidity. Let us pray: Dear Lord, Let us be as Betty has done today. Let us ride when we are 80 and more. Thank you. Susan www.pinedellfarm.com www.forthehorse.org
