Due to the fact that we might (very large maybe) be getting two horses, I have started taking horse lessons on Tuesday mornings. It also counts as P.E. and animal science.

So far I’ve had four lessons:

1. The first week I learned about basic safety around horses. Then I got mounted and did some walking, turning and backing up.
2. The second week I did pretty much the same thing, though I learned how to tie a quick release knot and I got to put the saddle on. I also learned another way to command a horse to turn.
3. The third week I worked on balance. My teacher got me out on a lunge line and I worked on standing up in the stirrups and trotting. However, the horse I was riding kept stopping to eat some clover (that was apparently very good); it was really bad when she did it while I was standing up in the stirrup — every time she stopped I’d pitch forward which didn’t feel very good, though at least I didn’t actually fall out of the saddle!
4. Last Tuesday it was raining, so we didn’t have our lesson, but on Wednesday we had a make-up lesson. I learned how to catch and groom horses. The horse didn’t feel like being caught, and it kept switching places so I had to switch sides. Finally I caught it and got the halter on. I also put a smaller pink halter on their foal — it was a lot easier. Then my teacher showed me the different brushes and how to use them. Lastly, as I groomed the horse, my teacher told me about how the horses groom themselves in the wild and what the different uses of grooming were.

So that’s what I’ve been learning on a horse. I can’t wait for next week and the next lesson!

(For the Summer Homeschooling CurrClick Contest.)