A Series of Fortunate Rides-- The Long Waits: My Horseback Riding Tales

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And that image, I think, basically sums up what I did during my months off horseback riding lessons.... Unfortunately due to my busy school schedule, I was unable to ride every week, and I would have a cooling off period every time my package of 10 lessons ended.

Then, one magical day, I would be right back at the stables, excitement boiling over, and itching to get back on a horse. And get back on a horse I did. I'd eagerly clamber back onto the saddle, ready for a another lesson. Reflecting on it now, I don't even really clearly remember the past lessons. I'm sure I enjoyed every single one of them thoroughly (although the amount of enjoyment I got from doing sitting trot is slightly debatable...) it's just that all of them kind of... mush together. I don't remember precisely down what on each day. In my mind, it's become organized into packages. The package of 10 I did in the summer with Izzy, the package of 10 I did with Julia, and the package of 10 I'm riding right now with Joe. Somewhere in the middle of all that, I did cantering, sitting trot, poles, jumps, grids, and all that. 

The one lesson I can remember clear as day is the day I fell of my horse. Three times. Well, the last time was more of an accidental dismount more than a fall so... I praise the stars that I had been riding Charm that day, rather than Teddy. Charm is a very sweet old mare that is much much much smaller than Teddy, and much slower than Teddy at that... Teddy has a real gas pedal when it comes to when he actually gets going, while Charm.... Not so much. I ended up not having enough pace with her, got a refusal from a fence, and fell off. Only to get back on, and fall off. Again. Welp. That's embarrassing. Thanks to my slightly scary enthusiastic riding teacher though, I managed to get back on, and by the end of the lesson, I had gotten the jumping course done. It was a necessary lesson though. Thanks to that lesson, I got the whole 'putting your heel down is a good thing in riding' lesson through my head..

Looking back at my riding lessons just a few months before, I note that I actually did get better. Slowly, without me really noticing it, I got to be better rider. I could jump higher, getting a smoother gallop, trot for longer, and my overall look on the horse got better. And with each lesson, each second, each tick tock of the clock, I fell more in love with horses. Yep, I know. Digging my own grave.

As I said before, horseback riding is a magical sport that allows you to form bonds that you would never have thought you could make, and opens you to a world that you would never have thought you could get to experience. Thrilling, exciting and exhausting all at once, it's a sport like no other. Honestly, what other sport can get you working with such empathetic creatures as horses? In fact to me, it was like a new style of life.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*End of Part Three*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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A Series of Fortunate Rides-- My Stable: My Horseback Riding Tales

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Alright then.... Where did I leave off... Right. My first riding lesson!

My very first horseback riding lesson was on a big chestnut stallion by the name of Chester. He was well-groomed, fit, and every time he moved, you could see his muscles ripple under his skin. He was perfection in a horse. As a school horse, he knew his job, and he carried it out well. He was a confidence-booster, and the ideal horse to start out with-- dependable, sturdy and steady. Big, with a heart to match his size. His beautiful brown eyes stared straight into your soul, and he stretched out towards anyone with an open heart. He had a comfortable seat, and a great foundation to start off my riding.

I can't say that looking back on it, my first riding lesson was exceptionally memorable, other than that I learned how to post (which made trotting much more comfortable), as well as a grooming lesson. The first lesson I had was a private lesson with my teacher, so she could sort out my level of riding (which was zero...) and also get me to start tacking up my horse by myself in future lessons. It consisted of an hour lesson-- half an hour was dedicated to grooming and learning horse tack, and the other half was dedicated to actually riding. I loved the feeling of being so high off the ground and the whole viewpoint of being on a horse's back. For half an hour, the world took on a totally different perspective for me. No doubt it was hard work-- no, horseback riding does not mean you just sit on the horse and the horse powers through the course, but the rider actually has to work as well. By the end of my lesson when I got off my horse, I had wobbly legs, the biggest smile on Earth, and extremely high spirits.

I decided that I would not give up on this sport. Sure enough, the next week, I was right back. However, this time, I was introduced to a new horse: Teddy. Teddy was the horse. A gorgeous dark bay thoroughbred stallion by the show name of Air Time, he was even bigger than Chester. He had a sleek coat with innocent looking black almond-shaped eyes, and a compassionate air. Compared to Chester, he was much leaner, his muscles proving to be rather slim than bulky. He had a much more model-like figure, standing like a show horse all the time. Teddy's hair was silky and soft to the touch, his ears broad and always perked. He quickly stole my hear, and by the first lesson I had with him, it became evident that it would be hard to pull me off of him.

By the time I had my first lesson on Teddy, I was put into a group lesson, with a really nice girl that was one year older than me. Izzy was sweet, and really nice. She rode Chester when I rode Teddy, which was always interesting as they are like... best friends. When we would ride around the ring, they would always end up side by side, plodding alongside each other. Honestly, cutest thing ever, and the best thing about it? Our teacher didn't mind. We mostly did trotting-- trotting poles, walking, changing gait, etc. My 10 lessons flew by like a blur, and every day after riding I would fret over my remaining lessons. During the 45 minutes each week, I would be in paradise, just letting the familiar and soothing presence of Teddy wash over me. However, immediately after, I would count away in my head. ..5....4...3...2...1.... Too soon, my package of 10 riding lessons were over....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*End of Part Two*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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A Series of Fortunate Rides-- A Beginning: My Horseback Riding Tales

The joys of loving an extremely pricey sport.... You may or may not know that I am... fatally in love with horses. Ever since I started riding, I have been totally caught up with the sport, unable to let it go, even when it takes so much money out of my pocket. There's something about my heart and horses that just... clicks, I guess. For the longest time, my mother and my father have been trying to get me to stop being obsessed with horses. And to no avail. Believe me, I've tried. Once horse crazy, always horse crazy.

I guess I decided I owed all of you, dear readers, an explanation on how my whole horse thing started. Anyways, I was also kind of feeling like I was getting unoriginal with my book reviews. So.... Here it is: my history of horseback riding.

I wasn't born on a horse. Actually, quite the opposite-- I didn't know that I could horseback ride until the age of... I don't know.... A few years ago. During my younger years, I had absolutely no clue how horses would put as big an impact on me as they do now. Little did I know how much I would get to love these beautiful, faithful, and hardworking creatures.

It all started one day in Korea. I was on Vacation to Jeju Island ( bonus points to anyone who knows where that is! :D ) and my parents brought me to a ranch. Of course, I was like 'Huh? What am I doing here?'  But I went in, following my parents, and interested to see what I would do at a place with.... horses?! That was the very first time that I got on a real live horse, and for an hour, and I was absolutely in love. Already. I begged my mother to let me ride one more time in Vancouver. She agreed, and promised.

If it's one thing about my mom, it's that she keeps her promises. It was the summer after that I got to have my very first riding lesson at a stable in Langley. However, that place teaches in Korean, which got a bit difficult to understand at times. Anyhow, the horse I rode (I still remember her name) was an Arabian mare by the name of Matilda. She was absolutely adorable, and even though I only rode her once for an hour, I got pretty attached to her. Apparently I had a huge Totoro smile on my face during the whole riding lesson, and my mother looked kindly on me. After a few days of begging, I managed to convince my mother to let me ride again. However, due to the distance from Langley to my home, we decided that we would have to find somewhere else to ride.

For a while, I went around just testing out places to ride, from here and there. My weekends were pretty much devoted to trying to find a good stable where a.) the accommodations were good for the horses and b.) the teachers seemed very devoted. For a month, that dragged on. Finally, jackpot! I found my new riding stable.

Mind you , it was still a bit of a drive away from my home, but I really didn't care at that point-- it was perfect. The horses were gorgeous, the teacher strict but very enthusiastic and friendly, and there were lots of kids my age. I was so excited. My very first lesson was with a chestnut horse, Chester. He's the sweetest thing ever, I swear. He's the perfect school horse, calm, okay in pretty much everything, and gentle. He rarely complains, and he's a true sweetheart. After my private lesson, I decided that that was it. I was going to stay at this stable.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*End of Part One*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Sundancer by Shelley Peterson

"It's time to tell my story.

I am big and I am beautiful. When I run, I run like the wind, and when I jump, I jump like a deer. I am a winner."

Undoubtedly, I am a bit of a horse-a-holic. Even my riding teacher says so-- I'm down flat obsessed with horses, whether I'm riding them, or just standing next to them. However, you don't have to be a horse-a-holic to enjoy this amazing book. One of the Saddle Creek Books, its beautifully written, and personally, I loved this book sooo much. It's right up there along with Black Beauty. I think it would be safe to say that this book is one of my favourites. It's soooo good I cannot even begin to explain how good it is!! Highest praises to Shelley Peterson!!!

Many know of the classic Black Beauty-- the gorgeous black horse with a star on his forehead, perfect. And yes, another horse tale. Meet Sundancer and Bird, our main protagonists for the story. Sundancer is a sleek chestnut gelding with... problems. He's learnt not to trust, not to let anyone ride him, and not to get abused. He takes pride in everything he stands for, and will not approve of anyone changing that. Personally, Sundancer reminds of a certain horse I know by the name of Sebastian... They cause trouble, but in the right care, they are amazing horses that know how to strut their stuff. Sundancer is suspicious of everyone and everything, from a broomstick to trailers. He has a fear of surprises, and had a penchant for running away. Over all, he's just a really difficult horse. Along with him, meet Bird. Bird, otherwise known as Alberta, is a bit of an interesting girl. She's selectively mute, due to incidents when she was younger. Her mother, Eva, thinks of Bird as nothing other than a possession, and has sent her off for her aunt to take care of Bird. Hannah, Bird's aunt, loves Bird, but sometimes, it can be difficult to live with someone who's mute. Meanwhile, Bird is hurt by her mother's actions and coldness towards her, and misses her sister dearly. She cares for animals deeply, and has an incredibly special connection with them. Even though she doesn't speak to people, she can and does speak to animals. Inside her little world, Bird hides an incredibly witty, smart girl, who is compassionate and even has feelings. Little by little, this difficult horse and Bird make slight connections, helping each other, probing each other, and just being there for one another. The makings of a beautiful horse and rider relationship.

I think I really enjoyed this book especially because I could kind of relate Sundancer to a horse I personally know. At my stables, there are quite a few horses which started off being problematic them turned out to become fine school horses with a bit of spitfire... Although I have never in my life met a person who had become selectively mute, I do work as a volunteer for therapeutic riding every week, and so I know the feeling of feeling that I'm missing out on something in a different world. However, it is shown in the book how Bird has emotions as powerful as any other person, and you end up really connecting to her frustrations, difficulties, and her successes.

Telling about the bond between and a girl and her horse, this books reminds everyone that we all have our bad days sometimes, some more often than others. However, even if you're having a bad day, or your partner is, it's always nice to think about them as well as yourself. Shelley Peterson is really an amazing writer that will whisk you into the world of horses, and lead you through the beginning and the end of Sundancer and Bird's own stories. Each chapter starts off with Sundancer's words, which are impressive and touching. This story is filled with love, anger, resent, and forgiveness. Amazing book!

I recommend this book to everyone, especially horse lovers. It's amazingly written, and astoundingly touching! I love love love it!

***I give this book a 10000000000000 out of 10!!!!!!!!!***

Book One of the Atlanteans: The Lost Code by Kevin Emerson

Another day, another blurry picture of a shiny hardcover book... Yay... Anyways, I had my misgivings about this book when I first picked it up, (yes, I know, never judge a book by it's cover, but it's hard....) but I think it's safe to say that it's a pretty decent book. At the end, what got me to actually buy it was that Michael Grant had reviewed it. Michael Grant is the author of the Gone series, a series I started in England and thoroughly enjoyed. Yes, some people say that the reviews that authors do on books are actually written by authors who are paid to write them, who may or may not have even read the book.... But I decided to be positive and not look at it that way.

'What is oldest will be new, what was lost shall be found."

From the start, Owen Parker sets off onto a perilous adventure in a plausible dystopia where the ozone layer is nearly gone, ocean levels have gotten much higher, and the sun is always a dangerous enemy. It's Owen's time to make things right in his world that went wrong thousands of years ago. What would you do if you had the power to save humanity from its own self destruction?

Follow Owen as he goes throw high-stakes action, budding romance, and the chance to save the world.

I recommend this book to anyone who is really really really bored. While it isn't an especially note-worthily good book, it's entertaining to read. Although I personally didn't quite enjoy it, I'm sure there are a quite a few people who would enjoy it, but I didn't. Partially because it was slightly confusing and hard to stay with the action, and party because there are so many other books that are that much more well written.

*** I give this book a 7.4 out of 10***

Let the Sky Fall by Shannon Messenger

When I first picked up this book, I had two thoughts-- one was: wow that seems like a really uncomfortable way to hug someone... the other was: Let the Skyfall? Like Adele? Right. However, it turned out to be a good, fluffy read (like the clouds. Ha! Get my joke? Ehehheh.... ). Personally, I enjoyed the book, and this series by Shannon Messenger is bound to capture the attention of many teenage girls (not that it'll capture the attention of only teenage girls, but most teen girls will enjoy it) and keep them entertained.

Shannon Messenger writes a funny, thrilling and at the same time romantic novel that talks about all the hardships of being in love with a wind guardian. Meet vane Weston and Audra, our two main characters. They are caught up in a complicated and dangerous position with so much they have to do and yet so little time. Audra is a sylph, an air elemental who can walk on the wind, and even turn it into a weapon. She's also a guardian and so she has sworn an oath to protect Vane at all costs.

At their present place, it is vital not to make any mistakes and to treat carefully. If they are found out by their enemy, Vane's parents' murderers, it might just be the end.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading thrillers with romance, and any girls that are tweens and up. I don't even know why I've gotten so caught up with fluffy romance books these days, but bear with me. Besides, this book is actually pretty good! The only thing that I would say about it would be that it had its boring moments where I just wanted to skip ahead. That being said, all books have their faults!

***I give this book a 8.2 out of 10***