Chapter 17: Mary

I guess I was very quiet while we drove to the stables that day. Will asked me why.

"I'm trying to decide what to tell Sarah. I love riding and I love horses, and I want to be able to spend time at the stables. But I don't think I want to teach. At least not teeny-boppers. It's the horses I like, not the students, I guess."

"Level with her. What have you got to lose? She already likes you a lot. I think she really wants you to teach so she can have you around."

"I guess I'll have to level with her whether I want to or not. I can't go on stringing her along."

At the stables, Sarah greeted us in the office with smiles and sandwiches.

"Will, I have three commissions for you. Terms as we mentioned. And there are several other parents from the Wednesday group who called to ask about your terms. I should have some more commissions by next week."

"Guess I'd better spend some time with Zulu today," Will said with a grin, "You've already earned your commission."

"I'll be riding Zulu today, but you can have her Wednesday, if you want."

"Oh, I'll want to do some more studies of her before I get serious. But Wednesday sounds okay. Think I'll go out and talk with her a little now, if you don't mind."

Will left the office, headed for the stables.

"Now, Mary, you and I have got to get serious. I'd really like you to teach for me. Will you do it?"

"Sarah, I don't want to teach the girls. I know that. I like you, I like your place here, I like Hero and The Bay, and I want to keep on riding, but I just can't hack the girls. There. That's got it on the table. Are we still friends?"

Sarah reached across the desk and touched my hand. "Of course we're friends. I know you don't like working with the girls. Sometimes I don't blame you, they can get on your nerves. But I should tell you that the job you did last Wednesday was wonderful. Several girls told me they learned so much from you."

"Not from me, exactly. I made them learn from each other. I only helped out when there was a problem."

"That's what good teaching is, Mary. Helping people to learn. Anyway, I want you around here. You know horses like hardly anyone else I know. You've done wonders with Hero, you've saved The Bay's life and given me a potentially valuable horse. What is there you do want to do?"

"I'm sorry to sound so uncertain, Sarah. I'd like to work with Hero some more, and I want to see what I can do with The Bay. He might really develop."

"Mary, what do you know about Western Pleasure Riding?"

"Only that it's a thing they do at the fancier western horse shows. Very advanced stuff, I think, all signals and stuff. Is that right?"

"More or less. It's the western answer to dressage, where control of the animal is the thing, and most of it is done with leg cues and that sort of thing. Watching you ride, I would have thought you already knew about it."

"My Aunt Bessie taught me to ride, and I've learned most of my stuff from her and the hands at the ranch. But I have developed a way of using cues to tell the critter what I want. Bessie showed me some of that. I like it because it's less work and easier on the horse."

"I don't know about less work, Mary. It takes a lot of practice to get as good as you are, and you aren't even aware of it. Look, let's do this. You don't have to help me out with the class this afternoon, but the girls are looking forward to seeing you. Come work with us for a half-hour or so. Then, spend some time with The Bay, or whatever."

Sarah rose and went to her bookcase. "And take this book home with you. It's about Western Pleasure Riding and what it involves. Tells you what the standards are, what the competitive situation is and everything. I've got some magazines, too. See what you think. Next week, Wednesday or Saturday, whenever you can get here, tell me what you think about it."

"Okay, Sarah, that's a good idea. I really don't mind the kids, you know. It's just that it isn't the challenge I want. Of course, I haven't figured out what that is either."

"These things come to us, Mary. Don't worry."

I went to the barn and saddled Hero. He was glad to see me; I'm starting to like him a lot, but he's not mine, so I better watch it.

We did about half the class with Sarah. The girls were glad to see me, especially Jane Pinski. I helped one or two other girls, then left. I planned to take Hero to another paddock and work him out a little.

As we walked across the main yard, someone called.

"Hey, there!"

I turned toward the voice, giving Hero a touch and a feel of the rein and he spun on a dime to face the caller.

"Wow! How did you do that?" It was a man in his forties on a handsome chestnut quarter horse mare. "Sorry, I didn't mean to call 'Hey' at you. I just don't know your name."

"I'm Mary Travis."

"Rudy Self. I've seen you around, and noticed you work with Sarah. I wanted to meet you. How did you turn your horse like that?"

"You mean this?" I cued Hero a little, asked him to move right and left. He turned about a foot to the right, then to the left as I asked him to.

"Wow! Yes. I've never seen such a precise move as that. How do you do it"

"Well, I don't really, I ask Hero and he does it. Is your horse schooled?"

"Well, I don't really know. She's one of the stable horses Sarah keeps for older riders."

"Try this," I said and explained what to do. He over-controlled.

"No, Rudy. Once she starts to do what you ask, stop telling her. Immediately. Otherwise she'll get confused, think there's something wrong with her response. Anticipate success and stop cueing as soon as she responds."