Horsegirl

Last fall  Grace wanted  horse-riding lessons instead of doing soccer again, but it turned out finding a place to do so was difficult. We finally got a referral to a place, but when I talked to them, they offered to have Grace led around on a  horse by a teen, since she wasn't 8. Paying a ridiculous amount for a solo trail ride 45 minutes away was not what I was thinking of, so I kept looking, and never could find anything. Then we moved, Grace turned 8, and we have a lot more options, and though still very pricey, are at least closer.
So I found a place for Grace to get a few lessons, and she's had 3 so far. She loves to go, anxiously anticipating the next week as soon as we walk back to the car from the paddock. She came back from her first lesson, full of the thrill, and RD made some comment about her being a cowgirl (they teach western).
She immediately responded with disdain, "I'm not a cow-girl, I'm a horse-girl!"

While I LOVE that she loves it, I have to admit I'm a little envious. I wish I could ride too. But what I Really wish, is that I could teach her. We went to the cheapest place I could find, and I got a side cramp from being anxious the last lesson, thinking how I would teach her totally differently and wishing I could figure out a way to do it. Kinda silly of me, but true. It just hurts (literally) to pay so much to have someone do a mediocre job when I could do it myself. I wouldn't teach an intermediate rider, it's been too long since I've been in that world, but I've always wanted to teach my kids, and know I could at least get them started for awhile.
sigh, anyway, she still loves it, and I guess that's what matters. I love my horse-girl! And I'm totally unbiased in observing how natural and talented she is at it already :)