I am not good at making small transitions because then I look before I leap. But I’m quite good at making large transitions. I’m now in Vermont – going from NY to here was a mid-sized transition.

It was a very good day. I first did barn work. I was beginning to get a little wary of it. I think because the routine was starting to become much the same. I felt like I was starting to get near the top of the learning curve. Uneventful except for the fact that Frank got the four-wheeler stuck in the mud. I was impressed. He went to get it unstuck with the four wheeler but discovered that the battery was dead. So he used the Ford 350 to get it out. Of course, he should have realized

that it would have gotten stuck where it got stuck, seeing as the ground was so soft. But at least he was able to remedy the situation.

I did have a lesson today. Gabby and I first did in-hand work and we did just fine. We most definitely moved in unison. I hoped that we’d move as well with me on her, but this was not to be. Too bad. Karol was working so hard with me, and I had hoped to do better. She finally put me on the lunge line where I had to relinquish my control over the reins. Gabby and I then got our respective acts together; she went into a nice trot and ceased to veer into the middle of the circle. This was the high point of the lesson.

Interesting ride with Sally, to Vermont – the scenery so familiar to me. Many things jumped out at me, like the Molly Stark motel, still there, and the Dunkin Donuts place where a Cobleskill classmate dropped me off one night – I had no idea where I was going to stay – the waitress ended up putting me up. And of course, this ride brought back memories of spending time in NH at my father’s place.

Tonight, after driving to Brattleboro, I met Lucille Bump. She lives in a huge farmhouse that even has two upstairs apartments. She’s quiet, very observant, also very accommodating. I suspect also a very astute riding instructor.

I am beginning to fret – wondering how it is going to go for me in this clinic. I am now, after this morning’s lesson, feeling less confident overall about my arena riding abilities. But supposedly Sigrun, an Icelandic horse trainer, is going to be bringing an Icelandic horse to the clinic. This will be good. Until I arrived in Schenectady, I had not ridden anything over 13.3 hands in 12 years. Not a single horse.

I remember in CA last year and the year before. Every time I rode an Icelandic things just fell into place for me. I know I should be more positive – but in riding Gabby today I felt like a kid riding a bicycle for the first time. And the other riders, even the beginners, made arena riding seem effortless.

Oh well, we shall see how it goes in the next few days. I will, one way or the other, learn many things.

Next: 113. 4/23/17: Sally Swift Celebration