Here’s an amazing story of the L2 wannabee horse. His name is Luke
and he’s a National Show horse about as tall as the Empire State
building. When he was first in training with Jenny and Tony,
Anything would make him leap high in the air and land on the other
side of the arena. He would give Tony (who can ride anything with
hair) a run for his seat. Thinking about Luke being rode outside was an impossible thought.
Things progressed and Luke started using his brain to think. He even
got to be rode outside.
Luke was for sale to a PNH home. Most of us PNH home people were
fearful adult-beginning-riders with enough savvy to realize that Luke
wasn’t in our league.
Gasp…he became a lesson horse for our advanced teenage riders..and
younger adults. (None of us old adults would ever dare ride Luke, no
matter how safe he appeared to be)
Then he was half leased by one of the teenagers.
Our young adult who works at the barn…beloved of everyone… fell in
love with Luke a long time ago. she bore the leasing of the horse to
the young teenage girl with well concealed jealousy. She wanted Luke
for her own horse. Sharing Luke was not in her dream. She finally
swung a deal and bought Luke.
They do marvelous…with a little bit of excitement when you
watch…or ride in a group lesson with them. Every now and then she
forgets and relaxes a little too much, he startles at something and
she falls off. But HAY! She is young and bounces right back.
In 2001, she passed level 1 on Luke. We were all joyful. Her goal
was to pass L2 in 2002.
Here it is in 2003. Luke has passed all but one of his L2 tasks.
Oh sure, everyone nods sagely. It’s the flying lead changes.
Nope. He passed flying lead changes about the middle of 2002. He’s
an athletic long-legged thing!
His owner kept telling me that she was almost finished with level 2.
The other day she said that she only had one more task to do. Flying
Lead changes? I said…as I had forgotten that they already did them.
Nope, she mumbled. What?! I said, not imagining what it could be.
mummble mummmble…pole….L mumble backing
Huh? I said.
“Backing thru the L” she snapped! “When he backs thru the L, and the
pole touches his back feet, he leaps into the air! He does it on the
ground, but not when I ride! He can’t stand those poles touching his
feet when I ride him.”
I disolved in laughter. This is the only horse in the world with the
last L2 task of backing through poles. All us other people are
struggling with flying lead changes! Good GAD!!! Horses are
something else.