Through the conversation I had with Winnie on the ride over to Ben's barn I was beginning to get an inkling of how little I actually knew about horses. (And so was she.)
This was a good sign because now I was moving out of the first stage of learning, the "unconscious incompetent" to the "conscious incompetent" stage. This was stage two. Now I was aware of how little I knew and it was a bit scary. I surely needed to know more about what I was doing but figured once I got there I could ask a few pertinent questions and be on my way.
However Winnie was now just becoming aware that my present riding ability was next to nil. I revealed to her and that it had been 30 years since I had been on a horse. She probably was having second thought about me and her decision to invite me in the first place. I am certain she was concerned about Ben's opinion of me and perhaps worried for Ben's horses. I doubt the thought that I could be hurt ever entered into her mind.
Ah, but it was too late (lucky for me) we were on our way and Ben was expecting two people, Winnie and her friend (that was me, for better or worse). She couldn't just stop by the side of the road and leave me there, now could she? I vowed to myself to try not to embarrass her but the thought that the name Whiny would have fit her better did occur to me.
Taking that first step into the lower level of Ben's barn was the beginning of the rest of my life and a second beginning on my quest for an equestrian education. This was after my two college credits in gym at the University of Massachusetts.
Outside was bright and sunny, not a cloud anywhere and inside was dark and a bit dank. It took some time to adjust to the lack of light and that now familiar horse smell. It was like perfume to me. But what I saw will always be etched in my memory.
There was a fairly long aisle with stalls on either side and two little wings that jutted out giving the footprint of the barn the shape of a backwards letter "F". There were about fourteen stalls, each one occupied by what I believed to be most magnificent animals. Horses, fourteen of them peering out as one walked by each stall! I had never seen so many beautiful horses all in one place before and I was truly awestruck.
But it wasn't just that there were 14 horses there but it was what was happening that intrigued me. Along the side of the aisle at nearly every stall were these long ropes, called cross ties upon which the horses stood attached by their halters and jamming the aisle. And underneath each of the horses was a farrier or a helper removing or applying horse shoes to each animal in turn. Bang, bang, bang, went the farrier's hammer on the iron shoe. Honestly it was like something out of a Dickens' novel. I couldn't believe my eyes. What a different world I found myself in. Only steps away was the bright sunshine and the mundane world out on the country road but inside here, a world apart. Not many would have pictured such a scene worthy of an eitheenth century artist rendering when driving by this old barn on the side of the road. To me it was surreal and indelible.
I did live by Winnie's advice she gave me on the way over after she was convinced of my ignorance, "Just pretend you know what you are doing" and Whiny thankfully did not have to apologize for me, not even once. I did a fairly good job of remaining unobtrusive.
We then took a couple of Ben's horses out and rode them up a rather steep incline to some hay fields up above the barn. When we got to the top we had a bird's eye view of the lush green valley below and the little town of Tewksbury in the distance. It was a glorious sight, a liberating experience and I felt quite close to heaven. We were then able to trot the horses around a bit on the hay fields and let them stretch out their legs. A few trips around the field (by this time I was feeling the burn, due to the lack of recent riding experience but it was a good kind of pain) and then we walked them back down the hill to the barn.
I survived the first day without falling off. It was quite an achievement given my past history. I was ecstatic. I loved it and couldn't wait for the next time.
A few weeks later Winnie invited me to exercise Ben's horses again. I am only guessing that I impressed her with my skill as a rider. This time there were a few other people in the group as well as Ben's dog Petunia, a very quick and lively Jack Russell. She ran through the tall grass in leaps and bounds and never was left behind. She was as quick as the horses, racing along side or even running between their legs.
On this occasion the other riders were each astride one horse and with just a lead rope and a halter they were bringing along a second horse. This arrangement of two horses and only one person was called "ponying". Ben did not have enough riders for all of the horses to be ridden that day. He liked to exercise each horse as often as he had riders in order to be fit for the polo matches which were twice a week in the summer and early fall.
Winnie invited me a couple more times that season and I was hooked forever to the horses. My horse gene had been awakened and even a light slumber was defintely out of the question anymore. I was on my quest to an equestrian education and didn't even know it.
