Amour, Horses, Turkeys, and Parrots

FEBRUARY 12 - THURSDAY

Horses, turkeys, parrots and amor.  We drove from the American School to Ally’s horseback riding lessons.  My lifelong love for horses was re-ignited as we approached the immaculate and serene setting of Rancho Montelbeña in the hills just north of Sayulita, on the road to Punta Mita.  This place is immaculate and serene and well, just magical!

Debi’s 1 1/2 year old grandson was with us, smiling and coo-ing at the sight of horses, turkeys in full “plume,” and a very curious parrot with a personality to boot.  We played in the expanse of manicured green lawn as we waited for Ally’s instructor, Pablo to arrive.

Waiting for the instructor

Matteo and Gramma Debi

Quite an entertaining character

From out of a fairy - TAIL

Matteo - starting young!

A quaint sitting area

Perfect saddles - blazing in the sun

Strutting turkey dance!

A wild beauty

And arrive he did.  Whew!  Deep breath!  He took one look at me and said that he recognized me.  It wasn’t until later that I found it he was a polo player.  It is highly possible we encountered one another at a match at the Santa Barbara Polo Fields, where I frequent.  Whether we had met or not, one look at this “muy guapo” (very handsome) Spaniard had me considering linking up a few lessons for myself!

Ally, nervous at the sight of a new, and much larger, horse, hoisted herself up, but was quickly told to jump off when we all noticed an escaped black stallion running for the road!  “El Guapo” hopped onto Ally’s horse and quickly wrangled in the frightened escapee.  I happened to have been standing right in the middle of it all, just three feet from the winnowing horse.  All I could say was, “Todo bien.  Todo bien. Whoah!”  (everything’s fine, whoa.)  But I was scared to death I’d be trampled on!

Nervous at first

Pablo led Ally and her horse up to the riding arena, where I breathed in every step, trot, canter, and gallop.  Seeing this sinewy slender thirteen-year-old young woman proudly perched on a thousand pound animal, brought me back to my early teen years.  I had longed to have and ride a horse.  My friend, Judy Walker, had one.  Some days I went home with her on “Bus #1” to Stafore Estates, where her mother would pack us treats in a brown bag, and we’d ride bareback into the forest behind her house.  Oh how I envied Judy.  And oh I glad I was that she was my friend.

Ally had never jumped before.  Pablo decided today was the day.  He prepared the “jumps,” and prompted Ally to lead her horse to the jumps.  “Uno, dos, tres - cuatro, cinch, seis,” he chanted, as he had earlier while she rode around the arena.  This tactic was to let the horse hear the rhythm and get in sync.

And then she did it.  Not one, not two, but three beautiful jumps in a row.  Five times she did this!  The gleam in her eyes, the pride in her smile, and the sudden confidence in her posture, made me cry - literally.  I turned to her mother and said,

“THIS - is what will keep her stable, happy, and out of small town trouble.”

The air, the twilight glow, the smell of clean animals and rising dust, made me long for a time that can never be re-captured, except through the vicarious witnessing of a young lady, who so much wants to be accepted, and to feel powerfully loved, riding a tall mahogany beauty.

Breaking in a brand new foal!

A few wranglers brought a young black foal (whose father is the white horse in the stable photo) near the arena.  They were attempting to familiarize the little powerhouse with the "reigns."  Ah life's lessons in the little things.

I saw Ally’s excitement and, more poignantly, her respect for this glorious animal.  The horse that she was afraid to ride, much bigger than her usual little white pony, was now her new friend.

Ally  - eliciting pride and endearment

“Can I ride him next time, Pablo?” she pleaded.  “Of course,” he said,  “He likes you.”  And I told her the same - that she had gained the horse’s confidence in her, and that she should be proud of herself.  And it was clear that she was.