Post 6 - Photo Essay

These are the saddles that we use on horses. Before we start our class, we would let those horses come out from the stall and let them roll on the ground for few minutes. Then we need to brush their body. After that, we put a blanket on their back, then we put the heavy saddle on them. 

This stable is kind of old. So the doors are broken. Sometime horses just like to bite the door. That guy is cleaning the stall and feed horse with hay. You can see the environment is dirty and dusty. So This is very challenging for me in the beginning. But now , I am okay with it. Some people give me a weird look on my way home because I get dirty and smelly. Haha! Arcelia is leaning on the wagon. We put all the things we need in it before we go to the park. Such as helmets, bucket, toys, cones and rings, poop bags, lead lines..etc.

This is my responsibility in this internship. I am a side-walker. It means when the rider is riding the horse, I have to walk beside the horse. So that I can make sure the rider's safety. There are always two side-walkers with on rider. Sometimes only one is needed when the rider is good at riding.( I am so short, compare to another side-walker. haha!) By the way, it is harder to hold the rider when they are riding on a big horse.(This horse named Marshmallow.)

Usually instructors like to do some warm up before they start the class. Like "Simon says" and ask riders to name parts of horse's body. I learned many new vocabularies when they name parts of body. From the picture you can see, I think she is touching the horse's bottom. But they don't say bottom, they say hind-quarter.

Sometimes I need to hold horses because there are not many volunteers. It is not hard to hold a horse as long as they can eat grass. (This horse named Fudge. The most tame horse.)

When the weather is nice and warm. We don't stay in the stable, we go to a small park to have class. I enjoy working here. Big enough for horses and comfortable.

Another photo of the stable.

As I said, it is not hard to hold a horse.But it is hard to stop them from eating grass!!!They are much powerful and stronger than us, so we need to be careful. Because some horses bite and kick. (My face is too funny, so I am not going to show you)


I planned to take a picture of me collecting up the poop. Because it would be so classic. But too bad that they didn't poop at all on the day I had the camera. Haha. Anyways, I enjoy interning here. I met many nice people and children. I earned my special experience in here.