Journeys›Photograph

A Sunday Afternoon with the Horses

·San Francisco, California·#bay area#spring#kids#horseback-riding#pony-ride
A child in a pink shirt brushes a brown and white pony outside a stable building.

We spent a Sunday afternoon in late March out at some local stables in the hills. The day was overcast and cool. It started with getting to know the animals. My daughter got acquainted with a small, brown and white pony, carefully brushing its coat outside the barn before getting a chance to sit on it bareback for a moment.

After watching some of the stable hands tend to a larger black horse, it was time to get ready for the real ride. We moved into the outdoor arena, a large, fenced-in space with soft dirt footing. The green hills in the background were shrouded in a bit of fog.

With her blue helmet on, she used a red plastic mounting block to climb into the saddle. An instructor led the pony by a rope, walking her slowly around the perimeter of the ring. She held the reins, looking focused as she got the feel for it.

To cap off the lesson, she got to switch mounts. She had a chance to sit atop the big black horse she'd seen earlier, which made the little pony look even smaller by comparison. It was a calm and quiet way to spend the day.

A child stands behind a brown and white pony wearing a halter, inside a stable with dark green walls.A person stands behind a dark horse while a child crouches to clean the horse's hoof in a stable.A person and a child stand by a saddled pony and a red block in a sandy arena with trees and hills.A person leads a pony ridden by a child in a sandy arena with trees and hills in the background.A person walks a pony with a child rider in a dirt arena with a white fence and green trees.A child on a pony is led by an adult in a fenced outdoor riding arena.A child in a blue helmet rides a brown and white pony led by an adult in a dirt arena with a white fence.A child on a black horse wears a helmet while a person stands beside them in a sandy arena with hills and trees in the background.

More Entries