Breaking things.

This train still has not slowed down.  Sunday we packed up what felt like half of our house and our entire barn to go to Heartland region Pony Club D-camp.  It would be 5 days of sun, fun, ponies and learning.  And for me I was a group Mom and got to bring my own Pony to play at the horse park in the evenings. 

We arrived settled in and they had the 'evaluation' ride for the kiddos.  In the first couple minutes Lily had a bit of a melt down.  Getting completly disturbed by all of the comotion and horses.  I started internally and a bit externally freaking out.  Holding back much of my thoughts on the matter so as not to right off the bat come across as the over protective mom.  I did though ask them to help her that this is not typical behavior for the pony.  They worked with her for few moments but I still was not assured that it was out of her system.  They asked if she was ready to canter and I was NOT in favor of that.  They sent them out to trot a bit more.  They made one controled lap around the massive arena and Lily was kind of hidden behind a couple other horses and all I know is I saw a child flying through the air and quickly realized it was mine.  She did not immediately jump up and that was my first sign.  Then when I met her and there was much crying and "my ankle, my ankle".  I knew my non-complaining child was most likely down for the count.  We took her out and it wasn't but a few minutes before the swelling started.  Sigh.... which meant a trip to the ER for us.

Summing up with much help and a bit of hiding in the corner of a stall for a good melt down on my part she was diagnosed with a fibular fracture.  In all actuality it is not a bad injury at all.  It heals easily and quickly.  But it did mean that the next 4 days of riding that my daughter has been looking forward to since last year was not meant to be.  Double sigh...

Not all was lost.  After the first day she was in very little pain and was determined to stay at camp and enjoy the remainder of the unmounted activities and her friends.  It worked out that another girl was over mounted on a unsafe horse so Lily got to still get the much needed experience.  With only one other naughty moment when on the xc course for a trail ride she made a break for the barn and it took a good distance for the girl riding to get her stopped.  Naughty Pony!  Next day I decided to make my own adjustments to the ponyfaces attitude and had  a come to Jesus moment and she was a complete angel the rest of the camp.  Even on cross country day proved to be a no questions asked kinda pony.  Doing the water, jumps and banks.  That was probably the hardest day for my daughter to watch her pony being so game for XC and not be on her.  But that is horses and it is just going to be part of it.
Lily proved to not be phased by much cross country.  Didn't hesitate at anything.

Broken bones won't keep her down :)

All of the kids and parents were super helpful and thoughtful.

I couldn't tell if I was more disappointed than my daughter, it is quite possible.  It is what it is and nothing I can do about it.  I can't lie those are one of those times that you have to ask yourself not only "why do I do this?" but "why do I let my babies do this?".  I did get to take out my super cool awesome horse out XC 3 days in a row.  Awesome!  Sitting in the ER with my daughter was a confidence shaker.  I was far less brave than normal schooling the first night.  Also Steady was the most easily excited that day too.  By day 3 I had my mojo back and was schooling Novice/Training questions.  I only did a couple things that I hadn't tried previously since I am not a big fan of schooling new XC questions sans instructor.  We did kill the drop into the water, double bank up, a square raised log three stride to an up bank, rolltop four strides into the water, training log and plenty of other stuffs.  Awesome! And that is where my head has been since.  I can walk through life doing everything neccissary but all the while I am seeing distances, feeling the breeze against my face and reliving that moment in time that the world goes silent and you are even for just a brief moment in time it is you, your patner in perfect hamony, flying.  Somehow the 'real world' just has a hard time competing for my attention.

I got home slept unpacked, packed and got right back in the car to drive up to northern Michigan for our annual family camping trip.

Not a bad veiw for the weekend.