mckay
Junior Sitter
Posts: 672
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Post by mckay on Mar 25, 2007 11:25:41 GMT -5
Yeah, we had eleven great years together. Best horse in the world. However, he's ruined me for life - I won't ever have another horse, because I already had the best one!
And, hee. That's awesome, though. It's also a good name for a horse. And a kid, I guess, if you are indeed a big latin nerd (knew someone whose kid was named Lux, liked that too.)
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starrynight
Sitting For The Kuhns
The Royal Diner of Pizza Express
Posts: 4,004
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Post by starrynight on Mar 30, 2007 17:16:27 GMT -5
Just reread this one, and I have to say, it's growing on me. As a kid, I could never understand why Mal would stop taking riding lessons when she had the opportunity to continue. I REALLY wanted riding lessons, but never got the chance. As an adult, though, I understand where she's coming from. I think the good-bye to Pax was a bit much, though, like others have said. Even if she didn't want to ride, maybe she could have helped out around the stables on weekends or something. Anyone read AMM's OTHER riding lessons book, "Me and Katie (the Pest)?" I ahve fond memories of that one.
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mckay
Junior Sitter
Posts: 672
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Post by mckay on Mar 30, 2007 19:32:00 GMT -5
That one bugged me too, for one reason: the "first come, first served" rule of the stable. I think it's a lousy practice to let children choose their horses all the time. Besides the fact that it's horribly unfair for one kid to hog a particular horse, it prohibits growth as a rider. With Wendy riding the push-button horse all the time, she would never have learned anything after mastering the basics.
And again, an ill-tempered horse being given to beginning riders - what the heck, Ann? I suspect she had a run-in with a nasty horse as a child. But I can't imagine any decent stable putting beginners on a horse that bolts.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Apr 1, 2007 19:38:55 GMT -5
Heh. Where I rode there was a horse so mean they had to put a sign up next to his door warning people not to come nearby because he bit. He was also gigantic (well, he seemed it to little me at the time) and after we'd been riding a few weeks me and my friend were told we'd be riding him on a lunge lead. Scary stuff! Maybe I was a slow learner but it seemed to me like the riding course was a bit... unbalanced. It was eight weeks, it mixed in experienced riders with total beginners who had to worry about stuff like cantering on the right leg? In 8 weeks? It took me a few weeks just to be able to trot without bouncing everywhere I know some people learn faster than others, but I don't know anyone who had gone from total beginner to beating half their class in a show in 2 months. Maybe Pax was just THAT good.
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Post by Kylie90210 on Sept 23, 2007 21:18:42 GMT -5
I've never been a horse person, and I'd never read this book until recently, so I had no idea until I read this thread how inaccurtae this book was I felt bad for Jessi, but Mal is soo stupid not to have picked up on what was bugging her. Also, I felt bad for mal with those kids, but she was trying a little too hard. I'd be scared off!
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Post by aln1982 on Sept 29, 2007 16:24:32 GMT -5
I've been thinking about this book all day and think that things would have been better for Mallory if she would have gotten back on immediately. (she wasn't really hurt from what I remember. Shaken up, I'm sure, but not seriously hurt) I think it would have given her some self confidence and maybe even a little more respect from the other riders. Also, it would have probably been much easier for her to get back on right away before she had time to think about what happened. I'm actually surprised that the instructor didn't encourage her more to get back on (but maybe she was worried about getting sued, though I think that would have been pretty hard. But Mr. Pike is a lawyer ;D)
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Post by greer on Sept 29, 2007 19:18:09 GMT -5
^ i am sure mr and mrs pike had to sign some sort of release form before they let mal take lessons. you have a horses on your property, right? do you teach kids how to ride?
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Post by aln1982 on Sept 29, 2007 23:14:09 GMT -5
^ Yes, I have horses and I've given riding lessons on my property (though usually not on my horses). I've never had anyone sign a release form but there is some kind of "ride at your own risk" insurance clause. I'll have to ask my parents as I know I've mentioned the worry of someone suing before but they said that it wasn't something to worry about. Not sure what there reasoning was for this but I'm sure dad knows (he's always paranoid about the "worst case scenario" ;D) Of course, as mom pointed out, they could sue us but it wouldn't be worth the effort ;D Maybe it would have been worth it for Pikes to sue a big-time stable, though. Some of those places can be fancy. I think probably a lot of the instructor not encouraging Mal to get back on was more that she didn't want to bother with it. Though Mallory did not seem like a problem student compared to some.... ;D
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mckay
Junior Sitter
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Post by mckay on Sept 30, 2007 10:10:26 GMT -5
Yeah, now that you mention it, aln, if I'd been in a group lesson and some kid had fallen off and had been whisked off to the hospital without having been hurt at all? I'd think, "Man, what's that wimp doing riding?" Or at least I would have at Mallory's age...oh, who am I kidding, I probably still would I knew how she felt - after my first fall (underneath a running horse...still the worst fall I've had) I was scared stiff for the first few weeks afterwards, but no way would I have let my parents take me to the ER! And they carried her in! What the heck? Why didn't the Pikes just wrap her in bubble wrap...and I didn't let it keep me from riding. Scared as I was, well, I still wanted to ride! It just seems weird to me that someone truly "horse crazy" wouldn't keep at it longer. Of course, it's Mallory. They never treated her well. Maybe that particular ghostwriter thought she was a quitter
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Post by greer on Sept 30, 2007 14:30:21 GMT -5
everyone falls off sometime. it's part of being a rider. mal should have realized this from the 9 billion saddle club books she read. although i do think those books give a false vision of riding... like immediately you will be amazing and talented and get to meet all of these important horsey people.
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Post by aln1982 on Sept 30, 2007 16:19:42 GMT -5
Totally agree with you both. I was thinking the same thing. Greer, did you ride, too? I know you do, mckay (the avatar gives it away ;D) I think, though, that "non-horse" people view falling off as a much bigger deal than people who ride, so we probably have different views on Mallory than most of the other readers. Most people who don't ride always seem to think falling off is such a huge deal - a much bigger deal than some type of "accident" in other sports. I saw the Pikes' reaction as the typical "non-horse person" reaction to falling off. Anyway... I asked my dad about the liability thing and I had no idea what I was talking about ;D He said we always had people sign release forms before taking lessons. Guess I just didn't remember that and wasn't paying attention. It was Mom's job to keep the annoying parents (and there were some very annoying ones ;D) out of my hair. ;D That would make sense to have someone sign a release, though I'm sure it's not free from loopholes.
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mckay
Junior Sitter
Posts: 672
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Post by mckay on Sept 30, 2007 16:37:03 GMT -5
everyone falls off sometime. it's part of being a rider. mal should have realized this from the 9 billion saddle club books she read. although i do think those books give a false vision of riding... like immediately you will be amazing and talented and get to meet all of these important horsey people. Lisa and Carole were such Mary Sues in the riding department. But I didn't mind too much as a kid. I do like how those books showed falling off as something that was basically no big deal. They got hurt occasionally, but for the most part, it was mainly annoying or embarrassing. I'm surprised Mal never got that memo. I would've refused to ride Gremlin, though. My personal Pax *g* was a handful when he was young, but there was no meanness in him. I couldn't have stood to ride a horse that intended to dump me every chance he got.
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Post by greer on Sept 30, 2007 16:37:33 GMT -5
yep, i grew up in PA horse country. i rode for about six years.
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Post by Kylie90210 on Oct 2, 2007 21:26:38 GMT -5
^ Agree that mal and her parents reaction to the fall prolly didnt help her image with the other students!
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lyricalangel
Sitting For The Newtons
Logan's love-bunny
Posts: 1,918
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Post by lyricalangel on Jan 9, 2008 16:54:59 GMT -5
Aside from Mallory's crazy horse adventures, the Pike kids had another neighborhood talent show. This one had Sean Addison playing tuba and Nicky Pike on stilts. The Barretts were funny trying to get Pow to cooperate in their act.
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