"We're ready, Elsie." Elisa on Dandy calls out towards me.

"Canter, ho!" I lift up my left rein and squeeze my lower right leg. She gives a small buck and settles into her canter.

Turning the corner, I canter down the diagonal, cantering right and switching leads.

"Good girl, Dazzle. Keep going." I go for a few more strides before slowing to a trot and then a walk, hearing slow clapping from the sidelines. "Everyone walk, please." I say to the kids following us. Rain slows right down beside us and everyone else lines up side-by-side on the rail.

"That looked really good, ladies. Elsie, your mare should've had a better right shape. I didn't know you were back, Sophie, well done. Looking good." Jessica says, tapping her crop against her leg.

"Thank you, Mrs. Myers."

"Call me Jessica."

"Alright."

"I'd love for you to ride in this afternoon's Cross Country class. I'll have a horse for you."

"Thank you again. I'll be there."

"You're welcome. Now, you'd better get back to work with your mare."

"Bye, Jessica."

"I want to school over some jumps before we go." Sophie whines.

"Fine, but just because I promised."

Sophie trots Rain through the 2-horse opening, keeping her at a steady pace.

I dismount and adjust the jumps to .25 and .50, plus some trotting poles to work on rhythm.

"Play with the poles and see if you can get a steady beat through them before hopping over the jump." Sophie circles Rain at a trot once more and points her towards the poles. Rain picks her feet up and slows down before lightly hopping over the light-colored crossrail.

I take out my phone and play 'Sky Spills Over' by "Michael W. Smith". Rain moves along with the music.

"Good, now watch how I do it." I mount from the ground and grab mane, swinging into the saddle and picking up my irons. I press Dazzle on into a balanced left-lead canter from the walk and aim her towards the same pattern Sophie just completed.

"Ladies, mind if I join you?" A man in his early-thirties asks, standing at the fence with a horse in-hand.

"Not at all. The arena's open to anyone."

"Thank you."

"Elsie, that's Clinton Anderson."

"Holy potato muffins!" I shout.

"Shhh......you're really weird."

"Get a love life, Sophie. It'll do you some good."