Change is a great teacher

Summer time means two or more long months of holidays and freedom. Well, not when you are in IGCSE Class 10. That translates to summer classes from eight to twelve in the morning, followed by a strict study schedule. But there was one getaway for me, a five-day horse-riding camp at an equestrian centre.

When I arrived, taking a turn into the road marked with the Japalouppe sign, I took in every detail around me. Large, green trees served as a canopy, and as I took a deep breath, I was greeted by the smell of horse poop. It was overwhelming, but I slowly got used to it.

I knew I had to make friends, but with seven dogs, two cats and dozens of horses, I thought, who needs people when you have animals?

We were all assigned horses, and I got one named Mia. I was delighted when the seniors said I was lucky her as she was the sweetest. 

Days went by, and all was good. But one evening, as I was riding Mia, I was told to alight. My instructor said I could no longer ride her as she was pregnant. I was happy for her, but we had a display, and we were doing great as a team.

I was assigned another horse named Grace, who was nothing like her name. I was quite scared to ride her, but I managed. The next day while riding, Grace just sat down, and I almost fell off. The poor thing got colic, so I couldn’t ride her either. It seemed like every time I was getting along with a horse it got taken away from me. 

In the end, I had to ride a horse named Jules for the display. He was known to be lazy, but despite my apprehensions, it went well. 

I realised that change is something we dislike. Every time I got comfortable, I had to change horses. But this made me realise that change takes courage. Change is a teacher. Maybe when things are falling apart, they’re falling into place. So, I guess change is good. 

Before leaving, I made sure to meet Mia so that she knew I would always remember my first horse.

Some things you don’t change.