Tess gave Bette and Tina a grin when she came down the next morning. They both sat, embarrased in a corner of the table. After eating, Tina took them upstairs and handed them some clothes. Bette looked absolutly horrified, ans Tess explained the days plans.

“Right” Tess smiled, seeing Bette and Tina standing outside, both wearing an old set of jeans, and a couple of spare Akubras. This was the beginning to the “Tess McLeod Riding School for Dummies”. As she managed to get the two of them onto a couple of quiet horses, one being Tucker and the other being Star, she climbed herself onto Oscar. Turning the grey gelding through the gate, this promised to be the start to a interesting ride.

“Ow ow ow ow ow ow” Bette winced, trying to get the hang of rising trot. Tina had given up on it completly, and had her hands wrapped in Tuckers mane as the horse got faster and faster, Tina ignoring the reins and holding onto the flowing black mane with a vicelike grip. Tess however was rising along to Oscars easy flowing gait, turning around to see Tucker off on a mission with Tina clinging on around his neck now, and Bette bouncing along, in deffinate trouble. Tina pulled Oscar to a halt, managing to stop Tucker before he took Tina for a swim in the dam, then got Star back into a walk for a grateful Bette, walking them back to the bottom of a hill. Tess kicked Oscar into a canter, then a gallop, leaning along his mane. Both Bette and Tina screamed as Star and Tucker took off, ignoring their flapping reins and grabbing the mane, clinging on for dear life. As Tess pulled up nearing the top, two very white faced Americans followed, Tina stopping screaming and Bette letting go of Stars mane and grabbing her reins.
“Wasn’t that fun!” Tina gave them a huge grin, seeing their horrified and dumbstruck expressions.

As they returned, Bette wincing whenever her horse tried to trot, and Tina still clinging onto Tuckers mane, they saw Claire schooling a rather nutty horse in the yards. Whenever She asked the horse to trot, its head shot in the air and it stopped dead, turning around and nipping at Claires legs. Eventually she got it into trot and the horse put in a couple of bucks then charged forward in canter. Claire gently brought it back, using her seat to get it to walk forward. After a few more circles in walk, Claire hopped off, opening the gate and leading the horse out. The horse, a pretty bay with lively eyes tried to bite her on the bum as she walked through the gate then rushed at Claire, pushing past her to get through the gate. Claire hopped back on, the horse walking then trotting off as she attempted to mount.

“Tess, glad your back, I need you and these two to head down to Skinny Jims with me to bring up the mob of merinos down there. We’re shearing them this afternoonThis girls having a few issues today but we’re working through it”
Both Bette and Tina looked dumbstruck. More riding?!!!!!

“Whoa..” Claire murmered quietly to her horse, as the mare shied at an imaginary pixie hiding in a clump of grass. Claire’s mount put in a buck, turning her head into the wind then turning tail, bucking again and taking off, heading uphill. Tess turned around and her mouth fell open. The mare was heading directly at a fence.
True to her patrial throughbred breeding, the horse angled the fence up, taking it in her stride. Tess applauded, laughing as Claire managed to stop the headstrong mare and bring her back down to the sheep.
“She missed her true calling! She should be a show jumper” Claire laughed, bringing the unsettled mare down the hill again, and calling to Roy to get behind.
Neither Bette or Tina noticed. Bette was trying to find a comfortable way to sit in the stock saddle, to get the weight off her bruises, and Tina was out of control in “eat” mode.
This was deffinatly proving to be an interesting holiday for everyone.