It should be easy to pick it up. I am guessing I will sit in front in the car and pop the letter into my pocket.
I wrote it a couple of weeks ago after discussing the content with Tatiana and Gary and they printed it out this morning. All systems go for a surprise of a lifetime for their daughter and my pupil - a young rider I've been teaching since March last year.
The plan is pretty simple. I give the letter to the girl which supposed be a to-do list with some instructions for her non-ridden session today. We somehow get cameras going so we can video the whole thing.
The letter has no instructions. Instead it says:
Dear Caitlin,
It’s Jasper here. I know, it seems unlikely that I am typing this but let’s just say, I am a very special horse!
Here’s the thing. A few weeks ago, I’d been chatting to your mum and she said she would quite like to ride again. As you know, I have fabulous manners so I immediately said I would be more than happy to oblige when she is ready.
She went away and thought about it and we chatted some more. You see, I am very young. Some call me green but you and I, we both know, I am dark bay, black almost, so let’s just smile about these colour blind individuals. It’s ok. I have perfect manners. I wouldn’t sneer.
Anyway. I digress. So, I need education. I want to know how it feels to move well and in balance. I want to go to fun rides and sponsored rides and do a lot of hacking out. I would even like to do some arena schooling and lunging and in-hand work.
I want to learn to trot over trot poles and jump little jumps - as big as I can and my conformation and type allows me. I want to go to little dressage shows and show all them fancy warmbloods what a well mannered cob can do!
But most of all, I want to have an adventure with a rider who will teach me what I need to know to be the great riding horse I can be while having the time of their riding life with me :)
That’s when we are getting closer to the whole point of this letter so I am getting a little nervous…So I will just say it.
I am no longer Jasper Hill. I am now Jasper Thorpe! I agreed to be bought by your Mum under the condition that you will train me and educate me and care for me and love me until she is ready to ride me. It might take a year or more, you know.
Even though you are only at the beginning of your equestrian journey and I am very young I have perfect manners (have I already mentioned that?) so I would be very well suited to learn with, you see.
I hope you are still here? I asked Wiola and she said she will help you train me and put an educational plan for me every month so you won’t be alone on this quest, I promise :) And Kelly will look after me when you are studying and learning for your exams and do other human things you might need to do.
And I even spoke to Tilly because she was worried that now you have me you won’t ride her anymore but she mustn’t be concerned. She is a great jumper and knows a lot so she will continue teaching you so you can teach me :)
But we need to have a deal here too - even once in a year or so your Mum is my main rider and when you have your fancy event horse and train over big jumps and do complicated dressage stuff, you will still see me and take me up the gallops from time to time for a great run!
Now, let’s get on with it and make great things happen shall we? :)
I
P.S. I promised Gary he can have an odd lesson on me too if that’s ok with you?
Best Regards,
Jasper Thorpe
Yesterday I wrote of an "event" I needed to accommodate into my day. That was Jasper's pre-purchase vetting. I couldn't write about it in case Caitlin read my blog ;)
Absolutely perfect day. All the riders do super in their lessons and this together with the joy of uniting Jasper - the near perfect equine specimen, and the Thorpe family, makes me feel very lucky to be able to do all this for a living.
You would think, hey, it's just horses and yet they make so many amazing, fulfilling, heart warming situations happen :)
Here's to many wonderful years ahead to the lucky new owners! :-D
Wx
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