Horse & Hound – 08 August 2019

Picture

by

Peter

Nixon

GOODNIGHT

PonyClubmothersfeelthetrialsandtribulationsofcampjustas

muchastheirchildren,saysTessaWaugh, asshejugglesfamily,

ponies and housework to get through the summer break

‘Are the holidays

always this mad?’

T

HREEponiesandthreechildren

togetreadyforPonyClubcamp—

STRESS.Drivingthecattlelorry

withoutcrashingit —STRESS.

A lameponyonthefirstday—

STRESS.A housefulloffamilyfromVietnam

staying—STRESS.

OnthesurfaceI mimictheproverbial

swan,paddlingawaycalmly;underneathI am

thescreamemojishriekinginsilenthorror

ateverythingthatneedstobedone.Arethe

summerholidaysalwaysthismad?

Nowcampis overforanotheryearandI’m

slightlywonderingwhyI wasinsucha panic.

Thechildrenhaveallcomehomeridingbetter.

Theponiesdidn’tdisgracethemselves.Adam’s

cattletruckis alsohomeunscathed.

Afterwards,hulkingjumpsontotrailers

andhandballingequipmentintovehicles,I

shouldn’tthinktherewasa womanamong

uswhowasn’tfeelingsomesatisfaction.Each

childhadmarkedoffanothertriumph,beit

jumping their first metre, spending the whole

‘I mimictheproverbial

swan,butunderneath

I amthescreamemoji

shrieking in horror’

weekoffthelead-rein,masteringcanterorthe

knowledgetheyhavegraduatedfromjunior

campandwillnextyearjointheseniors.

Y

EARSago,I wasconfusedwhena

friendcomplainedthatshefelttired

aftertakingherchildrentocamp.

Sittingaroundwatchingchildrenride?

Toa non-motherstuckinanofficeallyear,

thatsoundedlikeaneasywaytospenda

summer’sday.I wasa fool.UntilI startedthis

capermyself,I hadnoconceptwhatsoever

of the physical and emotional impact of the

pony/childcomboonthepooroldmum.

Yougothroughit allwiththechildren,

willinglyornot;theupsthedowns,andat

campthereareseveraldaysofit.Wemaysiton

thesidelinesbutwerideeveryfence,reciting

commandsastheyapproach.Thechildcan’t

hearus,butwechantawaylikemadwomen:

“Situp,shortenyourreins,KICK!”

Mothersfeeleverydisappointment.Weall

sowantthemtoenjoythemselvesandsucceed.

It’sexhausting.Nowonderweareslightly

punch-drunkbytheendoftheweek.

CampendedyesterdayandI’mnowdealing

withthefall-out—knackeredchildren,filthy

house,nofoodinthefridge,enoughdirty

washingtofilla skip—soI havebarricaded

myselfinthespareroomwithmylaptop.

OccasionallythedooropensandI’m

informedofsomething:“I’veleftoneofmy

shoesinSam’scaravan”or“What’sforlunch?”,

orsimplya plaintivecallfor“Mummy”

repeatedoverandoveragain.It’stheholidays

again. Happy summer to youall.H&H