#FlashbackFriday post!
Let's go back to June 2023 and to @kimberj5's childhood. Her account of learning to ride is on our website. Go to https://www.westrivereagle.com/articles/learning-to-ride-with-aunt-lori-generational-knowledge-is-our-responsibility-to-our-heritage/ to read more about Learning to ride with Aunt Lori: Generational knowledge is our responsibility to our heritage.

#WestRiverEagle #EagleButte #CheyenneRiver #SouthDakota #OglalaLakota #Lakota #CochitiPueblo #Blackfoot #Korean #AfricanAmerican #horesbackriding #FBF #learningtoride #ridingbareback #connectionstoheritage

Had a lot of fun today….. #learningtoride #allthegearsomeidea #OldDogNewTricks

She spent today with (her uncle) Iain, continuing #LearningToRide and so we are bereft of the ever-curious, energy-filled, little chatterbox (;*

The silence is wonderful q;*

Elena can now use the brakes, though it did take damaging the front reflector to get her to realise that she needed to learn to stretch her fingers that little bit more to reach them (;*

#LearningToRide

In a hiatus from bike riding we took another walk in #Watermead North Country Park, and discovered what we think is to be a maze, and also a Reedbed Nature Reserve that is only open three days of the week, closed on the day.

Elena definitely wants to take a look when it's next open.

The weather isn't looking good for tomorrow, hopefully the afternoon will be better which will give me chance to run Elena through using the brakes on her bike.

#LearningToRide

She's not been going fast enough to warrant brake usage sooner, though as she gets more confidence she'll definitely be needing them eventually.

I'll admit the bell incident was a close call, hence teaching her about them tomorrow.

No harm done to anything else, just the bell.

#LearningToRide at #ThePark

Managed to get her to #ThePark again just before more rain. She's got the knack of arranging the pedals to start now and getting much better with riding and stopping. The next thing to learn will be braking and slowing down. She went into a tree and managed to damage her bell just as we were coming back.

#LearningToRide

So, quite successful yesterday. She's got the idea, though she ended up having another bike since her original one is too small for her and the back brake had seized up.

The only trouble she has is with starting off, but once she's going she's great, though she does get distracted a little too easily and ends up going in circles until she falls over.

But, for the first time without stabilisers she's not doing badly at all.

#LearningToRide #ThePark

Been doing some reading, and thinking I might try Elena without stabilisers, get her used to the idea of balancing on the bike while riding it, rather than forcing her to rely on the training wheels. I'll take her up to #ThePark where there's plenty of grass to practice and fall on. She'll have her safety gear, so there shouldn't be any problems, other than getting her over her fear of hurting herself.

If anyone has any thoughts on #LearningToRide let me know. It's been decades since I did it.