Young horsewoman learns ropes early

While most little girls her age are thinking about dolls and having tea parties, four year old Nakiya Trefethen is taking the reins of a big Morgan named Win. The Jefferson youngster has already been riding for about two years. According to Mom Ashley, Nakiya loved pony rides at area festivals so much that she and husband Jake decided to give her riding lessons.

That's where Julie Bittner of JW Training Stables came in. “She's quite a good little rider,” Bittner said of young Nakiya. According to Bittner they usually don't take students until they are a bit older than Nakiya. “She wasn't even three when she started.” It became very quickly clear to Bittner that Nakiya was ready. “I am impressed with how well she listens.”

Nakiya rides Win, who happens to be Bittner's own personal riding horse. Bittner explained that the stables has a couple of horses that are good for children or new riders. “Win is a great horse,” she said.

Having an indoor arena makes it possible for Nakiya to take her weekly lesson year round. Lessons for children are limited to about half hour because they often get sidetracked. “She really pays attention,” Bittner said of her youngest student.

Nakiya knows the important parts of how to get Win to move and stop. She's also very familiar with the safety factor when it comes to riding. “Wearing a helmet,” she said of something she always dons when riding. “For safety,” she said when asked why. And, while she said riding is fun, she knows you can't just ride without any preparation. “You have to learn.”

Nakiya comes by her love of riding naturally. “I rode when I was a kid,” Mom Ashley said. Ashley loves the fact that her young daughter enjoys something she too loved as a young girl.

While she rides by herself in lessons, currently Nakiya's mount must be on a lead when she competes. That doesn't stop her from striving to do her best and remember her training. She proudly showed off her blue ribbon from a horse show last month. In addition to the ribbon, Nakiya also won a gift certificate to purchase tack or something else for her horse. Like a typical four year old, she had other ideas. “I want to buy a car.”

The little horsewoman also offered some words of advice. “Don't fall off.” She has only lost her mount once during lessons and that was because Win shook, tossing the little rider to the ground of the indoor arena. Bittner said she was more upset about getting dirty than about being hurt.

Bittner is impressed with Nakiya's ability to understand and retain what she is taught during her lessons. Only one time has Nakiya request to stop her lesson early and that was when she wasn't feeling well. Other than that, according to Bittner, Nakiya is never ready to stop riding. “She's never ready to get off the horse!”

And, it doesn't like that is likely to change any time soon. Nakiya grinned and nodded when asked if she wanted to keep riding even when she was grown up. “Yes, I want to ride horses,” she said matter-of-factly. She also has other plans. “I want to be a teacher like Mom.” Ashley is a substitute teacher at Head Start in Jefferson. Nakiya has two brothers- one younger and one older. Ashley has lived in Jefferson since she started seventh grade. Dad Jake is a lifelong resident of Jefferson. “I also want to do barrel racing.”