There was no "clubhouse" - the office was closer to a shack, with outdoor bathrooms (yes, flush toilets, at least), a chicken coop (fresh eggs $1.00), and a couple of goats.
After some beach time we headed back to the International Pony Club. As we entered the paddock, the heavens opened and it rained hard for about 15 minutes. Then it stopped and we were driven back to Castries and the ship. (I'm not sure that's a good name for a capital. What do you think?)
There were six aspiring horsewomen and one obliging husband (not mine). We each got a hair net and a riding helmet. Then we each got a horse.
Here I am on Stumpy
Our group followed AJ down a wide trail. It was rocky, rutted and unpaved. Not to mention steep. At first I thought it was an alley. I later decided it was not a wide trail, but a narrow road. There were houses facing it with driveways accessing the houses from this road. There was even a little (very little) store or bar or something along the road. A few cars drove by - slowly. Good old Stumpy did a great job on this trail/road.
We rode for about 45 minutes and arrived at a beach. It was one of those nice crescent bays with white sand and blue water. This beach was practically empty. It had practically nothing in the way of tourist infrastructure. 
We rode to the other end of the beach and parked the horses. There was a little shack of a store there, and a bunch of dogs lying around.
The dogs did not even bat an eyelash when we rode by them. Then a car appeared out of nowhere. It had some of those little frou-frou dogs inside. The beach dogs went crazy. They all chased the car and barked insanely. One of the dogs ran backwards in front of the car, barking, about 6 inches from the bumper.
The trail bosses unsaddled the horses so we could ride bareback in the water. It was really fun. I have always wanted to do this. Ken has never wanted to do this.
You never know what you are going to see at the beach.
It is about half an hour to the ship, so we learned a little about St. Lucia (loo'-sha), pop. 170,000. The local language is Creole, but everyone learns English in school. The literacy rate is 99%.They have a good education system, including several off-shore medical schools. I'm not sure, but I think our guide said college was free.
The island is volcanic and has two distinctive peaks called either the Pitons, or the Dolly Partons, depending on who you talk to. The Pitons are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
We tried a local dish called Roti. It is a piece of dough (like a thick tortilla) rolled up around curried vegetables, with or without meat. It was good.
Auto-correct is not trustworthy!! Be warned.
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