Did You Get To Ride Today? I Did (Finally)!
They say it's like riding a bicycle....
I finally got to ride my horse Riley today, and there was a moment there when I wondered if I would remember how. I hadn't thrown a leg over this guy since last June, when he developed a lameness issue that required months of layoff time. He's been getting ridden lately by an area pro, but bad weather and worse roads have kept me from traveling to her barn to squeeze in any rides for myself.
So today--wow, I almost DID forget how much fun it is to be up on a responsive horse!
And that there's more to owning horses than the hard work of taking care of them through the winter.
posted by Juli Thorson @ 8:54 PM
3 comments
3 Comments:
that last sentence hit the nail on the head! Sometimes I am so busy I too forget what it's like to actually ride. It's still too muddy to ride safely, but I did get out the brushes yesterday and 'try' and clean up my crew. UGH caked on mud, shedding winter coats oh my sinuses!
While grooming my mustang I got to thinking and talking to him about all fun we had showing open. We did trail, horsemanship, pleasure, showmanship, western riding and his forte was reining. We especially enjoyed going to the reinings. Ha, in addition too, once we even competed in English pleasure, poles, keyhole, and barrels at the three day National Mustang & Burro show to vie for the all round champion. Together we clocked in over 500 open show points with the Amercian Mustang and Burro Association who like the ApHC has an outside competitive program that gives you points for showing open.I trained his long mane over his freeze mark and it was always a mind blower to a lot of folks, even some judges, to find out he was a mustang. He does look like a little QH cutter or so they assumed.
He's mostly retired due to his age and younger horses on the premises I should be riding. I'm a firm believer if you have your horse broke to rein, he can do just about anything you ask him too. I long for those sunny days we took out on the trails, or loaded up the trailer headed to one of our favorite shows. I made myself a promise to get in more riding time this year once the weather permits. I'm hoping maybe one of these younger guys will actually be able to follow in the mustangs hoof prints, but then again those are some pretty big prints he's a very special boy.
I can relate! I tried to get on bareback a couple days ago but cold hungry stalled mares that want to get out in the pasture to their hay get pretty cranky. I ended up getting off and working with her a little bit which was soothing enough for me just to do something other than clean stalls or carry hay to the pasture. Tonight the snow started again so I spent my free time in the barn hugging horses watching the snow fall in the fading sunlight.
Still waiting for this moment.........Thanks for reminding me that it WILL come!!!! :-)
I've discovered that though the weather certainly plays a huge factor, so does 'having company'...even if it's just another boarder to chat with. Having horses at home can be great, but when it's just you, it's very isolating too.
Tomorrow looks like it might clear...... ;-)
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