This is from a note I posted on Equine-L ages ago.
Hi everybody,
In keeping with my commitment to stay out of the ring, and away from lessons,
and just have fun, Christi and I went out for a little ride this morning.
It didn't look like it was going to happen... When I got up early to feed, I
heard on the radio that we were expecting the hottest day so far this year - 96,
with 90% humidity. Humidity is not a regular thing here. And 96! Yuck. And
nevermind Sabrina - I'd be keeping a eye on her - but poor little Eeyore would
be back home running the fence the whole time.
When I went to get Sabrina out, I tossed her lead rope over her back like I
always do, and sent her off to eat the lawn while I let Eeyore back into the
main pen. Instead, she decided to go exploring up behind the observatory, where
I'm *trying* to grow a little orchard. Twice. At a trot. Aparently there are
some very yummy weeds up there. I'll bet she discovered them when she got out a
couple of weeks ago. Otherwise she's never been up there. She was being real
prancy this morning - unusual for her - especially in the heat.
So, *after* I'd loaded Sabrina, my truck wouldn't start (dead battery). I was
going to call Christi and tell her nevermind - too many things were "off", but
Michael (hubby) reminded me that I actually *want* to ride my horse, and he gave
me a jump, and off we went.
When I got there I let Sabrina have a little turn out time in one of the arenas.
We were going out bareback, so I figured calmer was better - let her get it out
of her system. I've ridden bareback a lot, but not on trail in about 20 years,
and Sabrina isn't exactly mellow and bombproof. (She *likes* going out, she
just likes things like charging up hills and jogging a little too much.)
So Christi, on Little Peanut (a really cute little Arabian) and I, with our
beach towels for bareback pads, headed down the trail to the river (oh yeah,
Sabrina got to splash in the water for quite a while, then we rode through the
trees along the river where it's shady. There were finches, butterflies, wild
roses, cottonwood trees... everything in bloom. Oh yeah, and spiderwebs about
every 6 feet. We took turns going first. Yuck, blech, ick, ptooey. I even had
to take one web, with spider, off Sabrina's face.
At one point we were admiring some *really* large bird footprints in the sand
under the water. Not webbed, and about 8" from front to back. Christi
commented that she hoped whatever made those track wouldn't come blasting out of
the bushes and spook the horses. What's next? Anyone? Yup, *whoosh*! A big
heron flew out right near us. All of us went sideways about 12 feet, in 2 foot
deep water. And while water is a handy place to fall off, we both stayed on.
What was really great was that afterward I realized I hadn't come loose at
*all*, and was riding bareback (hey, cool!). I'm really surprised at that one.
Even Christi who said she never rides Little Peanut bareback 'cause she "always
falls off of him" stuck like glue. :-)
On the way back we stopped in the water - I've been wanting to let Sabrina go
ahead and play and roll in the water, since that's what it always looks like
she'd like to do (paw, paw, paw...), so I hopped off, took my towel, removed her
bridle (I had her halter/lead on her), and told her to go ahead. She'd pawed
about forever, and never looked like she wanted to roll at all. Oh well.
I put the bridle and towel back on her and tried about 4 times to get back up on
her (something I usually can't do without a fence or pickup truck nearby, but I
didn't want to make Christi dismount to give me a leg up). On about the fourth
try, off a steep bank, with Sabrina standing in the water, I slithered off her
side and landed on my butt in the wet sand. I was too busy avoiding her back
feet to pay attention, and I let go of the reins. I figured she'd go a few feet
and find herself a snack. Wrong. She started out at a walk (and we didn't
chase her), but once she realized she was *free* she took off. Darnit. Christi
bailed, in case Little Peanut decided to follow, but he was OK.
The area is *mostly* fenced, and Sabrina does know her way back to the trailer,
so I wasn't too worried, except that I'd have to explain why I was walking
back... But after a minute we heard this loud whinny, and galloping hooves -
she came right back! Nice horsey! :-) I think she realized she was all alone,
which semi's zooming by on the other side of the fence, and decided sticking
with us wasn't so bad.
This time Christi gave me a leg up. :-) One of my goals in life now is to be
able to get on my own &%#$ horse without help. Geez.
Got home fine, Eeyore survived (Michael had put him in the shed, where he'd have
to run in the shade at least). Both critters got to eat the lawn for a while.
Sabrina got hosed off and even rolled on the lawn (a new thing). Once back in
their pen, Sabrina spotted a small fallen Avocado branch (delicious snack, in
her book), and went to rip a leaf off of it. Well, being a *fallen* branch, and
not attached to the tree, it lept at her like some animal, and she wasn't about
to let go of that leaf, so it "chased" her for a while. I guess the leaf
finally broke off. Such snorting!
Anyway, everyone had fun (except Eeyore, who really needs another donk for a
buddy), and nobody got hurt. It was actually a good confidence builder for me
and Christi, too. And nice to remember why it was we ride in the first place.
Happy yahooing to all,
Linda