A few weekends ago, I went out to Mt Vernon, for "Horses and Hounds". I have been on a horse once in my life, I was about 10 or 12, I remember it being very far off the ground. Abiding by the neurosurgeons one life long direction of "don't do anything stupid" (I liked his style) I am unlikely to try to take up riding horses at this point in life. It is interesting to watch truly skilled horsemen working with animals that are well trained and seem to have a bond with the rider.
Have ridden horses?
age 12 at my then BFF's house; too far off the ground for me. that was my one and only time.
ReplyDeleteFriends' 15-year-old daughter was just in a jumping competition. She fell off a horse at one point. Her mother went running to save her baby. She tripped over a rock, fell, badly banged up her knee. She woke up the next day with a stiff neck, swollen knee, and bruised ribs. Her daughter was fine and placed third.
ReplyDeleteI've ridden twice, neither time a pleasant experience. I was nine the first time. I was on one of those circular pony rides for children. A boy aggravated my horse, and the horse nipped me. At nine, it felt like a major bite! Fast forward forty years. Our thirtieth anniversary, Hawaii. Hubby compromised by going on another cruise, so I did my part and signed up for the horse rides on one of the islands (don't remember which one, that was twelve years ago).
ReplyDeleteAccording to the sign, I exceeded the weight limit of 230 pounds. I breathed a sigh of relief that I was too fat to ride anything other than a Clydesdale! Wrong! Since I wasn't the size of Gilbert Grape's mother, the cutie guide said that the horse could handle me. I was more worried about me handling the horse! Those things have no steering wheels or brakes that I could find. There I sat, wearing a bicycle helmet looking dorky and terrified. The cutie guide decided I was going to be useless (my words, not his) so he took my reins and led my horse the whole two hours. Except for the part where there was a photo op. He left me and Old Paint on the side of the path to take pictures of the other riders, hubby included. As the others finished and got back on the path, my horse, Killer, decided to follow his buddies. I panicked, grabbed the reins and pulled hard. They tell you not to do that, but who thinks while terrified?! Did you know that pulling on the reins hard puts the horse in reverse? Well it does! That horse moonwalked until cutie guide noticed and saved me. Hubby, wearing his helmet in dork solidarity, laughed and took pictures. Anyway, too late to make a long story short, that was two hours I'll never get back. My horse, Bruiser, was actually a sweetie, but my ass gets numb whenever it rains now.
As Flicka is my witness, I will never ride a horse again!
When I was living in Kentucky, I mentioned to a friend that I was thinking about taking riding lessons, she looked at me, and said, "well maybe they have a retired draft horse that is saddle broken, otherwise you may need to carry the horse."
DeleteThanks for the funny story, I needed that.
Several times. The following day I felt like every muscle in my body had been beaten with a big stick.
ReplyDeleteNice to look at but not get on.
JP
I am enjoying my Mt Vernon booze.
ReplyDelete