Ah, spring is in the air! Inhale
There’s only one way to properly herald in this wonderful season and that’s a trail ride! Come on, can you think of a better way to unwind, commune with nature and enjoy some scenic vistas? No arenas. No 20 meter torture circles. Just wide open spaces. Sigh. Heaven. So off I went to enjoy an uneventful trail ride on a nice old nag. Nose to tail riding here I come!
Hey, you didn’t really think I’d stay away for long, did you?
I decided it was in my best interests not to advertise that I kinda know how to ride. In this case, low expectations are good. With that in mind I selected old jeans, work boots and a fleece jacket. Definitely not English riding attire. I topped it off with my own riding gloves and helmet. No way was I wearing one of their helmets. Ew!
At this facility the trail guides select your mount based on size and an assumption of riding ability. My mount was Foxy. Hmm, not old and not a nag, kinda…foxy. I was then told to bring up the rear because, well, “Foxy was one of those.” Great. A mare that doesn’t want a nose on her tail.
I quickly discovered that Foxy had quite the marching walk. No poke here. (Are you sure she’s Western?) Also she had a complete disregard for personal space. During her constant attempts to overtake the other horses, we’d end up with her nose to their tail. Apparently it was okay for her to do it to others. So, we had a discussion about personal space as we circled. Then another discussion. It’s a good thing I’m so well versed in circles.
After a while we picked up a trot that I couldn’t sit. Excuse me, whatever happened to the Western jog? As we rounded a corner the first horse slipped in the mud and leaves. Rider #1 went tail over teakettle and landed trail side. A quick brushing off and Rider #1 remounted. Hmm, so much for an uneventful trail ride.
Horses 1, Riders 0
Foxy and I continued our, uh, discussions. Otherwise things were fairly uneventful.
That is until we hit the home stretch and a log conspired with a patch of ice to take out horse and Rider #2. I watched helplessly as the horse went down and the rider jumped clear. We immediately dismounted and grabbed horses while the guides ran to the horse. She wasn’t getting up.
I pointed out that her hips were still up on the log and probably preventing her from getting up. Rider #1 also suggested taking off the saddle. The guides were amazing and took each of our suggestions in stride. They tried shifting the log and quickly pulled the saddle off although a breastplate strap was sacrificed in the process.
When the calvary arrived we were asked to proceed back to the stable. As Rider #3, I was grateful when we all opted to lead the horses back. I can only imagine what was in store for me if we had ridden back.
Thankfully the horse trotted back to the stable wearing her saddle and a oh, that was nothing attitude.
10 comments
Comments feed for this article
March 11, 2010 at 4:23 am
Mary Hunter
Wow! What an adventure!
I miss trail riding so much. We have no trail access where the rescue horses are that I work with these days. I’m basically limited to the round pen, the front yard, or the pastures. But, its okay, as I usually have more than enough to keep me busy.
I worked one summer in college at a guest ranch in Colorado. Now that was a fun job! 1000s of acres to ride on all day, and they actually paid me to do it..
Is the mare sticking out her tongue in the photo? She almost looks like she’s plotting something!!
Mary H.
http://stalecheerios.com/blog
March 11, 2010 at 1:28 pm
dressage rider
LOL! It was at that. Our one ride probably covered a whole year’s worth of mishaps there. It’s a good thing we were all reasonably seasoned. I can’t imagine if this happened with a beginner group. It’s the only place near by that still offers trail rides. When I first started riding we had trail access and it was a wonderful way to shake things up.
I would love to get paid to ride trails all day! That’s a great job.
I think you’re right. She had her own ideas from the beginning.
March 11, 2010 at 10:44 pm
theliteraryhorse
She’s cute! I’m so glad you came out of that okay. I’m guessing the helmet tipped them off and they put you down as an experienced rider. Everyone, including the trainers I know, lies like a rug if they go out in a rental string: “never been on a horse in my life”.
My trainer said the one and only time she said she’d been riding “for awhile” she was going on muleback up a volcano in Hawaii. They gave her the green 3 year old mule. She said it was the fastest trail ride she’s ever been on. 🙂 She did fine, but didn’t get to see much, being too busy training their mule for free.
Good eyes on the horse/log/hips suggestion!
March 12, 2010 at 1:56 pm
dressage rider
Thanks Jane! I totally agree with the lie like a rug philosophy. They didn’t ask and I didn’t share. This group is pretty savvy though. I’ve been told they knew I rode because I wore jeans and work boots. Dang it! Turns out that the ranch owner rides Foxy. Now I feel special 🙂
March 23, 2010 at 5:21 pm
theroanypony
Oh my, that sounded like the worst trail ride! Good call about the helmets, I wasn’t so smart a long time ago and caught lice from wearing one! It was awful.
Because the weather is so nice today, my friend and I decided it would be the perfect day for a trail ride. We’ve been working our horses non-stop, everyday so far this year and they’re so ready for a break. I’m really hoping for a less eventful and more peaceful ride than you had lol.
March 23, 2010 at 5:49 pm
dressage rider
Yikes on the lice. I learned my lesson about sharing helmets and hats when my son had lice as a two year old. Never again.
The trail ride was great because it was low key. It just could’ve been better… My friend seems to be falling off horses a lot so this ride was just another notch in her belt. 🙂 My horse was very forward and I had such quiet legs that I was amazed. Worth celebrating! Enjoy your ride! You guys deserve a break.
March 23, 2010 at 6:07 pm
enlightenedhorsemanship
I never ever thought about lying about my riding ability.
Honesty is a mistake in some areas, I guess. I suppose it doesn’t matter since after a quick up and down I am always given the Dobbin who hangs at the back and can’t work out how to put one foot in front of the other. My riding ability must be obvious.
Congratulations to horse and rider #3! If anything, that must have built your confidence!
March 23, 2010 at 7:08 pm
dressage rider
LOL! Little white lies never hurt anyone. Besides they can tell if you’re a rider. 😉 I did feel handy but now I want to be a good Girl Scout and carry a knife.
March 25, 2010 at 4:43 pm
Molly
fingers are crossed for you!
March 26, 2010 at 3:25 pm
dressage rider
Thanks Molly!