lilspaz68
Well-Known Member
That particular weekend started off not so good. I woke up on Saturday morning with a weird crick/seizing between my shoulder blades, so breakfast was coffee and ibuprofen. Then the rest of the day was cuddling and caring for my sweet Ladygirl who left me just before 6 pm. Twenty minutes letter I got a message from Facebook...not another person I don't know trying to add me as a friend...but yeah, a friend who I had tracked down from 17 years ago, who had vanished during our conversing. Apologized and hopes I'll still be there when he gets back from his "walkabout" :wink2:
Sunday June 17th I got up early, cleaned cages (always!), had a shower and left to meet my sister at Warden station, where she picked me up and we drove to my cousin Kathy's horse farm in Halton Hills (near Georgetown).
I had decided that if she would ask/let me I would ride today. For people who don't know, I had imaginary horses in my garage for years as a kid, I would steal straw from the garden beds and nativity scene at the nearby church to bed down the "stalls" I had waterbuckets for my horses, and made up standing stalls with broom handles etc. :lol:
I actually did have English riding lessons for a few years until my family's finances took a dip and we had to stop going.
I was 16 or 17 at the time.
Then when I was 26 years old I found a friend at work who rode as well, and we went to this trail riding place where they let us go off on our own with the guides on their better horses...then I had foot surgery, and finally hurt my back when I was 30. I avoided horses because I was scared to find out I could never ride again.
So this weekend I said fuggit. I was soo excited I could barely eat the lunch, but soon enough we were out grooming horses and they were tacked up. My sister was offered this chestnut mare named Besot who was a 12 year old mare. She had raced and won a decent race as a 2 year old, and then became a broodmare. My sister Julie (who was always a better rider than me) was nervous but got on. She walked her and trotted slowly but she had ridden up at the farm a few times before already. They were originally going to put me on Strider, a very sweet arge pony, but then said "Do you want to try Besot?" YES!! I used the mounting block (like everyone) they adjusted my stirrups and told me she likes a loose rein and not too much leg pressure. Well Besot was very quiet with Julia but the mares and foals in the next field were racing around and she got all happy and excited. So I got in a few fast trots and 2 canters...I lost my stirrup on the first one but I still was able to sit down into it...I was in HEAVEN! Afterwards I dismounted properly and took off her saddle and best of all I can go back anytime!
My mom told me that she was amazed at how comfortable and in control I looked, my sister told me it was like I hadn't stopped riding 15 years ago. :mrgreen: And the biggest backhanded compliment was paid to me by my cousin's husband. He is always a bit nervous and worried with new riders, afraid they will get hurt somehow. He and my cousin Kathy watched me ride for a minute and then ignored me after that. :laugh4:
Here I am doing my 1st canter...you can see I have lost a stirrup, and I look a bit surprised. "Don't worry Shelagh, she doesn't canter." :cheeky: You can definitely see I haven't been on a horse for 15 years. :doh:
Here I am just walking, not happy with the toes out, but the line between bit/rein/arm is good. The chubby Hall Cheeks are from the perma-grin :mrgreen:
And here is a pic when we were going for the ride through the gorgeous fields..Halton Hills is a beautiful place near the Niagara Escarpment.
Well it looks like I am going up this Sunday, Kathy invited me to come up there and ride. I am soo excited, and might be riding another horse, named Sambuca Chief, a black 4 year old thoroughbred who is kind and quiet. :mrgreen:
They have a riding hat for me, and boots but eventually I will have to buy my own...ouch, expensive!
Its going to be a busy weekend with the THS protest on Saturday and then the horses on Sunday. :joy:
Sunday June 17th I got up early, cleaned cages (always!), had a shower and left to meet my sister at Warden station, where she picked me up and we drove to my cousin Kathy's horse farm in Halton Hills (near Georgetown).
I had decided that if she would ask/let me I would ride today. For people who don't know, I had imaginary horses in my garage for years as a kid, I would steal straw from the garden beds and nativity scene at the nearby church to bed down the "stalls" I had waterbuckets for my horses, and made up standing stalls with broom handles etc. :lol:
I actually did have English riding lessons for a few years until my family's finances took a dip and we had to stop going.
I was 16 or 17 at the time. Then when I was 26 years old I found a friend at work who rode as well, and we went to this trail riding place where they let us go off on our own with the guides on their better horses...then I had foot surgery, and finally hurt my back when I was 30. I avoided horses because I was scared to find out I could never ride again.
So this weekend I said fuggit. I was soo excited I could barely eat the lunch, but soon enough we were out grooming horses and they were tacked up. My sister was offered this chestnut mare named Besot who was a 12 year old mare. She had raced and won a decent race as a 2 year old, and then became a broodmare. My sister Julie (who was always a better rider than me) was nervous but got on. She walked her and trotted slowly but she had ridden up at the farm a few times before already. They were originally going to put me on Strider, a very sweet arge pony, but then said "Do you want to try Besot?" YES!! I used the mounting block (like everyone) they adjusted my stirrups and told me she likes a loose rein and not too much leg pressure. Well Besot was very quiet with Julia but the mares and foals in the next field were racing around and she got all happy and excited. So I got in a few fast trots and 2 canters...I lost my stirrup on the first one but I still was able to sit down into it...I was in HEAVEN! Afterwards I dismounted properly and took off her saddle and best of all I can go back anytime!
My mom told me that she was amazed at how comfortable and in control I looked, my sister told me it was like I hadn't stopped riding 15 years ago. :mrgreen: And the biggest backhanded compliment was paid to me by my cousin's husband. He is always a bit nervous and worried with new riders, afraid they will get hurt somehow. He and my cousin Kathy watched me ride for a minute and then ignored me after that. :laugh4:
Here I am doing my 1st canter...you can see I have lost a stirrup, and I look a bit surprised. "Don't worry Shelagh, she doesn't canter." :cheeky: You can definitely see I haven't been on a horse for 15 years. :doh:
Here I am just walking, not happy with the toes out, but the line between bit/rein/arm is good
. The chubby Hall Cheeks are from the perma-grin :mrgreen:
And here is a pic when we were going for the ride through the gorgeous fields..Halton Hills is a beautiful place near the Niagara Escarpment.
Well it looks like I am going up this Sunday, Kathy invited me to come up there and ride.
I am soo excited, and might be riding another horse, named Sambuca Chief, a black 4 year old thoroughbred who is kind and quiet. :mrgreen: They have a riding hat for me, and boots but eventually I will have to buy my own...ouch, expensive!
Its going to be a busy weekend with the THS protest on Saturday and then the horses on Sunday. :joy:
