Along for the ride:

Sunday, May 6, 2012

i-Ride, a "Wide" Horse...

For way too long I was an equestrienne who hardly ever "equestriated":) When I did, it was infrequent, and always in conflict with commitments elsewhere and hard to find a perfect fit. When you're on the rent-a-horse circuit, you have to cobble together the best elements of an imperfect world. Different establishments have different programs, different teachers and different horses.
I've been fighting my way back. Riding is still often in conflict with other commitments but; moment of epiphany here; riding wins, more often than not. I've got two set riding lessons into my weekly schedule and last week, when I showed up early, I was asked to school one of the newer lesson horses to remind him of his manners.

This week, I rode three times as well, and I'm a better, happier person for it!
Mac, pictured above is a large (16h2) quarter-horse, and my most regular steed. He likes humans, has a big bouncy stride and a sensitive mouth; All pretty amazing for a riding school horse, and a tribute to the way the horses are treated at this establishment. 
Mac is a good task-master. If my hands are quiet and my legs are working hard enough, we get cadence and balance, duh! Mac has no withers; the raised area where shoulder and neck converge, so the saddle sits on top of his fully rounded physique and will slip to one side or another if the rider (me) doesn't center properly. It's been weeks since I've circled the arena on the side of my horse, like a limpet clinging to a rock. Progress is tangible and satisfying.


19 comments:

  1. Mac looks like a really nice horse! How great that you've found such a good place to ride. I remember years ago scouting out at least a dozen barns before finding a good place to take lessons. Fortunately, I struck gold! Looks like you may have too!

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  2. I've ridden here sporadically for years. I keep coming back and now I feel I'm an accepted "regular".

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  3. I can only imagine what it must feel like to sit on a horse and merge your brain with its strength and spirit to become one.

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  4. Stephen, "flying, without wings" are someone else's words but as good a description as any I could come up with. You're right that those moments of unity are what we seek.

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  5. He's a beautiful big fella. I'm so inexperienced I would be dangling upside down.

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  6. Sounds to me like riding is medicinal... and you need regular doses!

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  7. Mac looks exactly my kind of horses; big strong, and probably with a bit of sense! And I go and end up with airhead Titch.....it was a love thing....Enjoy your riding!

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  8. He's gorgeous and you are indeed lucky. I love to ride and have yet to find a place...it has been years...Enjoy!

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  9. Kerry, He's kind. He might bounce you off but it wouldn't be on purpose:)

    Steve, about a million times more than dogs, and you know how much I like dogs.

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  10. Frances, I'm sure Titch is in a class of his own but Mac is a sensitive soul. There's thoroughbred in quarter horse breeding. I had to look it up, as it's not a breed I knew much about. It seems the name came from the fact that they were bred to race quarter mile sprints. (I'm open to being corrected on that)
    Mac's size and build are an anomaly. A dark horse, one might say:)

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  11. e, I'm never letting this slip out of my life again. So many wasted years.

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  12. sometimes its hard to find time for the things you want to do amidst all the things you merely have to do - glad you've got back on the horse...so to speak :)

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  13. Hi Pixie,
    Some people have no problem putting themselves first. Why is that and do I want to be one of those people? Conflict.

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  14. He's such a handsome chap. No, never let go of having horses in your life!!!!

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  15. Mac is the suave playboy of the establishment. He does think he can get by on looks alone sometimes.

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  16. oh my well done.....he looks like like a fine mount....I went horse riding every week as a kid ....while my parents went to the pub as is the country way.... and read all those pony books and drew pictures of horses with my best friend but mainly rode for a fall....I was a bit scared to death and never new what the hell I was doing!!

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  17. Now you've found the perfect horse , you'll just have to keep on going , you have no option , it would be foolish not to , it's the only sensible thing to do .....
    Besides you're having fun !!

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  18. Young at Heart,
    One of my cousins had her own pony. I was very jealous of her. We didn't move to a country setting until I was in my early teens. Dad kept his promise right away. On the third day after our move, I went pony shopping.

    S&S, Now that you put it that way, I must obey:) I'll blame you.

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  19. So that's what withers are! As you described centering on Mac I felt my stomach muscles contract in empathy or imagination of what it must take to stay on. I quite fell in love with Mac from your description and the picture.

    My cousin who lives in Central Oregon has her daughter's two horses (they moved to Idaho and got new horses there) and she still rides in her 70s. She is in such great shape, both physically and mentally. I hope to spend a few days with her this summer and go for a ride. It's been ages since I was on a horse, but I know I'd feel safe in her presence.

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