olivia x
Well-Known Member
Just reading over some threads and enjoying the forums-- for some reason, has me thinking of the first horse I ever had as a kid, growing up in the middle of the US, truly cowboy country and how fortunate I was for all of the experiences that brought with my horse. I remember at some of the small local shows ( the equivalent of unaffiliated) there was a "trail horse" competition class, where horse and rider had to navigate a course of things likely to be encountered when "trail riding" --hacking would be the equivalent term I think. There would be a gate to open and close while mounted, picking up and putting down a flapping rain jacket, backing the horse through a set of poles on the ground, riding over a ramp, jumping a small log, etc. I had a little Arabian mare ( bought as a greenie when I was still a very novice rider, in hind sight a recipe for disaster but somehow it all came good) who did whatever was asked of her. The trail riding classes were fun. I remember the local horse community was very prejudiced in favour of Quarter Horses, and people were at times unkind about my mare-- but we would have the last laugh cleaning up in the show ring, beating people at their own game!
As I mentioned in another post, I wanted nothing more than to jump, but there were no English riding facilities accessible at the time. A few friends and I made a jumping course by pulling branches down and piling them up on one of the riding trails in the woods-- our own natural cross country course-- even included jumping over a stream! After a nasty bang in the stomach from the horn on the Western saddle, I just started doing it all riding bareback.
Later, as an adult, I was able to take proper riding lessons and learn to jump-- which I just loved-- and love!
As a kid, my horse was kept at a yard that was on 600 acres of prairie land, so there was all of that to ride and explore, and all of the open countryside around-- you could ride for miles and not encounter a car on the roads. In hindsight, I think I was very lucky and blessed to get the chance to get to have this.
For some reason, the search for a new horse now has opened a flood gate of memories-- very pleasant ones.
Sorry for the rambling post!
As I mentioned in another post, I wanted nothing more than to jump, but there were no English riding facilities accessible at the time. A few friends and I made a jumping course by pulling branches down and piling them up on one of the riding trails in the woods-- our own natural cross country course-- even included jumping over a stream! After a nasty bang in the stomach from the horn on the Western saddle, I just started doing it all riding bareback.
Later, as an adult, I was able to take proper riding lessons and learn to jump-- which I just loved-- and love!
As a kid, my horse was kept at a yard that was on 600 acres of prairie land, so there was all of that to ride and explore, and all of the open countryside around-- you could ride for miles and not encounter a car on the roads. In hindsight, I think I was very lucky and blessed to get the chance to get to have this.
For some reason, the search for a new horse now has opened a flood gate of memories-- very pleasant ones.
Sorry for the rambling post!
