Parking Lot Ride
| March 23, 2017 | Posted by Melinda under Equine Endurance |
Not going to lie, riding the 18 year-old in endless circles around the parking lot was not how I envisioned my first day of spring ride.
Epic spring rains followed by epic sunny skies made for a muddy horse that was perfect for a bareback jaunt in the blooming orchards.
That picture is as close as I got to the lovely blossoms.
Passively refusing to sidle up to the mounting block. Sticking going forward despite kicking heels. Spooking at non-existent monsters between trailers, violent spooking at 3 bikes riding down the deserted road. Leaning and hollowing and not walking in straight lines, offering a 1 mph walk or a bolty trot.
OK then.
Circles and more circles. Yielding to leg pressure. Yielding to the bit. Nope, not taking gait or speed preferences at this time from the pony. That’s a bird. That’s a glint of sunshine. THAT my dear is a leaf.
20 minutes later I had a rideable horse and I was out of riding time.
Remind me again which horse I have home right now? The 18-year-old or the 5-year-old?
Funny how mentally getting ready to ride a young one on the trail makes you to listen to *all* your horses better.
Ride the horse you have, not the one you expected.
Just because you *can* ride down the trail doesn’t mean that’s the right conversation for the day.
Farley teaches these lessons best (over and over and over) because I didn’t have to do a parking lot ride that day. I *could* have gone out on the trail and been perfectly fine. Even bareback and in crocs. She’s that kind of horse. But she asked, rather than demanded some extra attention and I listened. That my Dear Reader, is an incredible feeling for me.
Time to go pat the nose of the 18-year-old, 100-mile, cart pulling, go anywhere do anything pony that sometimes needs a 20 minute parking lot ride. o_O
What a good story. Darn ponies! What photo app did you use… Very cool
Prisma. It’s free and very cool!!!!