At the 2011 Minnesota Horse Expo, I took advantage of the free horse rides. I hadn't been on a horse since junior high, but I figured it couldn't be that hard, could it? I had few problems getting on the horse. It was fun being on a horse again, even if it was just being led around in a circle by a volunteer. The problem came when it was time to dismount. To say I was less than graceful would be the biggest understatement of the year!
I didn't let that deter me from trying again. When I got home that evening, I watched some episodes of Bonanza just to see how they mounted and dismounted from the horses. As I watched, I had an "A-ha!" moment. I realized what I had done incorrectly that morning. I was excited to go back the next morning and see if I could put my new-found knowledge to practical use.
The next day I was much more successful than I had been the day before. One of the same women who'd been a volunteer the day before at the free horse rides was a volunteer again. She told me I'd done a much better job than the day before. I shared my source of knowledge with her. "So I guess TV is educational after all," I told her. Her daughter was nearby and said, "See? I told you TV was educational!"
April, 2012. My vacation in Fort Worth, TX. I had already reserved a trail ride at the Fort Worth Stockyards Stable for the first Friday I was there. I had indicated that I was an inexperienced rider when I reserved my trail ride. Unfortunately, the horse I was given quickly picked up on that as well. I was trying to remember how to do the one-reign stop I'd learned by watching Clinton Anderson DVDs to bring the horse under control. (Clinton refers to this as the horse's "emergency brake.") I couldn't remember what to do. By time we reached the turn-around point to head back to the stable, I was successfully able to get the horse to turn around and head back toward the stable. At this point I was just grateful for small victories. I was able, though, for the most part to keep my eyes straight ahead and not look down - well, except when my horse decided to stop to snack on some vegetation that must have looked tasty to him.
As at the Minnesota Horse Expo the year before, I didn't let the less-than-successful trail ride keep me from trying again. I reserved another trail ride. Before going a second time, I watched the Clinton Anderson TV show on the No Worries Club website that demonstrated the one-reign stop. While sitting in the chair in front of my computer, I practiced the one-reign stop. I'd be ready when it was time for my second trail ride!
Trail ride number two. The horse I had this time was much better behaved than the first horse. Maybe he had a better personality or maybe he could sense I now had the confidence I was lacking the first time. Whatever the case was, this horse didn't give me as much trouble as the first one had. I didn't need to use the one-reign stop with the second horse.
What I learned is that I'm a long way from being more than a cowgirl at heart at this point in time. The closest I will get to barrel racing for a long time will be playing the Rodeo Software game Barrel Sim. However, no matter how long it takes, I am going to learn to ride a horse with confidence!
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