Awesome.

On Saturday, March 17^th 2012 I did what I once thought was impossible. Keep in mind I thought this task impossible for me, not for everyone and I’m sure there are dozens upon dozens of people who do it every single day. The task which I once thought impossible, you ask? I took my horse on a trail ride, using only a halter and lead rope! Let me add that I took my THOROUGHBRED horse on a trail ride using only a halter and lead rope. He is just awesome and it makes me look like an awesome horse trainer/rider.

Back when I was an exchange student in Sweden I began taking riding lessons and leased my very first horse. The horse I was leasing was an Arabian mare named Xanadue. She was a pill but I loved her anyways.  The barn she was boarding at was a 45 minute walk from my house. Of course if I knew how to ride a bike it would have taken much less time, but I hate bicycles and I hate that I can’t ride them. Thanks, traumatic bicycle incident as a child! Anywho, on my walk I took some BEAUTIFUL bridle paths and trails. They were just breath taking, and of course I never got pictures because I was always going to bring my camera next time, and just never did. But on those beautiful trails I’d often run into a pair of girls and their horses. Sometimes they’d have their horses tacked up but usually they would just be riding bareback, on loose rein laughing and having a great time.  I wanted to do that soooooo bad, but I’d only just started taking lessons, and the mare I was leasing was an extremely barn sour night-mare on the trails.  It was out of the question at that point in my life, but I always kept on to that dream.

Fast forward 100 years, to present day. The weather was absolutely beautiful and unheard of for March in North Dakota. Record breaking temperatures in the 70’s instead of record breaking cold weather is very , very welcome here! Hubby hopped on Piney in the pasture because his horse was not having any of that nonsense. He then asked me if I wanted a leg up and I happily hopped up and started riding around. As I was happily riding around, hubby went and got his horse tacked up and then asked me if I wanted to go with him down the road. SURE! My two cocker spaniels got to join in on the family trail ride, but the Boston Terrorist had to say home because he is more of a nuisance to the horses. The dogs don’t quite understand that horses don’t often like having something following close on their heels but he didn’t even care that they were there.  We rode for about an hour and a half down the road and onto a prairie trail into a field. We just walked and I did a little trotting because Piney is pretty slow moving. I had to grab a big tall weed along the way to use as a crop to get him moving though. I just love that big red horse. I am more than happy with how the day went. The dogs were exhausted when we got home, and Piney got a little sweaty around his ears and where I was sitting. I am sore all over, we obviously need to get back into shape!

OH and to top it off, I was wearing a tank top, in March, outside. It’s pretty unheard of in these parts. The weather was just sooooooo perfect! And I couldn’t have asked for a better day for riding. Here’s to a nice long summer with plenty of riding!

I love my big red horse.