I'm waiting on permission (or denial, which is also totally okay) to post photos of my friend up here.
Anyway, I met S____ at a party a few weeks back, and I came to find out that she used to do three day eventing, but hadn't gotten to be around horses for the past 10 years. Well! This was tragic, for horse people should be able to experience horses. Soooo we went up to the ranch. One thing I had noticed at the party- I didn't see her smile once. It was a little goal of mine to get her to smile, and smile she did, yay!
She got to RIDE! She'd never tried Western before. Switching disciplines, especially after no riding for 10 years, is very challenging, but she did so well. She started out bareback with a halter, then with a bridle, then with a saddle. She started out in the roundpen, but at the end of the riding session she was CANTERING down the fenceline! She looked so great.
I walked with her and Reiny Day, who was her steed for the day. Reiny Day decided it would be entertaining to put his mouth on my shoulder and keep it there. I walked at least a quarter of a mile that day. Maybe a little more. I was pretty proud of that. At first it hurt, but I pushed through the pain, and my body loosened up a bit. I was surprised at how far I could walk. It was easier to do it while talking about Western riding theory and encouraging horse and rider. I realized that I learned a bit!
Solomon was a good and kind boy, following me around, nickering, and generally just being agreeable.
He got his feed pan, of course.
And we went to our special place out behind the big pasture. He won't go there unless he's with me, but he gets all happy and excited and wants to trot with me when he figures out that we are heading up there. There's virgin grass up there, and while it's mostly dead now, still, it's virgin grass!
After the riding, we went to a dinner party that S_____'s mom put on. My shirt was covered in mud stains, but everyone was polite about it, hah. One person there played polo when she was younger, and another used to trail ride, so I had something to chat with them about.
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