BANG!!!

Hope this post's title didn't startle you... But that's how I felt yesterday.

Remember just this time last week I posted about not being able to go horse riding????

Our God works in wondrous ways.

On Saturday my dad got a phone call from the person we have been trying to ride horses at his house for a while.

He asked if Monday was okay for me to come over...AND RIDE!

I just couldn't wait. But I have to admit I was wary and didn't want my hopes getting up. I told no one just in case it wouldn't happen.

But it did! We drove about fifteen minutes to his place. Once we got there, he took us inside to his kitchen (his house was very pleasant and home-ey) and we talked for some time. He asked some questions like "How much experience do you have with horses?"
Of course, "Next to nothing" was my answer.
We talked about horses some time and the ministry he has with prison inmates. After a tour of his house and a Mountain Dew, we made our way outside.

He took me over to a black mare (female) that he was given earlier in the month. It doesn't have a name, but he told me if I could think of a good name to tell him. Anyways, he got her and took her to a grooming stall, where I brushed out her mane and tail. I never knew how thick horsehair was! She kept on pulling her tail so that I couldn't brush it out, and for a while it seemed like a game. She'd pull it in and look back at me. I was sure she was silently laughing.
Oh, and I saw the horse that I had that little adventure on. He's a stallion named Rusty. I smiled a little when I saw him, but I think I'm never ever going to get on that horsie again.

It was nice outside. There were trees all around and where we were it was shady. It was pretty hot that day, so I was glad for shade. After we were done with grooming her, he took me over to the tack (gear) shed. It took a while for us to saddle her up.

I mean, I don't know much about horse terminology, and I've never actually saddled up a horse before. Plus, everything had to be done up because I'm not exactly the tallest tree in the forest, if ya get what I mean.

He taught me how to make her stop in two ways. One, pull up on the reins. If that doesn't work, then tug to the side and the horse will go in circles until it stops. And you always say "Whoa".

The rest was pretty uneventful. He has a stretch of land that goes to a fence, with bushes, trees, and a barrel in between the fence and his house. I went to the fence and back. I don't know what I was telling her, but she was kind of trotting, and I freaked. I seriously need to buy boots or something. Tennis shoes are not recommended for riding. I thought my feet were going to fall out of the stirrups! When I came back, he told me to pat her neck and say "Easy, girl!"
I also talked to her while we rode. Just nonsense, really. I was thinking of names for her, but her ears were pricked back. I think she was listening to me.

So we slowed to a walk for the rest of the ride. I weaved through the trees and branches, getting an occasional whack in the face when I got too close to the trees and a branch hit me. After a couple of rounds, he told me to take her to his back yard and pull her around. Once I went back there, she immediately started towards her pasture. I turned her around though and we went through several times.

But one time, she hit some kind of equipment and spooked. We rocketed! I panicked and pulled back. "WHOA!" That was the only time we had a little bit of trouble, but we went through again and she was fine.

Eventually, maybe thirty minutes to an hour later, we unsaddled her and I put her back in the pasture. She was pretty hungry or just wanted to irk me because she kept on trying to eat grass. Horse are strong, powerful animals. It took me a long time and I felt like a circus clown. I had to reach up to take off her rope I had used to lead her. It was hard, and that was one time that I wish I was taller. I had to jump up and reach behind her ears. Oh well, I hope that practice will help as time goes on.

We all got into our van, and went just a block away to another pasture. He showed me some of his other horses. He has three donkeys and five horses, including the one I rode and the one who took me on that wild ride.

He told me there's two horse he will trust with me. One is the one I rode, and another is a beautiful three-year old buckskin named "Sissy". She's smaller than the black mare.

I was just a little bit frightened by the horses this time, and I hope to shake it off really soon. A little bit of fear is okay, I mean, if you don't watch just a little bit you could be foolhardy. But I think I was a little to apprehensive. The donkeys spooked me the most. This little snowball-colored and textured jenny (young female donkey) kept on following me!
Of course, when I later told my family, they had a laugh over it... *grins*

After that we headed home, and I had a promise of more horse riding this Saturday. Yes, this coming Saturday. I'm so excited!!! Only FOUR more days! Eep! I hope that I'm hooked onto horses for life.

I can finally say that I've had one of my dreams come true!

God Bless,