New Hobby

For our first wedding anniversary, I took Henry horse back riding in the Wyoming mountains. Well, actually, I arranged for someone to take us riding, but anyway. After being on a horse again, I remembered how much I loved and missed riding horses. When we had just gotten here to Columbus, I decided to put an ad on www. craigslist.com (My Everything source), indicating that I would love to help someone with their horse (ride their horse) for free. I didn't expect anything to come of it (naturally, since I'm a pessimist), but...lo and behold, something came of it. :)

A lady contacted me who had just rescued a race horse that was going to the slaughter house. It's a beautiful 8-year old gelding, 16 hand high (that's about 5,5" or so to the back of the horse)...so, he's pretty tall. His name is Snickers. Anyway, long story short. The lady is new to horse back riding herself, and wanted someone to ride her horse, and help him learn to all the commands etc. for English riding (dressage/jumbing). And so she offered to let me ride him for free, any time.

The funniest thing was when we met up the first time. She just wanted to show me everything, and have me get to know her horse, and see if I wanted to ride him. I thought, she wanted to make sure that I was any good, and so I was really nervous. I didn't know that for her it was already a done deal. That didn't dawn on me until later. So, we get the horse ready, and I'm getting ready to mount him. Since he's so tall, it was kind of a feat to get my foot in the stir-ups. Eventually, I did, but Snickers, before I could swing myself in the saddle, started running off, me hopping behind on one leg. Great start to impress that lady. Well, I got him to stop and the lady suggest a mounting block (which she uses because she's really short). Ok, of I go a second time. But since I was really high up now, I had too much momentum when I swung myself into the saddle and I fell off on the other side, taking the stir-ups with me. At this point I thought my chance was long gone. But, no...not so. Anyway, we tried a third time, this time again without the mounting block. The horse didn't ran off, and I didn't fall over on the other side, I just didn't get into the saddle THIS time because we had forgotten to tighten the saddle again, and so it slid to the sight as my weight pushed into the stir-up. Good thing this lady got a professional like me to teach her horse...

I succeeded finally at the fourth attempt, and after that everything went smoothly and the lady was actually impressed with what I got her horse to do that she had failed to achieve so far.
So, since then I have been able to finally have a hobby again. I have loved being out in the fresh air, moving around, brushing a horse, riding, and just DOING something other than working, sleeping, cleaning, cooking, playing games or whatever. I have a hobby again. And it feels great. It's like I've re-discovered an essential part of my Fran-ness. When I come back from riding, I just feel happy, emotionally rejuvinated, and exhausted in a good way. It's great.

P.S. I attached some pictures from Henry and my horse back riding trip on our anniversary. And they were supposed to be down here, but I don't know what I'm doing, so they are at the top.