‘Wall Horse’ for trotting muscles
Don’t look at me! I don’t want to carry you about!
If the cap fits…
Yes, my bum’s looking bigger in these!
At the end of this month and this Q3 I have made the leap, mentally, to allow myself to plan to ride again, not on Rufus. Rufus is retired due to his sweetitch and has been for more than half his 19 years. Since Buddy, and then Flax, died, I have been totally at standstill and have not ridden, and I have been unable to get my head past the questions folk ask me – ‘Are you going to ride again?’ sees me imagining Rufus and I looking awkwardly at each other – not I never plan to ride him again – it’s not fair on him, and I don’t enjoy it. ‘Am I getting another horse?’ No. I don’t want to go out and buy a horse or pony.’ This has generally concluded with me saying, ‘I’ll never ride again.’ End of conversation.
This summer has been particularly difficult to actually be writing again in my story world but not be riding. I have found myself actively letting myself think, ‘I do miss riding…’ I do not miss riding around this local area = the traffic is dreadful, and the off-road riding is also over-busy with lorries supplying the farm estate and small industrial conversion, cyclists, and walkers – so it is generally fairly fraught with other users in a tiny space. I’ve always been grateful that we had as much access as we did, but fun it was not.
Jane Badger ( Pony Book Specialist and Editor) had mentioned a while ago that she had been brave enough to take up riding again after many years, and I had applauded her – it is no mean feat. Recently, she gave her FB followers an update, and I found myself making the same kind of rather sad comment about my own feelings and then, shortly after I hit ‘post’, I wondered why I didn’t go to one of the several small riding schools near me that still hack out? KA CHING.
Well! That really woke me up!-! I absolutely will make the effort to get a bit fitter while finishing this rewrite – and book up some rides – AFTER finishing this rewrite in a few weeks.
I realised that having the horses here had morphed over so many years into having to ride them – yes, ride out ‘work’ for others or take them to a yard to ride out from – yes, go to an indoor school on a school horse when I wanted to freshen up my jumping – but it never crossed my mind to go for a ride on one – you don’t when there is a field full at home.
No hay£. No Shoes£. No having to wonder if I have £1000 put aside for suddenly having to PTS and remove the body… I show up, and I get to ride out with other people for whom I am NOT responsible – I don’t have to hold their horse or open the gates, because they can’t, or set the speed to suit them, or pick them up if they fall off – I can just get on the horse and follow along and enjoy being on a horse again – not have to train it and not worry about traffic… Oh yes! This Writer, Rider, is back together again. 🙂
I get to look after Rufus and fuss him, and he gets to not have to endure riding out – lugging me about while very itchy, etc. Win WIN.
Happy Pony 🙂
Very Happy MC 🙂