More falling... only off a horse this time!

First time I've hit the dirt in at LEAST 10 years, I believe, and the first on Cherokee (other than a boggled attempt at doing maneuvers I didn't understand when I pulled him over on me).  Which, is just another lesson in the fact that I can't ride more than about 50 minutes, or a mile and a half, without taking a break. As my body was protesting the fast pace of the ride last night, I thought I could just hold Cherokee back and wait for the riders to come back. He didn't want anything to do with it. My upper body gave out completely and I lost the ability to whoa him and school some with the lessons we'd learned to keep his head on what I was asking.  So, we were traveling at Cherokee's command. When I could no longer sit upright, and fell on the horn, Cherokee took that as a sign to canter and catch up with the group. Then I came off.  The other riders got Cherokee caught and me back on and the lady I trailered in with rode back towards to trailer with me.  All the horses seemed a little high headed with 16 riders on a ride this early in the season, so I really doubt it would have changed the outcome if she's stayed with us.  Cherokee also had his first time kicking back at a horse on a ride - before taking off with me.  Fine, but I was still having troubles with my body and we opted to stop and get me off on the south side of the road we'd come under while she went back to the trailer and called one of our husbands to come get me. In the mean time, I waited until the trail ride came back to where I was sitting. One of the riders (on a gorgeous Morgan!) knew my trailer friend and had spoken to her on the phone and said her husband was coming, but, it'd be good if we could get me back on and to the road. SO, back in a saddle I went.  So thankful for the nice gentle man who hoisted my malfunctioning body up into the saddle twice!  Anyway, they got my 'dumped off' on the other side of the bridge by the road ('no, I don't want to be closer to the road to wait' - did I mention that my T-shirt caught on the saddle horn as I came off?!) and I waited again, this time for the truck with my friend's husband.  He came and picked me up - not literally, because my legs were mostly working again my then.  Lesson learned for the MSer who'd prefer not to make accommodations and inconvenience people (after she got fired for trying that with her job); once you know your body's limitations, speak them before riding out with a group of people and see if they're willing to do what you need, and if not - go home.  Too bad I didn't realize how 100% needed my rest periods were before I had to eat dirt, and I KNOW me coming off was more of an inconvenience than if I'd just spoke up before we rode out!  Some things (people?) seem to have to be learned (learn) the hard way though.

COWGIRL WISDOM

COWGIRL WISDOM: “Don't wait until everything is just right. It will never be perfect. There will always be challenges, obstacles and less than perfect conditions. So what. Get started now. With each step you take, you will grow stronger and stronger, more and more skilled, more and more self-confident and more and more successful.” Mark Victor Hansen

Extremely fitting after my adventures last night.  I had planned my leave time around when I needed to go from my place to the State Rec Area (SRA), but called my friend to see if she was coming too before going out to catch my horse - her truck was with her hubby.  Well, been meaning to get down to her place for at least a yr now (maybe 2?!), so why not go pick her up?  Mind you, I've been proving myself to be more and more directionally challenged over the last few years (don't know if it's ms related or simply passing 30, lol).  Yep, thought I was doing good, but pulled into the wrong place and then got myself turned around back a$$ backwards following her directions over the phone (What DID we do before cellphones?!).  Go west?  'Oh, that's to my right', my head tells me... you know, head is north, left is east, right west....  Wait a sec.!  That doesn't even make sense with the cardinal direction's 'W-E' when reading maps!!  Dyslexic?  No, at the computer too much.  I'm facing south at my computer, and west is out the window to my right - goodness!!

Anyway, I picked up my friend, eventually and we ended up being an hour late for the ride.  Went to empty my bladder in the trailer before hopping on my horse, and fell.  Bare assed onto the dirty trailer floor!  UGH.  Okay, got bridled up - eventually.  (Last night was another lesson in just admitting needing help and ASKING FOR IT, btw.)  Mount. Nope, feet said enough, and wouldn't pick up.  Finally asked for help and got on my horse!  Had a nice hour ride in a new location, with two new friends and an old one. :-)  Asked for help much more readily dismounting, and nearly fell on my butt again going to sit on my mounting block.  Lots of laughter though, and I actually can say I'm starting to enjoy the calamities that comes with the ms.  Maybe not enjoy, but at least be able to laugh at them with other people.

Thanks Leigh for getting a picture! :-)

Why horses?

I have SO many things that I have written up\started in my head, but this one jumped out at me and caused me to pull up my page.

Growing up in a non-horsey family, I was always looked at (or at least perceived myself to be looked at) with some skepticism and misunderstanding.  It was (is still) perfectly acceptable for family members to put up their hobbies as excuses to miss events, but riding - rarely.  Going out to 'play' with your horse was seen as just that, playing.  The other non-horse riding members of society seem to have the same views.  If you are going out to ride, you're just out playing around.  Jobs focusing in on your horse knowledge then, also, should not have to pay you as much, of course, because you're just playing and therefore not to be taken seriously.

Why do it then?  It's strenuous, hot, dirty and potentially dangerous.  I'll tell you why, for the vast majority of horse back riders, if not all, it's in our blood.  Speaking for myself, I cannot think of any other place I feel the most 'connected' to earth, nature, God, than on the back of a horse - or even being around them.  I hate speaking in front of people, always have, but if I've got a horse beside me, an inner strength is found and I draw upon the horse's presence.  That said, and to hint at a future post, I do NOT view horses to be 'super natural sentient beings' to be put above any other animal.

As I loaded up my horse's tack we'd taken out of the trailer this weekend, I had to ask myself why I was doing this and could see where the non-horse inclined population might view people like me as being a few cards short of a full deck.  I'm hoping to head out tonight (barring inclement weather that seems near according to the weather guesser and with the thick, humid air) for 3 reasons.

1. To socialize with others who're short the same cards I must be... though let me put this thought out there, perhaps our 'deck' is not short some cards, but we have more than the average 52 card deck.
2. To exercise and do therapy for my ms ridden body.
3. To keep my horse in shape and 'on task'.

I really cannot think of better exercise than riding a horse... to be covered in a later post, as I know I need to rest some before going out to catch and load my horse before my neighbor gets here to watch Cody until my husband gets home.

(btw, My horse has chewed on his tongue since the day I met him - 16 yrs ago! - I'm not THAT heavy! rofl)