sunnycher
Nov. 4, 2007, 06:28 PM
I've never posted here before, but did want to tell my summer story, and what made me know I'm going to be o.k was a beautiful trail ride on Halloween.
I used to trail ride every day out my back door (for 13 years) into forever BLM land, also fox-hunted, etc, etc.
Then we moved, and I don't have quite the same access to trails - I can still go, but need to trailer, so it isn't as convenient. So, I started eventing, taking dressage and jumping lessons and LOVED it. However I did miss the trail access. I try to trailer out about 2 - 3 times a month, but it wasn't until last week that I ventured out by myself. I think I was worried that if i fell or something happened, where would my horses go?
Anyway.... on July 1 this year, I had a BAD fall from my big 1/2 shire. I didn't break anything, but had a concussion and still have a HUGE hematoma on my butt and was lancing it 1 to 2 times a week to drain off the fluid up until the middle of October.
I didn't ride all summer, then in August I lost my beautiful OTTB mare when some bulls came through our property, she had a "de-gloving injury to her leg and we had to put her down. I started riding lightly again end of August and had another fall in October - windy day, over a jump, and the panel jump took off in the wind and my horsey did an "air-jordan" and off I came. I took 1 lesson since I've been back on and I was a MESS, big chicken. By the end, it was o.k., but I sucked!
So, needless to say - it's been weird. Good news is I have a fresh perspective and realize that things really can change in an instant.
I am down to 2 horses now - my perfect mare- and a 3.5 y.o TB cross. He's been backed last spring, but didn't really get him going, and now I just don't quite have the same "enthusiasm" to get on him myself. So we do lots of ground work, and I'm looking for a trainer to get him going.
So we went out into the foothills by ourselves, my mare and ponying the baby. The day was glorious, no-one in sight, late afternoon about 65 degrees, no wind, great footing, everything I could have asked for. We were galloping up a sandy wash and it hit me, I need to ride out to get my confidence back. I am so much more comfortable out in the open (why I love cross country), I naturally have better balance, timing, etc. It was so awesome, it made me cry. I guess I thought maybe my "real" riding was done, but I think I just needed to heal, and then get outside again.
So maybe my next riding venture will be endurance??? There are folks around here who do that, or maybe back country horsemen? Love the "outside". I would quit for sure if all I had to look forward to was dressage (sorry, don't mean to offend). Thanks,
I used to trail ride every day out my back door (for 13 years) into forever BLM land, also fox-hunted, etc, etc.
Then we moved, and I don't have quite the same access to trails - I can still go, but need to trailer, so it isn't as convenient. So, I started eventing, taking dressage and jumping lessons and LOVED it. However I did miss the trail access. I try to trailer out about 2 - 3 times a month, but it wasn't until last week that I ventured out by myself. I think I was worried that if i fell or something happened, where would my horses go?
Anyway.... on July 1 this year, I had a BAD fall from my big 1/2 shire. I didn't break anything, but had a concussion and still have a HUGE hematoma on my butt and was lancing it 1 to 2 times a week to drain off the fluid up until the middle of October.
I didn't ride all summer, then in August I lost my beautiful OTTB mare when some bulls came through our property, she had a "de-gloving injury to her leg and we had to put her down. I started riding lightly again end of August and had another fall in October - windy day, over a jump, and the panel jump took off in the wind and my horsey did an "air-jordan" and off I came. I took 1 lesson since I've been back on and I was a MESS, big chicken. By the end, it was o.k., but I sucked!
So, needless to say - it's been weird. Good news is I have a fresh perspective and realize that things really can change in an instant.
I am down to 2 horses now - my perfect mare- and a 3.5 y.o TB cross. He's been backed last spring, but didn't really get him going, and now I just don't quite have the same "enthusiasm" to get on him myself. So we do lots of ground work, and I'm looking for a trainer to get him going.
So we went out into the foothills by ourselves, my mare and ponying the baby. The day was glorious, no-one in sight, late afternoon about 65 degrees, no wind, great footing, everything I could have asked for. We were galloping up a sandy wash and it hit me, I need to ride out to get my confidence back. I am so much more comfortable out in the open (why I love cross country), I naturally have better balance, timing, etc. It was so awesome, it made me cry. I guess I thought maybe my "real" riding was done, but I think I just needed to heal, and then get outside again.
So maybe my next riding venture will be endurance??? There are folks around here who do that, or maybe back country horsemen? Love the "outside". I would quit for sure if all I had to look forward to was dressage (sorry, don't mean to offend). Thanks,