I am not sure if any of you remember the last time I attempted to get on a horse that was not my own… but it ended in me being thrown off the mounting block and into the dirt more than once. Since then, I haven’t had the opportunity to get on anything else. Until yesterday.
The SAME FRIEND has a new horse (new as in has been at the barn for about a month now). And he is… the opposite of May. 17ish hands, dark bay OTTB gelding. He has big elastic gaits and is just now gaining enough of a topline to wear a medium tree saddle… with a thick half pad.
So when we were riding together for a bit, and she offered to let me get on, I was a bit… apprehensive. It was raining. We were in the indoor. Etc etc etc. But he had looked pretty fun… and May loves my friend. So I agreed to swap. (Enjoy the awful screenshots… and whatever it is my hands are doing).
I took me a minute to get on. He wanted to look out the door next to the mounting block, and I was being slower than molasses and cautious as could be about getting on. I hadn’t realized how much that other horse had shaken my confidence until I had to climb (literally) onto this big horse.
Luckily, he was perfect to get on. I trotted and cantered him around a bit. It is so odd to be on a horse that is not only so different from May (what is SUSPENSION) but is also so much greener.
However, it was a super fun experience and reminded me of why I used to love riding so many different horses. Big thank you to my friend for sharing him with me for the afternoon… and a bigger thank you to this big guy for the ride. <3
I feel you on the PTSD about the mounting block. But I’m so glad you had a fun and successful ride on a new horse! It’s amazing how different they all can feel
It is! I have made many people get on May, but I often forget what a “different” type of ride she is.
Feel you as well on the PTSD about the mounting block too. I hadn’t realized some of my fears were actually there until I was doing them, BUT I am glad that you had a super fun ride on your friend’s new horse! I love riding other horses – it’s so good for us as riders – but there’s something great in hopping back on your own horse and feeling that “ahhhh” moment lol!
UGh nothing worse than having the mounting block be the starting point for the stress 🙂 You look great on him but if you get a big horse later on you need to have a palomino or i wont recognize you 🙂 HA HA HA glad E got a good egg this time even if he is a large jumbo sized egg hahaahah
Yay! Glad you got to ride something different! As I age, I too feel a less confident at first on a new horse. Sounds like a fun ride though!