Monday, November 22, 2010

I did it, I did it, I did it!

Oh I'm sure many will think this is no big deal.....

I rode Sera bareback for my ride with Rex this week. BAREBACK! I honestly didn't think I could do it... just figured it was a thing from my youth... long gone....thought I'd get up there and slide right off... bloop. Into the dirt.

I wasn't sure what Sera would do... and I am really NOT at all graceful. I'm not one of those people who can lightly hop on or swing themselves up.... I clumber and wallow and grunt and make anyone watching wince in pity for all my flailing struggles.

I lined Sera up next to the mounting block... hmmm. She's still to tall for me to just put my leg over..... and I'm afraid to go belly first over her back because I'm not sure what she's going to think or how she'll react to all my clambering.

Lucky for me, Mrs. Kravitz's husband was there and he gave me a leg up.

He held his hands out cupped.

I looked at him dubiously. I'm pretty sure I outweigh the man.

"Don't throw me all the way over her back to the other side o.k.?" I hesitantly step into his cupped hands and I stand...

"Are you sure you can hold me?" (still standing in his cupped hands)

he grunts as he is holding my full weight while I dither and fret ...." just....umph get....hurg on....oof"

I swing a leg over and I'm on my lovely, fabulous mare bareback!

Oh! She has a spine! I am now intimately familiar with my mare. The last horse I rode bareback was my old gelding... he is very round and stout....backbone nicely covered in lots o' flesh and roundness. I was never that intimately familiar with Brandon.

We walked and trotted and cantered.... oh it was great fun. Like being on the best carnival ride in the world.

I almost came undone when we were doing trot half-pass... normally I weight my stirrup in the direction of travel. I went to weight my stirrup and whoops! There ARE no stirrups, you are bareback Shanster - duh. Almost slid right off the side... but I corrected and on we went.

Oh, it was so much fun. I really love, love, love, love my red-headed mule, Sera Sue.

And it was so much warmer... the day was 28 degrees, cloudy and 98% humidity. Brrr. I'll be doing much more bareback this winter. Know it will help with my balance, strength and confidence.... while keeping me nice and toasty.

5 comments:

Heather said...

Yay! And 28 degrees is warmer??? Yikes!

DebH said...

YEA!!! I bet it felt wonderful!! Just think how fast you could jog around in the spur of the moment! Very Nice and on the spine thing...boy does that remind me of my own horse from years ago. I understand the image on the clumbering about...but I bet you did it with alot of grace. I am sure bareback will improve all aspects and especially the thighs...that gripping thing is a key to staying on!

Tonia said...

All I have to say is you are BRAVE!Lol Congrats on doing so well!

Fyyahchild said...

Yay! I love bareback riding in winter when they're all toasty and fuzzy. I can't wait until December is fat again so I don't have to be intimately aquainted with her spine. We're going to hit some trails bareback for sure when its time!

Anonymous said...

Hey, Shanster--I loved this post. You are too funny. I particularly loved the description of you getting a leg up. Ditto that when my husband legs me up on Sunny bareback. Especially the "don't throw me over his back" and the "oof, would you just get on". Word for word the same dialogue. (Oh and this is Laura Crum if blogger refuses to take me as anything other than anon, which often happens.)