Trail Ride

Wow I'm sore! Today was the big trail ride that we've been practising for all week. I got up early, packed my lunch, and headed out to the property. Sacred was gone but Cindy's horses were still there so I guessed that she'd had trouble with hers and taken mine first - which was right. When she got back we all tackled the issue and eventually got the very determined Diesel and the even more determined Buddy onto the float.

The ride itself was basically pretty scarey. It was beautiful country on the other side of Goulburn, but very rocky and very hilly terrain - fortunately I had Sacred shod yesterday or I would've felt pretty bad! As we departed Sacred commenced trotting down the hill and would not settle. My heart was in my mouth because I felt that I did not have her in hand - very unsettling. I kept telling myself that she would calm down once she'd used up a bit of energy but unfortunately this point never came! At one stage I said to Cindy "I want to get off and walk!"

"You are not getting off!" she said. "You've got control of her. Just put your butt down in the saddle."

She said this just as we passed through a narrow gateway and took a sharp turn around a tree. Suddenly, Sacred got wire wrapped around her back legs and bolted. For a few seconds I thought I could still hear the wire around her legs and I thought "Great, she'll never stop. I'm f#*@ed!" I held her head down as she bolted past all the other riders and finally I turned her around. She then started dancing backwards, I kicked her forwards, and she stopped. I jumped off - I needed to feel my feet on solid ground. I was so relieved - I was pretty sure the whole thing was going to end in disaster. At this point I noticed Buddy bolt past - without Cindy. He had taken fright when Sacred bolted, shied, and poor Cindy had fallen. After a moment we both got back on - Cindy a bit worse for wear - and continued.

I felt calmer after that for some reason. Despite my calm, however, Sacred absolutely refused to walk. She jogged the whole way - this mincy, bouncy little trot. I kept lining her up directly behind nice big old stable WALKING horses, but when she couldn't pass she just jogged on the spot. In the end I was just laughing - it was so uncomfortable - I was looking at all the lovely big walking horses and I was so jealous - their riders looked so comfortable while I was copping a major ass-hammering - and I realised that Sacred, being an Arabian, was never actually likely to run out of steam. And she didn't. Not in three hours!

So now I'm home, it's kind of rainy and cold, and I'm gonna have a long hot shower, cuddle with the dog on the couch with a doona, and watch a dvd. Bliss. Homework can wait. My butt's too sore!