DAY 159 -- Horseback riding.

I went horseback riding today for the first time since I was in high school.  Memories of that ride made me a bit nervous when I swung up into the saddle.  The last time I rode, I was riding behind a friend of mine on her horse.  We stopped on a cement slab and she dismounted to take care of something, leaving me on the back of the horse, with the reins in my hands.  The horse got jittery and started dancing around on the cement...I pulled back on the reins trying to get the horse to stop but it reared up on its hind legs, scaring the tar out of me.  To this day I am not sure how I remained on the horse (since I was not in a saddle) and did not hit the cement, all I know is that I never got on a horse again until today.  


We went as a family today, and had a guide taking us.  When we entered the corral area, I looked around at the various horses and wondered which one they would select for me.  I spotted one that was speckled with gray and somehow knew that was the one I would ride.  I was right.  Her name was Dixie, and she had a slight rebellious streak in her.  

She wanted to snack any chance she got and it seemed like I spent the first half of the ride yanking her head away from the grass and bushes.  She got stubborn so I had to kick to make her go.  The guide told me to kick harder, so I did, and off we went at a fast trot.  Got her to slow down, but she was miffed.  We were on a narrow mountainous trail, so I think that kept her from taking off all together...she had to stay on the trail and couldn't pass the others.  The horse in front of us was not moving at a pace to please Dixie, so she kept getting as close as she could and biting him on the rear end!  I tried to get her to slow, and tried to keep her back at a safe distance, but she still managed to catch up and bite numerous times.  Thankfully the other horse was super mellow and did not bolt when bitten.


Dixie liked to eat, was impatient, and wanted to bite another's rear end.  A perfect match for me!