Kathy commented on my post about reconnecting with my old friends that she's never been able to explain how big a part her horses play in her life to non-horsey people. That's been true for me in all facets of my life, not just with this group. Not one single person asked me about riding or even said anything about all the pictures I posted. When I asked A what he thought about it when we met for lunch all he said was that he was surprised. One of the ladies has a 12 year-old daughter who rides; I guess it either seems like something a young girl would do or its looked at as an elitist sport or activity, not something they would ever come into contact with.
Tomorrow I'm supposed to finally ride Miss again. Yes, that's right, I still haven't ridden her since she got sick in mid-September. After a month off my trainer started doing ground work again and then eventually started riding her, but she wanted to get in a good half-dozen rides before I got on her again. Due to schedules and the weather, that took longer than expected. I'm more than a little frustrated. I realize I am still considered a novice, but I am beginning to resent the fact that I have to have permission from my trainer before I can ride my own horse. I would be happy just to get on her and walk around, but Willow doesn't seem to think Miss would allow that, even after lunging. To rub salt in that wound, I got a notice from the farm owner that they are increasing my board roughly 12% starting next month, and I am now paying one of the farm hands $40 a month to blanket her. They do comp me a lot of things, including lessons for almost a year, so I can't and won't complain, but I would feel better if I knew I could ride her when I wanted to. She's had no issues with her feet since the farrier put pads on her the last time she was shod, so I'm crossing my fingers that will continue.
Tomorrow is the day we picked as Tucker's birthday, since we don't know the exact date. We adopted him through Northern California Golden Retriever Rescue in November 2000 when he was approximately 1 year old. Happy 8th birthday, our sweet and silly red dog. (Check out Bailey's birthday post from May if you missed it.)
Hi Donna, I wish you lived nearby. We'd saddle up a couple of my horses and head out way beyond the fence line. ;-)
ReplyDeleteI find that non-horse people, bless their hearts, are just not in a position to "get" the joy our horses bring to us.
Kimberly
Happy Birthday to Tucker, he looks like a VERY happy dog.
ReplyDeleteI hope your ride went well and that this is the beginning of many rides to come. Maybe you could ask your trainer at what point she felt you would be able to ride on your own.
Tucker is gorgeous. He's lucky -- and so are y'all.
ReplyDeleteNon-horsey people really don't know what to say when you tell them you ride. Or, they tell you about the time they rode once and were put on a wild stallion (it's always a stallion) and how they galloped around on him. It's hard to keep a polite face during such a conversation.
I hope you'll be riding often and that it's even more fun than you remember. (I also think you need to have a talk with your trainer and your barn. They're making too many of the rules here.)
Happy BarkDay Tucker! I go out of my way not to talk horses to non horsey people. I used to and their eyes would just glaze over and they would drift off. It is no use.
ReplyDeleteBoard increases suck. Hope you get to ride soon.
Those dogs are so beautiful... and yes, very silly. Throw me the ball, throw me the ball, I wanna get the ball... :)
ReplyDeleteInteresting parallel in my life with the opera thing. I tell people and I can see in their eyes they don't get it. Opera is fat ladies oversinging to the point it's laughable. It's not incredibly beautiful and dramatic stories and amazing music. And it's not elitist, or else, it really shouldn't be. For centuries, it was a very popular art form. The same thing for riding...
I don't know what to say about them not letting you ride. It 'feels' from across the hill here, that it is sincerely for your protection. They want you to always be able to ride her. For some reason, I think they must know that she needs you as much as you need her. Not sure if that helps with frustration, but that's what it seems like from here.
To bad about the rate hike, but business is business, am I right?
Glad the cloud has passed... may they always.
Happy Birthday to Tucker! What a good dog. I do love his red coat.
ReplyDeleteI hope your ride went well.
It's hard to have your passions misunderstood or ignored. Of course, if all you did was talk about your children, you would be in good company. : P
Gorgeous pup! I love the beach photo best.
ReplyDeleteHappy B-Day, Tucker!
ReplyDeleteNon-horsey people just don't get it and they never well. That's their problem, not ours.
ReplyDeleteI hope your ride went ok. It's hard to know if that line is about protecting you or control. Whichever it is, be safe in figuring it out.
Tucker looks like a happy guy! That is pretty cool.
Will be looking forward to info on your ride.
Oh, civilians! What do they know :) I must say, there is a type of folk who look at me askance like, 'Yeah, and how long is this interest going to last.' I've been fortunate in that I do have friends who are interested... but only up to a point. Ah, well— there loss!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your lovely writing, and Tucker looks a complete dote!
Happy Birthday Tucker, you are a beautiful Pup!
ReplyDeleteI'm just dying for a Golden Boy like Tucker... (don't tell the pugs). Thinking of you, Donna, and hoping you have really special holidays this season!
ReplyDeletexoxo
JennaM