- Before we begin this account of the amazing adventure today, I would like to mention that it is day five of Question Box Pattern. Thank goodness for this pattern which keeps horses going in an circle and helps to slow them down. I needed a pattern that barely moved.
Many things contributed to this day. I’ve started pursuing the Parelli Levels program. They no longer require bareback riding, but do encourage it at this level . Plus, I had to do it all my early life in the program with Sage and Velvet. I rode bareback when I first started taking lessons at Pine Dell Farm. I was young then, not yet fifty when that started! The original Level 1 required bareback riding. Now the Level 1 doesn’t include any riding, just the ground games.
The stable where i’m playing with Fancy had a barn party with some fun horse contests. One of them is called “Ride a Buck”. The original concept is to ride bareback with a dollar bill placed under your upper thigh. The last person maintaing that dollar bill, gets all the lost dollars. No way was I going to ride bareback in that contest. But it had me think of those early years where I was fine with riding bareback. Who was I back then I wonder?
My student counter part, another Susan, was in the same experience level with me about riding bareback. We had not rode bareback for 15-20 years and were yearning to repeat the young years again. The nerve of her! She rode bareback the day before the barn party. grrrrr!
My saddle was nestled in a trailer. It was still in the trailer from the Sunday cow clinic. It would be an effort for me to get the saddle out.
I had found my green Parelli bareback pad. It is in fine shape. It is over twenty years old. I love that bareback pad. I yearn to repeat the past pre fifty riding bareback.
I figured out how to mount Fancy with some clever use of a corral panel. In my young yearsfrom a mounting block, I leaped my stomach onto my horse, got my balance and swung a leg over. I might fall face forward if I did that now. It took a while to figure out the best option, but I was able to climb up the metal poles, amazingly swung a leg over Fancy and got into the correct position. I was on the pad in the middle of her back. SCREAM!
My body was very upset at me. It had little idea of how to keep its self up there. I felt like I was standing on a gymnastic balance beam about to fall. When I looked down at the ground, I seemed to be dizzy. I focused straight ahead. My body twitched. My legs jutted out every few seconds, trying to figure out my body definition of balance. Good Lordy.
I decided to ask Fancy to move a step forward. She did. My legs tried different positions to keep the body in place. Scream. I asked Fancy to walk a step and stop and repeat. I stayed on and it took effort.
My body said ask Fancy to walk slowly forward. My legs took turns trying to figure out the meaning of life and balance. Fancy and I slowly walked the Question Box Pattern. When would balance show up? My legs were twisting in the non-wind of the indoor arena. My heels were down with my toes up. Your body requires that when you start riding bareback. People call this good equitation.
I remembered about sitting on my pockets. I sat back and it seemed a little better. My legs were still jerking around trying to keep me balanced. When would balance be part of my life again? I must have twitched up there for ten minutes at Fancy’s slow walk. Thank goodness Fancy walked slow. I wondered what she was thinking up there about my body shifting. Fancy has never experienced a beginning bareback rider. She is used to balanced human beings.
I felt better, but still unbalanced. I asked Erin if the young girls who come for their first lessons riding a horse move their legs around trying for balance. Erin responded yes. It’s a normal occurrence when you ride bareback for the first time or after 17-18 years! ha
Twenty minutes or so had gone by. I decided I wasn’t going to fall off. I made the risky decision to have Fancy move up into the flat foot walk. WHAT!? The flat foot walk is easier to ride than a walk? How can that be! Heaven is real. The footfalls of the flat foot walk are shorter than a walk and steady. I was able to relax and enjoy life. We fell back into a walk again and my legs needed to swing around to get the balance again. How can going faster be smoother than walking? This is a miracle.
Fancy went up (without my permission) into a fox trot. Oh my. This is easy to ride also. I’m still in heaven. Fancy decided to argue with me on what gait to be in. She also wanted to zip into the middle instead of staying on the Question Box Circle. Zipping into the middle made my whole upper body struggle to stay in place.
After about thirty five minutes, I felt a inner thigh muscle decide whether or not to cramp. Oh goodness, not now! Bravely, I rode on. The upper thigh heard my prayer and decided to stay supple. Fancy and I stopped, backed and stood still many times. Now we are at forty minutes and stopped. My body decided it wanted to lay on Fancy. My rear scooted back and I laid my upper body on her withers and neck. This is what a young kid would do. I’m young again. However the leather hold strap of the bareback pad was uncomfortable. I managed to set back up and move my rear forward to balance.
We zipped around for a while longer and I told Fancy this was enough. She was thrilled. I dismounted from the corral panel and stepped on the ground. I tried to walk. Ouch, Ouch Ouch. My very upper inner thigh muscles are rarely ever asked to do anything. It appears that these muscles are used when riding bareback. Scream
I am a broken lumpy cowgirl trying to disguise myself as that young red-haired girl riding her black pony, Cricket. Parents knew not to let little girls ride in a saddle until they learned how to ride bareback. I’m not there yet, but the memories have made the muscles work. I’ll be young after a few more rides!
Yee Haw!
Fancy is such a perfect horse for me!
PS: I cleaned Fancy’s stall after my ride. She piles manure on top of manure. There is more than I thought! I’m also using shavings instead of pellets. Shavings are heavier. I filled the manure thing. Now my biceps are whining. I’m shaping up!