Our first real trailride produced some amazing pictures taken by fellow riders. When the trailride was over, the light was perfect for pictures.
Riders think if they live through the ride, it’s a done deal. I am alive. I learned that a trailride isn’t over when one arrives alive back at the trailer. “Hang On” for the story!
The Rock Island Trail exists very close to where I live in the Kansas City area. It’s an extension of the Katy Trail. These trails are abandoned railroad tracks that have been converted to trails for walkers, bikes and horses.
When you take the first Trail Ride on your horse, you can’t help but envision what terrible things might happen. Accordingly, this trail ride plan was kept a secret from me for about two weeks. I was invited to ride about 10:00 that morning. I texted back, sure. I had only three hours to worry. Chastity Young knows me oh so well! Thank you Chas!
Would my body be found “hanging” over a bridge? Bridges are terrifying when riding an unproven horse. I tried to imagine what else could happen, but I know Fancy will be a wonderful trail horse. I had no “hang ups”. I did tell my two friends where my purse could be located with my insurance cards. Erin and Chas laughed. Sigh
Erin Patterson and Chastity Young are riding proven trail horses. Fancy and I have the best support system in the universe. Fancy “hung out” in the middle of the herd on the trail. Fancy was supported and protected by these two horses. Off we went down the trail. After three or four minutes, happiness started to leak out of my heart. These trails are crushed gravel called chad. The trails are smooth and flat. This is the kind of terrain I love!
It was a warm day, but excessively windy. Wind causes the outdoor environment to move. The grass, bushes and tree limbs are moving. Horses worry about movement caused by “lions starting to attack”. Erin’s proven trail horse has long been convinced that lions are a hoax. Chas’s horse, Louie, used the lion hoax to up his excitement at being out on the trail. Chas did not have a boring ride, but Louie was a solid brick for Fancy.
“Hanging” just ahead was bridge number one. This bridge is a short one, but has a terrifying element, horizontal dark brown shiny wide metal strips.
Situation #1 Bob looked at the weird looking stripes and didn’t like it. Then his metal horseshoe touched the brown metal strip and made a clang. “No! I’m not going near that thing. It will kill me.” OR
Situation #2. Bob knew that his best girlfriend, Fancy, would never cross the bridge. So he pretended to be scared of the bridge so that Erin would get off and lead he and Fancy across.
Trail proven Louie was next, but he had seen Bob’s distrust and went with that. My two friends tried to convince their horses to cross while Fancy and I waited. I knew better than to ask Fancy to cross those metal strips! Erin got off and led Bob across the bridge with Louie following. I asked Fancy to follow Louie and she refused. Bob and Louie crossed the bridge and Fancy was “hanging” back. Erin led Bob back across the bridge and held Fancy’s halter and tried to lead both horses across the bridge. After a few moments, Fancy stepped on the bridge and the metal plate. Eeeek! Fancy held firm thanks to Erin. Erin led her across while I whistled. Whistling stops the human body from being tense. Usually these bridges are narrow with low walls. However the sides of the Rock Island Trail bridges are high enough that I wasn’t scared of falling off the bridge. Whew!
We came to a stretch of the trail that had no trees to protect us from the wind. The wind made the horses’ tails “hang” in the wind.
The next bridge was ahead. Oh Lordy! This was a double bridge. Hwy 7 bridge was overhead with constant traffic. Our metal strip bridge was underneath the traffic. Scream! The wind was blowing! “Hang in there Susan”! Thankfully Bob balked, causing Erin to get off again and get hold of Fancy’s halter. We walked onto the bridge. Erin let go, and led Bob forward. Fancy followed with Louie right behind. Erin said to me, “You’re Golden”!
Fancy was concerned about the railroad ties laying haphazardly along the trail. For much of the trail, she kept her head down and stared at the ties, tree limbs and stuff along side the trail. She was very worried about a strange looking pole…holding the rusted-out remainder of the red, yellow green light metal warning lamp for the train. There was also a worrisome white pipe sticking out of the ground. Fancy was wary of these things not part of a regular outdoors, but we passed by at our trail speed walk instead of a balk or bolt. There came a place next to the trail where there was a raging stream. Bob wanted to go and get into the stream so he could prove that he was, indeed, and experienced trail horse. Fancy and I said “Heck No” and watched the great team fearlessly go into the stream. Bob proved his trail horse reputation.
We came to the end of the trail and Fancy posed for more photos.
On the way back, I decided that Fancy was confident enough to lead. We led. I screamed with joy and flapped my arms. Fancy jumped a little. Whoops!
No more screaming from me. We came to the bridges again and Fancy crossed, following Bob. She crossed both bridges without Erin leading her. Indeed, Fancy is golden (in many ways)!
We made it back to the trailer parking lot and huge water puddles. A beginning trail horse does not trust water. They do not know how deep the water is and certainly have not built up a trust of their human. (Snort)
Chas told me to go to the far side of the mini lake and walk towards her, making it look like we were forging a river. I laughed. Fancy laughed. No way! Erin and Bob came to the rescue again. Bob walked thru the water and Fancy followed smack dab into the water, Wow! Joy leached out my bones and sang. We walked around in the water while Chas took pictures. This was the perfect time of the day for golden light. Fancy and I played movie star beauty. When all the scenes were wrapped up. It was time to dismount.
The trail ride was done. I was very excited to have a horse who crossed bridges and water. What a lucky young woman I am! Thank you to good friends Chas and Erin with their experienced trail horses to give the young Fancy confidence. Thank you Erin for leading Fancy across the bridge and into the water.
I tried to get off my horse. Fancy must have wanted me to hang on for a while, I slid my leg over to drop to the ground. I dismount by taking my foot of of the stirrup. I am supposed to drop to the ground.
I did not drop to the ground. As my body was sliding down Fancy’s side, my coat attached itself to the saddle horn. Shriek! I am sliding knowing my time is limited. I tried to unzip my coat as I slid slowly toward the ground. My body was obeying gravity. How I hate gravity.
Another second or two went by and my entire body was hanging from the saddle. My cute red coat had become a noose around my shoulders. I screamed lightly. I used my horse scream which is more like a moan.
“Help Me! Help Me! Luck was with me and Erin was near enough to hear me. She scrambled to the red glob hanging from the saddle. There isn’t much that can be done in this situation. Two hundred dead weight pounds isn’t going to easily yield to anything.
Luck was with me. I had ordered to coat in a size too large. Thank God for weight loss! After some squirming, the coat came off over my head and I dropped to the ground. Sadly heh, heh, Chas was busy unsaddling her horse out of visual contact. No pictures exist of the Red Blob hanging from the saddle.
Cliffhanger indeed!
Later that day, I told German Shepard Emma about the coat. I left it in the car with her when at a restaurant that night. Emma killed the down-stuffed red beast that very night. Ripped red coat is currently spending its last week of evil life in the garbage bin.
Thank you, Emma!
Wonderful story. I am so glad you enjoyed your ride. You are blessed with encouraging friends