I am thinking about my past journey with horses. In my third book, I realized that I still had retained a fear of bolting, but Cisco and Lucky cured that. That fear came years before with a ruined horse named Sue. Sue had a fear of arms. She did short bolts while I was riding. She always came right back down to a slower gait or a stop when my alarmed hands pulled back on the reins. She did these mini bolts enough times with me that it affected me.
Lucky and Cisco taught be to trust them. With both of them, I learned not to tense up and grip the reins in case they would bolt. I was unaware that another fear had creeped into my brain: Fear of riding alone in anything not surrounded by an arena fence. When I got Fancy, I practiced riding in the limited outdoor parts of Erin Patterson’s stable. You would be shocked to know that I was frightened to ride in the driveway. I graduated to riding in an empty pasture, but only half of it.
I rode Fancy at home earlier in 2021 and was able to make it part ways up my gravel road before the familiar fear of doom came over me. I never made it to the where the cement started…next to the Skateboard Park. I was able to ride in the pasture right next to my property, but only in an area next to my property. I was not able to ride around the neighbor’s lake.
I experience a sense of doom when riding out of an arena. I learned that I could ride with others out in the world. I learned that I might be afraid until I got on Fancy and then the fears left…if I was riding with others.
I’ve had Fancy for a number of years now and experienced her confidence. Recently, my boarding and lesson stable home moved to a new property out in the middle of no where. Erin has an outdoor arena, bordering on a huge open pasture. I was finally “talked into” riding in the huge open pasture with my group lessons people when our group lesson finished.
The next day I rode in that huge pasture ALONE! I did not experience my normal feeling of approaching doom. I was able to ride clear around the pasture. Good Lord! Who am I?
A week or so later, I rode Fancy at my home. I was able to ride the gravel road clear up to the cement where there were kids rocketing around on their skateboards. I then rode around my neighbor’s large pasture. Lastly, I rode over to examine the new house being built next door. The basement is poured, there are piles of dirt and gravel plus a blue Porta Potty. Fancy was definitely intrigued with everything, but there was no spook or bolt…until Emma coming up behind her spooked her. It turned into a accelerated gait rather than a spook.
Fancy is perfect for me! I’m so grateful to own such a fabulous horse.