I’ve been riding horses pretty much all my life.  I started when I was 10 with a once a week lesson, and was lucky enough to get my first horse when I was 14.  Since then, I’ve only taken a two year break (when we lived in MA mostly) from riding consistently and since Austin boasts lovely things like good jobs and a low cost of living – I feel extremely lucky to own a horse again.

Even when I was a kid and theoretically made of rubber, I’ve never been one of those people who are all gutsy when riding.  I’m aware that a horse is a big creature, and the ground is a long way away.  That feeling only got worse as I got older, and briefly owned a green horse that rattled my confidence in a major way.

What I’m getting at, is the reason why I’m actually kind of excited even though I have a sore bottom and head right now.  Tonight I fell off my horse for the second time.  The first time he was being naughty and threw me.  That little episode shook up my confidence a lot and I’m now scared to take him on a trail ride because of it.

Tonight though, was just a fluke.  He didn’t do anything wrong.  To keep the explanation simple, I would say that he zigged and I zagged.  The reason I am pleased by this whole endeavor is that instead of being crippled with fear, I got back on the horse.  That’s a terribly cheesy cliche, but it’s easier said than done.  Not only did I get back on without having to give myself a major pep talk, but I was able to take the jump a few more times without making an ass of myself or being so afraid that I caused more problems.

This is good progress for me, and further proof that Teaspoon is the perfect horse for me.  He doesn’t scare me, and he’s continuing to grow my confidence so much so that when something like this happens I can quickly shrug it off and go on with life.

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