Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

Just got back from a 16 mile conditioning ride,  had to share it with people
that could understand! My week started out pretty awful, kinda like a
trainwreck, and I was just waiting for the weekend, when I could ride and
feel better. Well, due to the wrath of Mother Nature, I spent all day Sat.
cutting down trees that had gotten blown over in the night's violent storm.
Finally learned how to use a chainsaw, and wasn't too shabby with it!
Rebuilt my round pen corral that appeared to have been struck by
lightning.(got to rebuild it again on Sun, that's a whole 'nother story)
Before I knew it it was dark. Sunday's weather was pretty iffy. Dark,
overcast, winds gusting up to 50 MPH and thunderstorm warnings. Waited half
the day before I finally decided,"So what?" "I'm going riding!!"(yeah, I do
talk to myself, aloud. Scares some people.) Maybe I'll get wet, I'll dry
off. Maybe I'll get muddy, I'll take a bath. Maybe I'll get struck by
lightning, I'll be fine. Loaded up my trusty mare Largo and headed out. I
just got my new Exiss trailer(insert ad here) and am not yet too good
driving it. Was hoping the camp I was going to wouldn't be too crowded.
There's room for 80 rigs there, should be able to squeeze in. Got there to
find that NO ONE was there!!! Can you believe it? I saddled up, wondering if
I WAS actually crazy to be going out in this wind. Let me just say, my ride
was breath-taking!! Where there would normally be mud, there was fast
flowing creek water. Kept my white horse clean! The trails were all my own
today and I am SO glad I didn't miss it. My truly wonderful companion of 16
years was willing and able,never questioning, wanting to go faster and
faster, and she didn't even know where she was. At one point , during a long
canter up a long, winding, windy path up a hill I asked myself if I should
be asking a 19 year old to do this, when I suddenly realized she was ripping
the reins out of my hands. For some reason that moment made me realize how
good life is, how good I have it, and how much I LOVE this mare! The view
from the top of that ridge was unbelievable. I felt all my troubles and
stress of the week just slip away in that instance on that mare, on that
ridge. Guess it's true that the outside of a horse is good for the inside of
a woman! The rest of my ride was just as exhilarating. Got back to camp and
laid in the grass, letting my girl munch away. Got my entire backside soaked
and muddy, but who cares? These clothes are going straight into the wash. As
soon as I'm done writing this story. Here's hoping that everyone here had
the good fortune that I did today. To be enjoying life from the back of a
good horse. I guess there's not much wrong that a good horse can't fix. And
if you weren't lucky enough to be able to ride today, at least go out and
hug your horses. Sometimes they're the best "people" we have in our lives.

Suzanne(and I never even got rained on!!! Not that I would have cared.) 

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