Though aprehensive about riding, I did ride while at the Silver Spur Ranch in Bandera. This is me atop Texas. A nice, gentle horse, he had to be prodded to keep up while along the trail as he liked to stop and smell the roses. Actually, he liked to nibble anything growing.
The trail took us over rocky ground where the horse had to maneuver steps up and down, through thick foilage, and paths overlooking deep drop offs. Texas has a varied landscape and it was interesting to see the terrain change from rocks, scrub brush, and mesquites to pines and sandy dirt all within a mile or so.
My horseback riding experience is limited. My grandfather had a farm and I must have ridden his horse because he let me and a girlfriend ride double one day. A big mistake. We rode in the dirt road and when a car approached us we panicked. My friend must have kicked the horse in the flanks because he started bucking and she flew through the air backwards and landed in the soft dirt of the ditch. I'd been yanked loosed by then and fell into the dirt road. When the horse ran home riderless my dad came for us in the car minutes later. My shoulder was dislocated and required surgery to put it back in place. I didn't get on a horse again for many years.
Close to forty years later, while teaching school in Fort Stockton, my students raised money for a day at the Prude Ranch in Fort Davis. Of course, horseback riding was one of the days activities. I decided if I was ever to get back on a horse, it had to be then. The experience went well though I did fall while dismounting. I'm just a clutz.
I've learned riding, even when you're sore, helps to work the soreness out of muscles. The next time I go to a dude ranch, I'll ride everyday we're there.
I hope you enjoyed my horse tale. Leave a comment and share your riding experiences.
Thanks for Reading and Writing!
Linda
http://www.lindalaroque.com/
