Around this time last year, I took some horse-riding lessons. I've always been strangely afraid of horses with no sound reason. Although our niece used to hang out at a riding school and one of her little friends had her nose kicked off by a horse - literally kicked right off her face, so I suppose that's a good enough reason for me to be cautious. I took the lessons because Twinkle was desperate to get horsey - I believe its a little girl phase - although I never recall that from my childhood. Not many horses around where I come from though - except pulling the rag mans cart. Anyway, I took the lessons, bought the cowboy boots, spent QT Sundays with Twinkle, learned how to saddle a horse (gently) catch a horse in paddock (edge up slowly) and even ride a horse (kinda), experienced English and Western (its all in the girth), trail and ring riding (snakes and rails require different skill sets), but when it came to cleaning hooves I quit. There is nothing in this world that will convince me that squatting near a horses backside, grabbing a heaving great leg and resting it on my knee while attempting to scrape sh** with a blunt hook is something worth paying $90 an hour for.
All said though I'm happy to turn up and ride when I'm on holiday now though - which I never was before, so I suppose it was worth it.
Anyway, I recall at the time of these lessons, thinking how when people talk horse, they don't seem to be aware of non-horse context. I presume because they live and breathe horses. It all came back to me this week. Amy at work, is a horsey type, she rode when she lived on the East Coast. Still nags her parents for a horse for her birthday every year (she's older than me even - and thats'way old'). Hasn't been able to ride for a while because of a dodgy shoulder. Anyway, she was chatting to a visitor the other day, who apparently has lots of horses. He's lamenting that his daughter is now more interested in boys and cars. Amy was saying how she never gets to ride any more. Oh, he says, you should come by. We've a lovely arab who'd appreciate a nice ride now and then.
Now I ask you - is it just me?
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2 comments:
when a client says 'you should come by a ride sometime' they may not actually be talking about horses.
i laughed out loud at the bit about the girl getting her nose kicked off. does that make me a bad person?
ha ha, your horse experience brought back great memories of a holiday in san diago with Bills uncle., Mitch had never been near a horse before, but like the loving wife she is she indulged me in my dream of riding a horse though the rolling hills of southern CA. i went to the boot barn ,got me some nice "dusty brown" cowboy boots and a big hat and off we went. i loved it, but my funniest moment was stopping to see where M was and see her hanging from the mares neck while it squatted for a "single fish"(often used west coast dialect,scotland that is)
love keeping up with the blog, love and kisses, big D and mitch from ayr!
ps when on the ride i asked what all the big wasp like things flying around were, oh there just tarantula bugs.... and what do they eat? lets just say i didnt get off the horse until back in the ranch!
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