Today was our last Tenderfoot ride! We got to choose whether or not we wanted to ride bareback or with a saddle. I decide that I would choose based on my horse. I got Winddancer #28. She was in a special pen and had a very beautiful purple, blue, green halter. She is brown with a unique blaze and a blonde mane + a brown tail. And two back stockings. Her back seemed fairly flat and the withers were not too bad so I chose bareback. We still had to saddle and she was so good! She cooperated and didn't fuss once. Her saddle was weird. She has a very tall cantle and pommel. It was weird. Plus it was very very heavy. Not as bad as Strawberry's but pretty bad. She also had support boots on her front legs, I got them on by myself but I didn't make them tight enough but a wrangler showed me how. I was close. Winddancer is also really tall!!! I had to scramble on top of her. Then I was partnered with Witch Doctor to ride down and she was almost even with him. Then she trotted. OMG her trot is SO SMOOTH. you hardly even move! It was amazing. Then when we got to our arena we had to dismount and tie our horse to the rail to take off the saddle. Then we went back into our arena and I had a JI give me a leg up. What a difference from JD oh my goodness. She was so comfortable, I could still feel her spine but not very much. I forgot how cool bareback feels. The heat from the horse definitely warms you up pretty fast. Winddancer listens so good and turns so nice. You do have to give her an extra kick or two with your outside leg to keep her trotting through the circle. Then we got to go over cavalettie poles. First we went next to them a few times so the horses could get used to it then we went over them at a walk. Next was at a trot. We had to squeeze with our thighs and lift ourselves up a little bit so they would pick up their feet a little more. Definitely makes them more bouncy but Winddancer was still comfortable. We then got to work in pairs and I got to be the leading pair. It was so much fun setting the pace for the whole group, no riders in front of you just the open arena. I was glad I got to do that before my Tenderfoot year was over. Then they set up some liberty jumps. They only set them up half way. I trotted and made it over the 1st jump but Windancer's back feet knocked down the pole. It was probably more my fault than hers. I could have cued her incorrectly or something. You have to squeeze with your thighs/knees and lift yourself up to cue the horse to jump and keep your eyes up. Then I trotted the 2nd one as well and made it over. It was so much fun! It felt like actual liberty I can not wait until my 3rd year. Now I was like OK. Time to lope. We loped at the 1st jump and I gripped and cued with my eyes up, right at the middle of the jump so it was a little higher gave a kick and we soared over it nicely. That was an out of the world feeling. I have no words to explain. It was so much fun!!! On the back of a horse suspended in the air for even a brief second. Wow. Then without breaking the lope we came at the second jump. Same thing except I landed a little to the side lost my balance and started to slip. I tried to catch myself but I just slid off and landed on my feet. It was my fault not Winddancer's. I got a leg up from someone and was ready to go with a smile on my face. We came at the next jump at a lope but I gave her to much rein and she ran out from under me and I did another graceful fall, landed on my feet again. Rider error. Many horse accidents are rider error. Then I was getting a leg up and she took off and I landed on my hands and knees. That one was not so much my fault. I had the reins in my hand, but maybe I bumped her or something that told her to go. I will never know. I held the reins tighter in my hand and got up. We rode a little longer, lined up, and dismounted. Then I offered her some water. Nope. Then I had to go and put her saddle back on. My favorite ride out of my whole Tenderfoot year!!! Winddancer and Wyoming tie for my favorite horse. I wanted it to last forever! Then my team had to go and clean the Red and Blue Arenas. Circus Horse (Red Vaulting) was practicing in the Red. One good use for the bandannas is to block out the dust when cleaning. Then I went and signed up for Blue Ropes. It was cool getting to do that, it made me feel like a 2nd year rider. I might go sign up for Blue Vaulting later just so I can get in more riding and have a horse related specialty then quit and do Blue Liberty my 3rd year. I don't know yet. I have until October 19th. That's when specialty sign ups are over. I will write after graduation! Here are photos... Including a jumping action shot!
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| Jumping Action Shot |
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