Well...I never <i>wasn't</i> a survivor...dying at 43 just ain't an option, hermano
Some more news on the homefront: yesterday was a red-letter day, my friend's mare had her baby and I rode Meritage for the first time.
Let me put that in context. We're coming up on the fourth anniversary of me buying him and from that time to yesterday, I've never been on his back. It's always been ground-handling for me. So he never looked at me as a human rider, he always regarded me as a playmate. Anyone who knows horses knows what that means...to those who don't, it means pushing, nipping and chasing games. And that's what it's been for the past four years. Not too bad when they're yearlings (though still dangerous), and downright dangerous when they get to be six feet tall at the shoulder and weigh in at three quarters of a ton.
Anyway, my trainer and I decided that we can't be waffling anymore, the only way to break this cherry is to — take a deep breath and do it! So we did. Cyndy made it easy on everyone by getting the mounting block and when Tagie saw me up on that thing, he got this look on his face like
! He stood very still for me while I got on and got sorted, and this while a huge-a** bulldozer was working only twenty feet away.
You really can't know a horse until you ride him. And while my trainer is always complaining about how big Tagie's barrel is, I didn't notice anything remarkably big about it. My legs fit just fine around it; to be fair, I've always had to ride bigger horses, so that's what I'm used to. What I did notice was how big and assertively Tagie moves. That grand, noble "leading the royal procession" parading I'm always talking about felt like thunder. I could hear and feel every footfall. This boy don't prance, he <b>marches</b>. It's like he's saying, "This is MY RIDER! And we're COMING THROUGH!" I felt like I was riding a big taiko drum.
It was forceful, but not rough. The ride was rhythmic, easy and his steering is 85% seat and leg cues, and 15% reins. Oh, yeah, he'll make a <i>great</i> doma vaquera horse. I'm shopping for saddles and saving up again.
The best part was when I dismounted and went to give him pets and thank yous, and his put his head in my arms.
And since then, it's like he's turned into a totally different horse. He obeys better than most dogs I know, doesn't nip anymore, and when I was cleaning his stall this afternoon, everytime I turned around he was there giving me lovey-dovey eyes...
Yeah, I'm pretty sure he's been looking forward to this as long as I have!
I just need to do this and get it done...
Friends ish goods^^
Time to reclaim my life and take advantage of this reboot.
<--- THEY PWN U