SOLO RIDE

I made my first solo ride today. I had cleaned out two stalls. I put the halter on Beauty and brought her in to the barn to groom and saddle her. I had hooked the left side ties to her halter then she tried to go back outside through her stall. She has never done that before. I scolded her and pushed her back and fastened the right tie. She was restless. Then as I was grooming her, she pooped. I thought well maybe that's why she wanted to go back outside ... to poop. Then as I was brushing her tail, she let out a big whoosh of gas. I said, "Beauty if that was meant for me it didn't work because I can't smell it" (I have a weak sense of smell). I tried to be sure the saddle was on right and that there was a little air pocket by her withers. Then it was time for the bridle. I had to remove the halter which meant that she wouldn't be tied while I put the bridle on. I put the reins over her neck but if she wanted to leave, physically I couldn't stop her. She kept turning her head to the side avoiding the bridle. I told her she was being mean and she wouldn't do it if Bonnie were there. It has taken me a while to get bossy with a 1500 pound animal. It's not like yelling at 30 pound little Miss Lucy dawg. I only feel comfortable doing it now because I'm no longer a wacky stranger who comes to ride. The horses know I'm part of the crew, that I feed them and clean their stalls. Finally I got the bit in her mouth and the bridle on. She pooped again. I made sure my helmet was on tight and my cell phone was in my pocket. We walked out to the ring. I shut the gate. I made sure the saddle was on tight. I stretched her front legs. I brought down the stirrups. I walked her over to the mounting block. Every time I stepped up on the block, she moved. This went on for a while. Once she pushed my with her nose. I yelled at her and swatted her once. I said, "Don't push me away!" I yelled, "If I have to spend an hour getting on you, that's what I'll do because I am not taking you back to the barn because you wouldn't let me on." Finally, I figured I would try mounting from the ground. I prefer this but wasn't sure I could do it if she didn't stay still. She is a tall thoroughbred and if the stirrup were one notch higher I couldn't get up. I turned the stirrup around so that if she took off on me my foot wouldn't get trapped and my body dragged. Strangely, she stayed still while I got my left foot in the stirrup. I grasped her neck with my left hand and had to grab the saddle with my right and hoisted myself on. I sat up straight and she still hadn't moved. I took a deep breath and looked around, " Cool!... I'd done it. I groomed her, saddled her, and managed to get on board." Then we started to walk around the ring. "Awesome, I'm actually riding all by myself." It was a cool day, the wind was blowing and it was really nice just to take my time walking around the ring, practicing keeping Beauty on the outside, not cutting corners. I practiced riding while standing in the stirrups with my bottom out of the saddle. Eventually, I managed to make a complete circuit around the ring standing. Some really loud state construction trucks went by that spooked Beauty and for a moment I thought she might take off so I was prepared to hang on but I talked to her softly and calmly. The trucks went by and she calmed down. I trotted a little but I had been out there 45 minutes or so and was very happy with what we had accomplished so I turned her into the center of the ring, stopped, and carefully dismounted by taking both feet out of the stirrups and then swinging my right leg up over her trying to keep it straight in case she took off. I put the stirrups up and we returned to the barn where she got her second grooming and a carrot.

SOLO FLIGHT

At my last riding lesson, we were working on taking Beauty through four sets of double cones set in a circle at a trot. Every time I went through the third set of cones, Beauty would try to break into a canter and head for the gate instead of curving to the right towards the final set of cones. Whenever she did this, I had to pull hard with my right rein and push with my left leg to get her to turn back while she fought against doing so all the way to the fence.

The fourth time I tried as we went through the third set of cones, she was just as disobedient as ever and I'm not quite sure how it happened, perhaps I was still trying to post while struggling to get her under control, but I made the mistake of leaning forward. Before I could correct myself, I had lost my balance and I was catapulted off the front of Beauty. I flipped 270 degrees and then came down on my back and backside. My head was lifted slightly so it did not hit the ground and my helmet stayed on. I was okay but my right pinkie finger was hurting.

I said to Bonnie, "Well, I guess I have to get back on." I remounted and the final turn through the circle I got her through the third and fourth set of cones. I finished cleaning up the barn but when I got home I noticed my right foot ached. It hadn't bothered me earlier but it really ached when I tried to walk on it after I got home. I applied icepacks through the evening and the next day it was fine. My right hand swelled up and still hurts.