"Steady boy, just a few more minutes."
I was almost finished tacking up the last horse, listening for the sound of tires on the gravel driveway, alerting me that the client was here to ride... nothing. In stead, I recieve a call from my cell, "Ride's off." he said dissapointedly.
"He canceled?"
"Yepp."
"Oh great. Well, can I still go?"
"Sure, have fun, and... be safe,"
"Sure thing," I say rolling my eyes, 'of course I'll be safe, how hard can it be?'
I un-saddle the other horse and put him back in the pen, "Better luck next time ol' pal," I say with a pat. I force the rickety wooden gate shut with a heave, and latch the chain over the rusty screw. Freedom. I hurry over to Bill, who stands there, both ears foreward wondering what's going on. I finish tieing the saddle bag on, and grab my helmet. (I dread wearning helmets, the inside band makes my bangs all sweaty and stick to my forehead, making me feel like I just dipped my head in slime... plus, I'm a pretty experianced rider, maybe it's just my over confidence, but I really don't think I 'need' one.)
I contemplate taking my chances and leaving it behind, knowing full well that really no one would find out if I didn't wear it, but the logiocal side of my brain got the better of me, and I reluctently latch it on.
The birds swoop through the trees chirping their songs as I lead my horse out of the stable and get ready to mount. His coat is shinny from a good brush, and he looks great. All that's missing is the rider. With a one-two-three, I pull myself up and get my feet into the stirrups. 'There, 'I think to myself, 'Rider's on.'
We step out onto the beaten track. Stomped grass and bare dirt patches allow us to see where the trail is heading. The mid afternoon sun beams on my bare arms, and my bulky helmet weighs my head down life a UFO landing on a golf tee. But even that dosen't stop me from getting excited. It's one and a half hours of treck over 800 acers, crossing streams, and climing up cliffs - and I'm going alone! With a good horse, some water, and my cell, just in case.
We come to the first gate, I don't want to hop off yet, but knowing that's the only way to continue on with the ride, I fling my body weight off, hit the ground with a thud, and quicken my pace to un-do the latch. I climb back on, and we proceed. We pass under a tall tree, housing tons of birds and blocking the strong sunlight. We continue down the trail sideswiping empty paddocks and water troughs. Here we enter what is commonly known as 'Bottom Square', here the hill gets steep and looking over the edge you can see the tree tops from the ground far, far below.
I feel an unexpected lurch, and we come to a screetching halt.
"Click Click" and I give him a little press.
Nothing.
"Let's go," I say with a wee kick and a few more clicks.
He starts to back up.
I slightly kick again, and ask him to go foreward. He makes a sharp turn and sprints back for home. I grab one rein and pull twords my side. He half halts and starts dancing around. After steady talking and gently strolking his neck, I finally calm him down. "Let's try again," I say.
Press. Click click click.
He does a mini rear up and turns himself back around. The blood is starting to run into my face making my cheeks red. I'm starting to get frusterated. After 10 minutes of stagnent jigging about the same place, I dis-mount and lead him down the trail a spell. 'Maybe it's just this part of the trail, perhaps he's just scared.' I rationalize. When I locate a nice safe place get back on, that isn't the least bit threatening, I re-mount and urge him to walk on.
He snorts, and backs up.
"Goddammit!"
I turn him around and make him back up down the moutain. Each sharp turn, my eyes are gluded to his hocks making sure I don't back him off the cliff. Beads of sweat are building up on my brow, but I know if I turn back now, he's won. And I can't, no, I won't let that happen. 'One day my determination will kill me," I think, 'Well, at least I'll die for a good cause.'
We reach a small clearning with land of both sides of the trail, time to try again.
"Come on, walk on.... click click."
He hesitatnly steps foreward.
"Good boy! Click click click click kiss kiss kiss kiss click click..."
He turns around.
"Arrrrrrg." I breath a heavy sigh, and look at my watch. We've been out here for 45 minutes now, and haven't even gottan through a quarter of the treck. I get off and walk him again, get back on, and he finally decids to go forward.
"Yay, the worst is behind us, and now we can just enjoy our ride." I spoke aloud, all too quickly. The next gate we come to, he does it again, only this time he nearly backs himself off the cliff.
We get through the gate, eventually, and I decide to let him release some steam in an open meadow. He starts to trot, "good boy!" I kick him into canter, "good good boy!" I say with a smile building on my face. My smile abruptly dissapears as my body is catapulted over the saddle horn.
"GODDAMMIT!"
I turn him around and make him walk through the section again. Trying to buck the rider off after already attempting to throw them over a cliff, and over ride their authority is so NOT acceptable.
We continue down the trail.
"What next?" I hessitently wonder. Unsure if I really want to find out. I am happy about somthing.... 1 buck, 1 potential cliff slide, multiple crow hops, and a few half rears, I'm still on.
Expecting the worse, I was surprised yet again. He behaved like an angel from the rest of the treck, up the steapest mountain he worked hard and fast to get to the top safely. At the photo stop, he stood for ages as I captured all angles of the Harbor. The boy even stood still on various other parts of the treck, because I needed to take just, one, more picture.
We were on our way home and I was elated with how he had turned his attitude around. We had both started to relax as the cool breeze calmed our nerves and blew our frights away. I looked down from the saddle to see bushes the size of pin heads miles down the canyon. High above me the clouds slowly drifted and the hills looked emense. Things were so serene I was almost wishing this ride wouldn't have to end so quickly. But I knew not to push a good thing too far. I thought about the route ahead, a few turns, the long dip, the creek, the half-climb, the rickety gate from hell, and then the red barn. Running through my mind were all the chores that would need to be done from there, I thought to myself as I let Bill's powerful, rocking walk lull my thinking. Feed, Brush, clean up, turn ou----- ahhhhhh!
Just then my body flung onto the side of the saddle and the horse was throwing bucks and rears. My eyes grew wide as I noticed a cow a little way down the treck. 'He must have spooked him.' The cow freaked out, let out an obnoxious "Moooooo" and quickly ran away, leaving us alone to work it out. My eyes grew blurry as I tried to focus on our surroudnings, but I was being shifted around so fast. I finally decided that I would risk more trying to get mysellf back up, so as carfully as I could I let myself drop. Thud! Two front hoofs shook the ground, I covered my head and rolled twords the bush. 'Plerase don't step on me, please don't step on me.' I prayed.
The only sound I could hear was my very heavy breathing and my heart pounding in my chest. The trees gently swayed and peace and calm as restored. I picked myself off and dusted off my tank top. I latched off my helmet, with that logical voice in my head saying, 'I told you so'. I looked to my horse, but he was gone. I sighed, quickly trying to regain composure, I ran back up the hill to try to grab him. Inside my mind was racing with how I was going to explain to the boss how I lost the his horse and with what implement he would use kill me and where he would stash my body... reality brought me back as I noticed all the contents from my saddle bag struned about the trail. I quickly gathered them up as I tried to see where he had gone. My voice needed to stay calm and reassuring if I was going to coax Bill back...
"It's ok Billl..." I said confidently.
'You little Bastard, get over here!'
"don't worry, steady now... come here, boy... it's ok"
'I'm not chasing you up the whole moutain. Don't you take one, more, step.'
"I'm not gonna hurt you...."
'....'
I came around the bend to find my horse standing on the next hill shaking in his skin. The sun beamed off his empty saddle and the sweat dripped from his flaring nostrals. He looked at me with wide eyes and winnied. I took a deep breath. I walked up to him, grabed his reins and reloaded the saddle bag. I climbed back up, for what could have easily been the 15th time in the past 2 hours. I held on to the saddle horn, and saw my camera haning there. Out of everything that fell to the ground, my delacate camera was safe and unharmed.
'Thank God.'
"Ok boy," I said, patting his stiff and sweaty neck, "Let's go home."
We slowly walk back and I chuckle to myself as we both start breathing normally again. 'Out of everything that happened on this ride,' I thought, 'I fall off because of a cow.' That bruised even more then the throbing muscle in my back. And I couldn't help laughing at the irony of it all.
We finally got back home after what felt like days, I un-tacked him and gave him a good wash. He got his feed, his feet checked, and finally was free to go back in the pen.
I was hapy to be closing up that night, as I latched up the chains to the gates, I was ready to be done.
The Boss found me in my room a while later, "So, how was the ride?" He asked nonchelantly.
"Interesting." I shrugged.
"What happened? Did you fall off?"
"Yes."
"Well, what happened...?"
I sighed. I knew a story like this couldn't be told in just a few short minutes. "Ya know those holsome family movies?" I asked.
I looked at me, confused.
I continued. "There's parts that make you laugh, and parts that make you cry, and then the credits roll, and you're like, 'Thank God it's over'."
He laughed. "You'll tell me later then?"
"Sure," I replied, remembering my grusome hangover much ealier this morning...
"Over a stiff drink."
So after a few beer tasting trays, a pizza, sweet potato fries, and a few tipsy photos... (above) we set off to find the stadium! The best part of the treck, besides getting lost, was singing journey to the group of people dacing on thier balcony. Of course I took over the opera part ;)
Haha, well neither did I before that day! It was priceless!
