The Adventure Continues.........The First Ride

The Adventure Begins

It was on the day before the horse show actually began that I had my first ride on Legs. We had a chiropractor appointment at 4 and I wanted to get one trip around the pen so I could see if the long trailer ride had affected my already hurting horse.

I had the horse worked on by the chiropractor at home right before we'd left. He'd found Legs in dire enough straights, he insisted the horse would need another adjustment as soon as we reached the show. I've never gotten that kind recommendation from Dale before. I knew it meant my horse must really be hurting for Dale to suggest such a thing. If I expected this horse to give me his all, I needed to make sure he was capable of that.

Evem though the horse hadn't worked in two weeks, I just took Legs right up to the arena and got on............no lungeing, no nothing. I've never been a big fan of getting a horse tired before working. I wasn't going to change my routine just because this was the US All Arabian National Championship Show.

I could pretty much tell the horse wasn't going to stand still for me to mount. Yet I was confident he would be just fine once I threw my leg over the saddle and began to school. That's what Legs would do at home........and it's certainly what I expected here.

That right there is what was different about this first ride than the first ride with Dandy those fourteen years ago. I could feel my confidence. I didn't feel out of my element or overwhelmed like that new kid on the block. I knew what to do to get the job done and I was comfortable with that.

I may not show every year at nationals like many of these folks but I know I belong here......my horse belongs here. Even if Legs is not exactly at that vision I have been working towards, he's still doing well enough to be out there with horses like these.........and I know what it takes to get him through to that vision I am working towards. I can feel it. I can taste it. I'm ready for this.........even if the horse is not perfect. I was looking forward to riding my horse here.......in this venue.

That insecure woman riding Dandy all those years before is gone. I half smiled as the recognition of this confidence swept over me. I looked around and spotted someone I knew to ask for a hand holding a stirrup so I could mount my horse. Then I climbed on and rode the horse I expected to have.

We took a couple of trips around the warm-up arena flexing and bending before we entered the Ford Truck Arena. Legs was hot as expected but trying hard to give me what I wanted. I could feel all of that pent up energy contained beneath me. With a little reassurance my horse was beginning to settle in.

The differences between this ride and that first ride on Dandy many years ago crossed my mind. Poor Dandy had been jumping out of his skin and running off at every little thing. He had not had the reassurance of a confident rider to ease his fears. Dandy had tried every bit as hard as Legs, the difference in outcome was about the difference in me.

It felt good to have my confidence be that solid. Yet I wondered, would it stay that way. Being totally on my own at this show, would I stay confident or would lifes little challenges throw me a curve ball capable of knocking that confidence down a peg or two. A lot had happened on this trip ......... and a lot can happen at a horse show..............particularly one like the US National Arabian Horse Show.

To be continued............

The Horse Show Begins

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