Chain Reaction

A week ago fellow blogging friend Mama H wrote about "chain reactions." On a sidenote, I have met Mama H briefly twice in person. Actually, I know her better from her blog than I do from the two times I've met her, isn't that funny? I do hope that sometime in the next year, myself and some of my pony cousins get to ride with her!


Regarding my last post....yep, you guessed it. Very soon, I am taking a saddleseat lesson. I know it sounds a bit crazy.


Last week I had a case of LSR (lesson scheduling remorse.) I mean, what kind of loose noodle cowgirl am I? How exactly did this all come about?

Here's the truth. I don't really know. What provokes us to make a random decision in our lives, leading us down a road that's never been on our map? I'm sure being around Paint Girl's workplace has gotten the ball rolling, by fostering a resurgence of my childhood interest in this style of riding (as well as the horse horse breeds you ride this way- Morgans, Saddlebreds, Arabians, and National Show horses.) The rest has been a chain reaction. I'd been reading a few blogs about Saddlebreds and recently subscribe to The Morgan Horse magazine, a favorite of mine when I was a teenager. I don't get to ride my horse much around here in the winter, due to weather and outdoor arena conditions. It's the perfect time to move myself indoors and keep learning.


As I approach that magic last year of my thirties, I think I am feeling brave about trying new things. One day, with these thoughts in my head and while surfing online, I ended up searching for barns around my area that might give me this opportunity. I happened to find one. I wrote down their phone number and browsed the site for almost two weeks before getting up the nerve to call and set up a lesson.




I have a theory that riding different horses and learning something new will help build my confidence. It's never easy to walk into a barn you've never been in, meet someone you've never met, and climb on board a horse you don't know. I think it will make me a better horse person. A better rider. It will be a great experience for me. Who knows if I will like it or not. I don't want to make judgments before I try it.


In the end, it's about taking chances. Continuing to be a learner. Get better at my passion. I'm going to be nervous that first day. I know nothing about this barn, or the people there. Will they snicker at my clearance sale paddock boots, western riding jeans and riding helmet? I have no clue what I am doing. This is not my world. I consider myself an intermediate rider, but I have had little formal instruction. I have a natural seat and I'm good with horses, but most of what I know is self-taught.


Yes, I'm going to be anxious. But in a good way. There is nothing like something new to motivate you, to help you become a stronger person. Who knows what kind of new friends I will meet. I love meeting horse people. In some way, I know that I will get something out of this experience. What, I am not sure. That is to be determined. Isn't that exciting?


Did you know they show Appaloosas saddleseat, in both pleasure and equitation? Really! Here is an old picture from one of my issues of The Appaloosa Journal.


Funny story, but when I first started leasing My Boy, I nicknamed him "Saddlebred-head" and "the Saddlebred," because he loves to raise his head upright. He is not a peanut-pusher kind of horse, that is for sure! My Boy can breathe a sigh in relief- I have no intention of riding him saddleseat! Maybe.


I have my first lesson soon. Stay tuned!

p.s. All of the pictures of My Boy in this post were taken on a film camera, developed and loaded onto a CD, around 3 years ago. They were from when I leased My Boy. The pasture photos are from his first day in his new home at the Painted Creek, while he was under my "care lease." Three short months later, he officially became mine!