Fangler to Wrangler, I’m well on my way.
I am well on my way to my wrangler-hood!
Sarah, the daughter of the visiting Doctors from Cameroon, and I have been ridding a lot more, going in the afternoon on Wednesday and early morning on Saturday. She has been ridding Bob, the horse that broke his hip at a very young age and I rode Pepper, the horse of the same age who has only two speeds—fast and then beaucoup fast. When we went for our ride last Wednesday it was great fun. We took the Australian couple most of the way ridding double to the market, and then we took off the other way. On the way we decided to see if we could get them to trot some. Off course they wanted too, the only problem was Pepper thought that we were headed home . . . which we weren’t. Since I haven’t ridden him a whole bunch we aren’t too used to working together, and he wanted to go home—fast. I don’t like it when he chooses the speed, so I tried to stop him which is hard at times. He didn’t stop and all of the sudden he turns right, which I wasn’t expecting. I had been leaning forward to hold on since we only have English saddles here it’s a bit easier. Anyway I was holding on to his neck and he turns to go home. I had been pulling back on the reigns and as we turn the corner my guardian angel gets him to slow down to a fast turn [instead of beaucoup fast] and I do my famous fancy dismount from the wrong side. Needles to say it was a ½ fall. I had of course drawn quite the crowd by then :0) You know anytime there is a white person here there is a crowd, so just imagine anytime there is a little bit of action involved, whew, the size of the crowd just doubles. All in all I was fine; the horse was fine we finished our ride. We saw lots too. We saw a GIANT turtle and the ‘air port’ of Béré aka a long field. Good times Sarah and I have.
Saturday we went for what I like to call a ‘butt crack early’ ride. We left the house at 6:30am and went this time on the main road. It was good, the horses were obeying and we got to trot for quite a while, which is rare because Bob’s hip is not a long term trot hip. We saw lots and lots of people headed toward Béré’s market. Saturday is the big market day and by 7am the road is full of people going in to sell stuff. Well, we got to a big turn in the road and I suggested we turn off on the trail and see where it takes us. It was a nice little trail. The kind that makes a girl feel like she is the heroine in a story full of beauty and adventure. We, being two girls who like horses, wanted to try a bit more than just trotting, so I call out that we are going to go a bit faster again. We had been trying a bit all morning. We are going nicely a good canter—for about three seconds for Pepper, then I feel him turn on his beaucoup—shwamp—faster harder and stronger. This time I remembered how Joe would pull back and lean back in the saddle to stop him. It’s a lot scarier because you go back and feel way more vulnerable, but I had done it earlier that morning and it worked. This time however my left foot slipped out of the stirrup and I knew there would be trouble. Soon I feel myself begin to fall to the left. Nuts, well here goes. Then—bump—I’m down for the count. On my butt and Pepper is knocking my left arm as he is passing me by. I’m okay, not even wanting to cry. Just concerned that Pepper doesn’t decide to high tail it home! Luckily though the river was right there with nice green grass to graze in. So he stopped and Sarah and I were able to get him. We of course had to take advantage of the river while were there :o) and our ride back was great. Once again there were tall warm colored grassy things right next to me on the horse and it was simply dreamy. And before we got back home we were able to canter at a nice pace. I hope by the time I get back to America I’ll be worthy of my Wrangler—hood! Yea-haw!!
Sarah, the daughter of the visiting Doctors from Cameroon, and I have been ridding a lot more, going in the afternoon on Wednesday and early morning on Saturday. She has been ridding Bob, the horse that broke his hip at a very young age and I rode Pepper, the horse of the same age who has only two speeds—fast and then beaucoup fast. When we went for our ride last Wednesday it was great fun. We took the Australian couple most of the way ridding double to the market, and then we took off the other way. On the way we decided to see if we could get them to trot some. Off course they wanted too, the only problem was Pepper thought that we were headed home . . . which we weren’t. Since I haven’t ridden him a whole bunch we aren’t too used to working together, and he wanted to go home—fast. I don’t like it when he chooses the speed, so I tried to stop him which is hard at times. He didn’t stop and all of the sudden he turns right, which I wasn’t expecting. I had been leaning forward to hold on since we only have English saddles here it’s a bit easier. Anyway I was holding on to his neck and he turns to go home. I had been pulling back on the reigns and as we turn the corner my guardian angel gets him to slow down to a fast turn [instead of beaucoup fast] and I do my famous fancy dismount from the wrong side. Needles to say it was a ½ fall. I had of course drawn quite the crowd by then :0) You know anytime there is a white person here there is a crowd, so just imagine anytime there is a little bit of action involved, whew, the size of the crowd just doubles. All in all I was fine; the horse was fine we finished our ride. We saw lots too. We saw a GIANT turtle and the ‘air port’ of Béré aka a long field. Good times Sarah and I have.
Saturday we went for what I like to call a ‘butt crack early’ ride. We left the house at 6:30am and went this time on the main road. It was good, the horses were obeying and we got to trot for quite a while, which is rare because Bob’s hip is not a long term trot hip. We saw lots and lots of people headed toward Béré’s market. Saturday is the big market day and by 7am the road is full of people going in to sell stuff. Well, we got to a big turn in the road and I suggested we turn off on the trail and see where it takes us. It was a nice little trail. The kind that makes a girl feel like she is the heroine in a story full of beauty and adventure. We, being two girls who like horses, wanted to try a bit more than just trotting, so I call out that we are going to go a bit faster again. We had been trying a bit all morning. We are going nicely a good canter—for about three seconds for Pepper, then I feel him turn on his beaucoup—shwamp—faster harder and stronger. This time I remembered how Joe would pull back and lean back in the saddle to stop him. It’s a lot scarier because you go back and feel way more vulnerable, but I had done it earlier that morning and it worked. This time however my left foot slipped out of the stirrup and I knew there would be trouble. Soon I feel myself begin to fall to the left. Nuts, well here goes. Then—bump—I’m down for the count. On my butt and Pepper is knocking my left arm as he is passing me by. I’m okay, not even wanting to cry. Just concerned that Pepper doesn’t decide to high tail it home! Luckily though the river was right there with nice green grass to graze in. So he stopped and Sarah and I were able to get him. We of course had to take advantage of the river while were there :o) and our ride back was great. Once again there were tall warm colored grassy things right next to me on the horse and it was simply dreamy. And before we got back home we were able to canter at a nice pace. I hope by the time I get back to America I’ll be worthy of my Wrangler—hood! Yea-haw!!
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