HAVING FUN

I am taking a break from the day and enjoying some fresh air. Having fun is a must in life. I love horses an that is my reason for the photo I chose. I have not ridden for years now and one of my aspirations and plans is to get back on a horse. There are a few in the pasture behind me so I live vicariously for now.

But let’s talk about having fun. We all have different ways of having fun and there are many stories I can tell about my endeavors. Some people love to hike, not my thing unless I’m on a horse. Out here in Oregon, folks love to enjoy the winter sports such as skiing, snowboarding and snowshoeing. In the summer climbing, hiking and rafting the rivers are popular.

Some people simply love to sit and read a good book, spend time with friends and family. Card games and board games are fun also. Hobbies are a way to take a break and have some fun with others or by yourself. And many enjoy a variety of things in their time of having fun.

Now to my horse story. Her name was Starlight and she was a beautiful Appaloosa, white with gray. In the summer she appeared more white due to being out in the sun and in the winter, more gray. She was my first horse. I also had a handsome thoroughbred stallion that I never got to ride. I digress.

Starlight was stubborn and so am I. We took many rides. Some of our rides were in the woods near the property where I had her boarded with creeks and rolling hills in central North Carolina. These were typically shorter rides. If you have any experience with horses, you may be aware they can puff up when you are cinching up the saddle with the girth. My girl had a nasty habit of it. More than once I slid off with my saddle.

On our first ride together, we went out with two friends on a very long ride. Much to my chagrin the next day I discovered eight hours in the saddle tends to make one walk funny if you are not used to riding. And climbing stairs to go to bed, well, let’s just say, ouch (hands and knees). Everything was sore. We had a great time riding in the woods with a picnic break.

My last ride with my sweet Starlight was a shorter one but according to her, not short enough. I took her out on some country roads for a ride that was close to four hours long. Horses know direction and she knew exactly which way the barn was and now for the rest of the story.

After about four hours, we came back around to a crossroads with a choice of turning right or left. Left was my choice and my preference was to keep riding. Right was the direction of the barn. It wasn’t that far away. I turned her to the left and kicked it into a full on gallop. I was “Having Fun” but that came to an abrupt halt when Starlight took me to task. She reared up at full speed doing a 180 degree turn. The force was so powerful that I was catapulted to the side of the road missing the asphalt by no more than 6 inches landing on my left hip. No broken bones!

The saddle landed approximately 20 feet in front of me and the blanket was probably 50 feet down the road. The reins were still in my hands since the force of the throw snapped them in two. Needless to say, I was stunned. I’m not sure how long I sat by the side of the road in shock when a nice family came along and helped me get my tack and drove me back to the barn. There stood Starlight in all her glory giving me a look that said, “What?”

That was the last ride we took before I sold her. The stallion came along later. I still love horses and consider having fun some day when I get to ride again. There’s nothing quite like it. Ask any horse lover. No fear to climb back on.

The moral to the story is have fun! Find something that puts a smile on your face and a song in your heart. Time to play…