Many of you know I decided to get back into riding last year. I rode as a child, took lessons, got my picture taken on a pony, fell in love with horses, collected a bunch of the Breyer horse statues – remember them? In college as an animal science major, I mucked out a lot of stalls to get free lessons at the UC Davis equestrian center. I also interned at a quarter horse breeding ranch and spent lots of fun hours cuddling and halter-breaking the foals and helping with the breeding process and administering vaccinations as needed.
After college, I didn’t ride much – the occasional trail ride while on vacation at Mammoth or Washington state or other locations with horse trails. I have to acknowledge Peter, who kept telling me, “Horses are your passion – you need to stop thinking of everyone else and think of you and get back to riding.”
So, I took that on and started monthly trail rides, and got on a horse every time I was on vacation – in recent years I have been blessed to ride in Kauai, Ireland, Prince Edward Island, and other beautiful locations.
I started riding lessons in January 2025. I love it! I had planned to take lessons a few years ago but I fractured my elbow in late 2021 and by the time I was healed, the trainer had left the stable so I put my plans on hold for another few years. And then a friend gave me a gift card for a series of lessons at a local stable and I embraced it.
I have been riding weekly for the last year. It is challenging. I love learning new skills and the weekly practice…and it’s harder when one is 63 than when one is 20. I have had a couple of spills due to a not-quite-tight-enough saddle and a couple of challenges getting on and off a very large “gypsy vanner” horse who is tall, lazy and stubborn. I like him but sometimes I think he enjoys seeing me on the ground.
Last week I was reminded that horses, while amazing, can spook. I was on a trail ride with my instructor and a fellow student. I had suggested doing the trail ride instead of arena work. It was a beautiful day, and who doesn’t like a trail ride? We were heading back to the stable on the bridle trail on Palos Verdes Drive North, and I heard a large trash truck heading up the road making a tremendous amount of noise. I was listening to the truck, but I realized I wasn’t really present to how our horses would react. My horse was calm until the other horse decided to toss his rider and then my horse said, “Okay, I’m tossing Kathy.”
As I was lying on the ground, holding the reins, and calming my horse down and grateful he was fine and didn’t bolt into a busy street, I realized my training is far from done. Although I have been around horses on and off for most of my life, I have a lot of room for improvement. I enjoy the learning curve and want to be a better equestrian as long as I can. In the meantime, I have some bee-you-tee-full bruises all over my back side and pain in my back, hip, knee and foot. I know what I need to do to heal and get stronger. But I kept the horse safe. That’s a win.
Meet Vann AKA Nash – sweet horse and ended up on my holiday card – as I said, he is like me – stubborn, lazy, big and a foodie 🙂 I am glad he was safe. I do wrestle with him on the rides and in the arena. It makes me a better rider.
Musings About Life 