What’s Your Story

In honor of starting to ride again I’m copying this meme from Horse and a Half.

1. How old were you when you first started riding?
My grandparents lived next door and had ponies. They sold them when I was five but I rode them from birth up to that point.

2. First horse ridden:
Too young to remember

3. First horse trotted on:
Still too young

4. First horse cantered on:
Maybe my friend Heather’s horses Foxy or Cloudy but I don’t remember

5. First Horse fallen off of:
Belle – My uncle was ordered by my grandma to take three of us for a ride. He put all of us on this pony and walked us around. The person in the back fell off and pulled us all down. He wasn’t paying attention and walked all the way back to the barn before he noticed.

6. Most recent horse fallen off of
Prize – May 10, 2006

7. Most terrifying fall:
I hate them all. But probably off Prize on the day she pitched a fit and bolted into a fence. I reverted to my jumping background and went into two-point. Her reiner breeding came out and she did a sliding stop. I cleared the fence without her. I was convinced that I was dead for a while.

8. First horse jumped with:
Spirit

9. First horse who ran away with you:
Spirit – he was a pro at that

10. First horse that scared the crap out of you:
AngelBaby – He was a 5 year old stallion that had never heard the word no and I was supposed to examine his hind leg. I’ve never had a horse look at me with that much malice.

11. First horse shown
Spirit

12. First horse to win a class with
Spirit

13. Do you/have you taken lessons
I’ve taken lots.

14. First horse you ever rode bareback
My grandpa was too cheap to buy a saddle so I learned to ride bareback. I wish I still had those skills.

15. First horse trail ridden with
I went on a trail ride with some family friends when I was around 4th grade.

16. Current Barn name
Not saying

17. Do you ride English or western?
Done it all but I’m an English girl at heart

18. First Horse to place at a show with
Spirit

19. Ever been to horse camp?
Nope. Hated the idea of camp

20. Ever been to a riding clinic
Yes, a sidesaddle one. Which answers the next question…

21. Ridden sidesaddle

22. First horse leased/23. Last Horse Leased
None

24. Highest ribbon in a show
First

25. Ever been to an ‘A’ rated show
With Prize – lots of wins too!!!!  The picture is at the Purebred Morab Horse Association Nationals in 2005.  (They have classes for Morgans and Arabs too.)

26. Ever competed in pony games/relay races
For fun

27. Ever fallen off at a show
Got knocked out while jumping Spirit. My mom has a picture.

28. Do you ride Hunter/Jumpers
Mostly hunter on the flat

29. Have you ever barrel raced
Spirit was fast on the straight but didn’t see the point of turning. We did it though.

30. Ever done pole bending
Spirit liked to show off his flying lead changes

31. Favorite gait
Trot

32. Ever cantered bareback
Probably

33. Have you ever done dressage
Tried but it hasn’t been pretty

34. Have you ever evented
Not crazy enough

35. Have you ever mucked a stall
Thousands of times

36. Ever been bucked off
See #6

37. Ever been on a horse that reared
Yup. I handle that better than bucking

38. Horses or ponies
Ponies!!!! I just want to hug them.

39. Do you wear a helmet
Always. I’m still paying on my brain.

40. What’s the highest you’ve jumped
3 feet – I was riding a pony hunter

41. Have you ever ridden at night
No. My mom wouldn’t let me!

42. Do you watch horsey television shows
No

43. Have you ever been seriously hurt/injured from a fall
Broken wrist and pelvis, numerous concussions

44. Most falls in one lesson
1 in a jumping lesson

45. Do you ride in an arena/ring
Yes

46. Have you ever been trampled by a horse
Yes, I fell over Spirit’s shoulder once and he stepped on my hip.

47. Have you ever been bitten
Nope

48. Ever had your foot stepped on by a horse
Often

49: Favorite riding moment
Riding a cow horse in Costa Rica

50. Most fun horse you’ve ridden
They are all so different it is hard to say.