Knowing How To Ride, Knowing How to Fall

Thanks to everyone who made comments on my last post. Hearing your thoughts is so beneficial to me. In this case it was also very reassuring. Bill too tells me that sometimes when horses run with each other in the pasture, they like to let it all hang out, dramatically kicking their heels up as they are galloping all over, just being horses, happy to be alive. My brumby just must have really been having a good time on Sunday in that field. Today I still have bruises, including one across the bridge of my nose. I learned a lot from my tumble, about my horse and myself. I have a few more pictures to post from that day, courtesy of Bill!

Here's a picture of me walking back with Cody after Bill ran ahead to get the errant Lilly. So you see this picture says a lot. There I am on the ground (not in the saddle), and with a horse that isn't mine! Rider down but not defeated!

This is a picture of Lilly Bill took after she ran off down the road. She did turn and wait for him right here in this field. I think she looks very cute in this picture. I mean, really cute. I wonder what she was thinking.

Here we are along the power lines. The power company sure keeps this roadway nice and neat. Perfect for horseback riders like us!

Bill sure takes some nice photos.

Remember when I wrote last time about the part of the trail where you can't see anything in front of you? To see that trail from horseback, click here. Bill can ride through tricky spots and film a video at the same time. I actually tried but about a fraction of a second into it, I gave up on the filming because I really needed to pay attention to the riding!

Here is a video Bill made of cantering (while cantering!) in the cornfield. It doesn't show my wipe-out. That actually came later. This canter was actually super sweet--no mishaps at all: Click here.

Finally, Click here to see Bill and Cody venturing into a stand of corn! Lilly and I didn't even try that one!

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Yesterday I hurried to see Lilly for a lesson in the ring. As I said, I was a little worried that she had learned something naughty when I fell off. I'll have photos tomorrow to show you of some of the work we did, but for now I'll just report that she was as obedient as can be. No misbehavior at all. This was a great relief to me. Bill and I did some obstacle courses, and I also got her in a canter and practiced gripping with my thighs as I sharply turned her to the left and right. I figure if I can make it something I do without thinking, I have less of a chance of losing my seat the next time something gets crazy. Which I seriously hope never happens.