Bareback?!?!

OK, over on "Tales from the Trail", our daughter is blogging about the joys of riding bareback. Bareback, riding sans saddle, is absolutely marvelous....once you get a little practice in. I have to say, my joys of bareback took awhile in coming. You see, one of the worst injuries I have received from horses was from falling off my horse, bareback. Yes, I said Falling. Off. I was trying out a new bit on Jesse when she was pretty young. We were just walking around the Lodge, poking, actually. When we came to the pretty, green back yard we stopped to admire the scenery. I don't know what caused her to step sideways quickly - I can't call it a spook because ALL she did was take one step sideways - but I started sliding off one side. Thinking I was still twenty-something, I tried to slide my other leg off over her rump with the idea of just sliding down her side to land on my feet. Very Hollywood. Well, not being of that age group anymore, I caught my leg on top of her rump, causing me to topple to the ground in a heap, up-side-down, with my horse nuzzling me.

When I climbed to my feet and reached for her rein, I let out a gasp...and horse was gone. I walked through the Lodge to tell Bill I had unceremoneously fallen off and had to go find Jesse. Walking out the front door I spotted her across the street, standing at the rail where we had left her lead rope, so I walked over, took off her halter and turned her loose in the corral. It was when I was walking back across the road that the nausea hit me. I managed to get back inside and sit down. Bill took one look at my face, felt my shoulder and ordered me to the car. I hadn't even realized I had dislocated my shoulder, so off to the Estes Park ER. They had a great doc there that reduced it, quite painlessly even, and then the rehab started.

Unfortunately, I didn't get back on bareback for a couple of years, and had by that time developed quite a fear. I had totally convinced myself that if I couldn't get off when she was just standing still, what would I do if we were on the trail and I really needed off for an emergency, or if she spooked?

It took my daughter a long time to convince me we should do this together, and I am very thankful now, because I would have missed all the great joy we now have, when we can just catch the horses and go, not having to bother with all the gear!
Juanita