 |
| Bitsy being a regal beagle at the party last night. |
And of course, I couldn't go see her without going riding! We have developed an unofficial tradition that wherever she is boarding, when I come to ride with her she puts me on the smallest and/or most ridiculous horse/pony in the barn. At her first barn in Ohio, we went on a snowy trail ride and she put me on an aged Tennessee Walker that had been a stud until a couple of months previously, when he got his important parts hung up on something in his stall and had to undergo an emergency gelding. Yeah. At the second Ohio barn, I rode Bella the Wonder Pony:
 |
| Bella: so small, so angry. |
...who showed me why she was no longer being ridden by anyone at that barn as she bucked, snorted and angrily spooked her way around the arena, while I giggled hysterically. For more on those two rides: Ride I and Ride II.
Today, I went out to grab "Boomer" and was greeted with this:
Yeahhhhh, buddy! When I saw Boomer's massive belly, table-sized back and yak-like winter coat, I knew that there was no way I was going to keep a saddle on him unless I had one of those rubber pads underneath.
 |
| That's not him standing off to one side or anything, that's just his belly. |
So I did the most reasonable thing I could have done and rode him bareback.
 |
| Austen had some trouble getting the first picture to come out right... |
He ended up being a blast to ride. I just tooled around at the walk and trot, bursting into giggling fits when I saw myself in the arena mirrors as he tossed his head indignantly at my attempts to take up contact. I tried to sit where I should have sat, anatomically, on him, but his fat pads pushed me forward until I was riding his shoulders. Oh well! Austen, meanwhile, was riding a 17.2hhish barn elephant of a horse, and enjoyed patting the top of my helmet as I rode by her.
When I got off, my hip flexors hurt like I'd just done a Crossfit workout, thanks to the width of his back, but I had so much fun, it didn't even matter. I have a serious affinity for ponies, and his little sewing machine trot was just what I needed this afternoon.
 |
| Thanks, Boomer! |
Ponies! Sounds like you have had some adventurous rides :)
ReplyDeleteI love ponies! I got to do a jumper course on one like Boomer in college. We beat everyone.
ReplyDelete3 of my guys have backs like that, so I know all about wide.
Looks like so much fun.
What fun! Ponies are certainly a special sort.
ReplyDeleteBoom Boom! I think you should just take him. You are the first person to ever look decent on him that can give him the ride he needs. While he is fun, I looked ridiculous on him...and children, well he takes serious advantage of them.
ReplyDelete