This cinch buckle is pretty significant for me this week.
I took my first riding lesson – EVER in my whole life! – yesterday. SO amazing. I felt like I really and truly rode a horse for the first time.
It wasn’t at all like my previous experiences, which for the most part, have been on horses that simply followed the rear end of the horse in front of them. Even if I had fun pretending I was, I know I was never the one in control on any of those horses.
My horse yesterday was Miracle Foxy Czar, a.k.a. Foxy; an Egyptian Arabian. Gorgeous. Gentle. Smart. Responsive. Who knew? Foxy responded to my legs, my posture, my balance. I hardly had to use the reins. Who knew a horse could respond to every single – even minute – change in me and what I was doing?
Linda, my instructor, must have thought I was maniacal. She kept showing me things, and I think I kept saying, “This is so cool!” And, “Oh my gosh!” And, “This is amazing!” I mean, seriously? How cool was it that all I had to do was lean forward a bit and Foxy’s pace picked up in response? How cool was it that all I had to do was push one leg or the other into him and he’d move for me? How cool was it that my balance determined whether he went left or right?
I told Don I felt as if I had been plugged into Foxy. A whole new world opened up for me… I never knew horses could read a person like Foxy read me. And it felt so good. So amazing! So real!
Here’s Foxy. Did I mention he’s gorgeous?
I can barely wait for our next lesson. ♥
Morning Bray Farm 
