I can’t talk about certain things right now (especially things involving transmission fluid and rust and lots of money I don’t have), but I can talk about the fact that I rode a horse for the first time in 4 months.

Last week I decided it was time I learned how to ride again and I reached out my trainer about a lesson. She questioned why I didn’t want to ride Mr. Nay Nay, but there was this whole thing about a fuel leak (oh how naïve I was back then) and I was temporarily lacking transportation. And he was feral (minor detail). So, we agreed on a time and a place and a lesson was scheduled.

Because I am the luckiest person in the world who happens to also be the most unluckiest person in the world, I was given the opportunity to ride the world’s best horse. And when I say the world’s best horse. You ALL should know exactly who I mean.

Ranger.

No one is better or more perfect.

He has long since earned his title as world’s best.

I am lucky to get to ride him.

It has been much too long.

I had 3 goals for the day:

1. Get my boots on without breaking the zippers
2. Remember how to tack up
3. Get on without falling/dying

And while getting on was dodgy (Ranger needed to make sure I was serious about this, after all, his mid morning hay was about to be delivered), I did in fact get on and we meandered around at 6mph until my lesson started and I was told (not so politely) to pick up the pace. So with that, I began to ride.

I’m not going to bore you all with details of my not so exciting lesson, but one thing I found was, Ranger listened to my cues. All those cues that Nay Nay doesn’t necessarily understand, Ranger actually listed. Inside leg? Oh I’ll move off it. A little bend? Oh I can do that. Without riding for 4 months, I’ve retained a lot more and Ranger somehow listens to me way more than before at the trot and canter. Circles at all sizes? No issues.

We moved pretty quickly into over fences work. And other than a quick adjustment from some too big two point (oops), it went really well too and before I knew it, we were stringing fences together. We had one hiccup at one fence where I made the weird turn but stopped riding to the base and Ranger noped out of it, laughing the entire time. I swear, you could see the glint in his eye, knowing the power of his ONE trick. But, we took our time, picked up the canter, and I actually steered to the jump, not letting him get heavy on the right rein. And the second he realized I was riding? He was game to jump. No point fighting when his rider is actually riding. We finished up with a nice line, aiming for a 7, but getting a nice even 8 (the 7 would never happen without galloping). In the end, I couldn’t say enough nice things. For my first time riding in 4 months, we had 1 less than perfect jump (I could have ridden it better) and 1 duck and dart and everything else was perfect. Nothing was more than 2’3″ but who cares. I did hurt for…4 days. LOL.

We decided that ever 1-2 months we’re including a Ranger lesson because I need it (confidence) and it’s just plain fun. I haven’t had fun like that in forever. No pressure no stress just fun. I love Nay, I’m challenged by Nay, but Ranger just makes you feel like the world’s best rider. Sometimes you need that.

I got to end my ride with a wander-round the property. Who doesn’t need that?