today, i went riding (on a horse, for those of you who use that term for motorcycles or bicycles or hunks-a-hunks-a-burnin'-men). i've been riding every tuesday for about 6 months now, at this barn. now, i've ridden, off and on, since i was ten. first, there was bayridge equestrian center, in centreville virginia. then, i moved up to great falls horse center, in great falls virginia. in high school i rode at west oak farm in oakton virginia. then i went off to college. the university equestrian team was too expensive, but i lucked into a great arrangement with one vivian davis of keswick virginia. she had three horses (casey, the made quarter horse fox hunter, teal, the up-and-coming fox hunter with a built-in extended trot, and tim, the baby, who i rode most of the time, and who just needed some experience) and not enough time to exercise them. so, i got to ride whenever i wanted to for free, and she got help exercising her horses. win-win.

after college, i hadn't ridden, until this year. so what's that, 5 years? anyhow, i was all kinds of out of shape for riding. so my first lessons were all about how loose and shaky i was; i couldn't keep a steady position in two-point (jumping position), my leg was floppy at the trot, etc) after 6 months of weekly riding, i feel much better, and tighter through the leg. i've been given better horses to ride. at first, i was on dylan all the time. cute pony, but a pony. now, i've been riding erica for a month or so, and we get along great. she's a sleepy 16.1 hand bay thoroughbred. she's new to the sport, so doesn't know a whole lot yet. doesn't jump very high, doesn't know how to do flying lead changes, doesn't know how to back up, even.

my lesson today was fun, as usual. warm up at the trot and canter, then over a few fences. i never feel like i get to ride long enough, but i like john, the trainer, so much that i'll keep riding there. he's the best trainer i've ever had, and i'm learning a lot from him. last week he told me i should enter the barn's spring schooling show. i'd love to! yay! i'm hoping that as i continue to get better, he'll put me on better horses, and eventually want to take me to bigger shows. but first things first, eh? after my lesson, john told me that next week he wanted me on the new horse they got, a big 17 hand guy. i said sure, of course. but actually, as i was putting erica away, he asked me if i wanted to get on bud, the new guy, today. this is the best part about riding at this barn--they don't mind if you come out to hack, or ride more than one horse a day. i think the other barns i've ridden at would've charged me for that. anyhow, bud is a huge dark bay thoroughbred, 13 years old. been around the block. he's very well trained, and had competed successfully in adult amateur divisions. he was given to john by his former owner. i think he wouldn't pass the vet inspection to be sold, but i don't know why. also, apparently bud won't jump more than 2'6" (jump sour, i guess), and won't do trail rides. whatever, he'll be a great lesson horse, and maybe john can pamper him into wanting to jump higher. and he was free.

so bud. bud is probably the best horse i've ever ridden. the best trained, anyway. he has a beautiful (feeling, at least, i didn't see him from the ground) trot and canter, and does flying lead changes on demand. i don't think i've ever ridden a horse before who was so reliable about lead changes. raspberry, a horse from west oak farm, did automatic lead changes around corners (if she was on the wrong lead when she got to a corner, she just fixed it herself), but she didn't really do them when asked. but bud. bud does them when asked. even when asked by me, someone who hasn't much experience with asking, and isn't quite sure if she's doing them right.

it was so lovely to ride him. i wished he was mine. and that he jumped more than 2'6". sigh. and he's pretty, too.