If not ridden every day, you could swear the pony had mustang blood in his veins. He could buck and spin with the best of the mounts in a rodeo. Well, this one time he'd had a longer than usual hiatus from the saddle. My father had already done the re-break to the saddle and the pony was acting as docile and well-behaved as one could want so I decided to try something new, Indian-style riding, no saddle, just a blanket.
Things started well. At a walk no problem. Then kicked up him to a slightly faster pace, still no problem. Then by mistake, I signaled a gallop. I've been told all that anyone heard was the sound of hooves on the clay dirt, then whoa, whooa....whoooa. Let's just say I found the one piece of shale rock in the entire plowed field and decided to land on it. A visit to the local country doctor resulted in no horseback riding until the arm healed and the cast came off.
That's the tale of my one attempt to ride Indian-style and I'm sticking to it.
Be sure to see what fond--or not so fond--childhood memories are shared by the other authors in the challenge.
~till next time, Helen
Ouch! If it makes you feel any better, I'd probably fall off any animal moving at a gallop, even with a saddle...and a seat belt. I'm impressed that you stayed mounted at all with just a blanket.
ReplyDeleteOf course I was MUCH younger then. Today a saddle wa definitely needed and a much larger mount. :) thanks for stopping by.
DeleteI enjoyed your memory. While growing up, I always wanted a pony. :)
ReplyDeleteI think every girl wants a horse (or a pony.) Maybe that's why my stories have special equines. They possess magic and attitude. Thanks for stopping by.
DeleteOh my, that sounds painful! I've never been on a horse, but for a while my daughter did lessons. She loved it.
ReplyDeleteAs it's a childhood memory I don't remember the pain (good thing.) I do remember the pain from catching my finger betweem a window and the sill. What I remember mos of the pony was his friendship with a sheep. where one was the other either was or would soon be. Thanks for stopping by.
DeleteI've never ridden a horse but my husband has numerous trophies from horse shows and rodeos. ironic, right?? Anyway, he has told many times of how ornery the shetland was. It would let the other horses out of their stalls, it would often bite, would try to throw the kids off it's back and would deliberately run them under a branch. He also said that shetland had an affinity for speed. IF he couldn't throw the rider, he'd take off like a rocket. Larry recalled one time when 'Muffin' ran him along the barbed wire fence, which left scars, and then under a branch then started to trop off to the barn. He ran after that horse, got back on and ran the horse to exhaustion for hours. It was months before 'Muffin' started being ornery again, but eventually she was. Just like dogs, horses have their own personality! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteInteresting to know his attitude wasn't unusual. we only had the one pony s there was nothing to compare to except my grandfather's mules at the coal mines. Thanks for stopping by with the tale of Muffin.
DeleteWhat wonderful childhood experiences you had. I always think kids are so lucky to grow up on farms. Great story.
ReplyDeleteRural and farmm life does offer some differt experiences. Besides ponies, rose bush eating goats, there are also stubborn beefalos.
DeleteHelen, you were a braver child than I ever was. I'd have probably slipped off the blanket at a walk!
ReplyDeleteNever thought of riding a pony as brave. It was just something wee did, like gathering eggs or leading the beefalo steer on a lead rope. Thanks for stopping by.
DeleteAlthough I've never fallen off a horse, I can definitely empathize with the fear of learning to gallop.
ReplyDeleteIf I have to fall, I'd rather it be from a pony. They're lower to the ground. Except ours was just a fingerwidth short of being classified as a horse so he wasn't too low. Thanks for stopping by.
DeleteGreat Memory and beautiful pony!
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by and sharing.
DeleteGrowing up, I'd have given anything for a pony. Now I'm thinking it was good that I never got one... And, I'm guessing a beefalo is a cross between a cow and a bison? I enjoyed reading about your memories!
ReplyDeleteYou're correct that about the ancestry of a beefallow. Glad you enjoyed the post.
Delete