My horse is named Lady....and she is NOT!!!!. We have had some good times together her and I. When I was almost 40 I decided I would like to learn to ride. I signed up for a few lessons, myself and my kids. We only went a few times before the boarding place was sold. The horses too. So I bought Lady who was my lesson horse, for 600 dollars. I was told she was 16 years old. I also bought a 1/2 share of another horse named Spyder.
Well, we had some good times. The kids grew up and my friend and I shared Spyder until he died at a good old age. I remember once he had "an impaction"....the vet said go get enemas and so I did. Six of them, I felt compelled to tell the cashier that they were not for me. Anyway, never had the need of them I guess and so I was not aware that you should get the air out of the syringe before sticking it up the horses butt. Well I think I almost blew out Spyders eyeballs with the first couple but he was very good about it. Did the trick too.
Lady and I with my friend Mary would go on trail rides through the woods. We would plod along on the way out with lady and Captain both eating the leaves along the way. There was an alterior motive for that because when they let go of the branch it would wipe us across the face. Did I say she had a sense of humor, well she does. Like when I started to learn to jump........we started at a trot and would come up to the jump nicely balanced to go over and she would stop and start eating grass. Lucky for me I was balanced enough to stop as well unlike my friend Mary who would sail over the jump without her horse. Captain and Lady shared the same humor (The little kids at the stable held a wedding for them).....he would enjoy it when we were going around nicely in a circle out in the field learning the moves and all of a sudden Captain would stop and graze. Mary would very elegantly slide down his neck and plop to the ground in front of him whereapon he would give a huff and snort as if to say "you just dont learn do you". She didn't either. I dont know how many times she was told not to feed the horse in the tie stall while grooming but she knew best and continued to do that until one day I saw her come sailing out into the barn landing on her bum in the aisle. "Well" she said." He has never done that before."
Lady on the other hand was always trying to out wit me, not too difficult......but I was a little more aware than Mary. I never did learn to canter. Lady would get going nicely until I was almost confident and then she would quickly change direction, run into the center of the arena and stop with me hanging on her side." Dont let her so that" my instructor would say...........well listen the horse is bigger than me and she does what she wants. Not exactly true because I have seen 6 year olds canter the old bag with no trouble whatsoever. Its just me.
Her relationship with me. She is the boss, always was always will be and is paid in carrots upon demand. I have to say I thought that riding would come natural, it looks so easy. Then I got on for the first time and found out its not that simple.
I mean, you have to learn another language. I ride English and its all control with seat and leg......well its supposed to be. Lady learned English really well especially the word NO........ as in "You want me to do what? NO!!!"....shes not so good with the rest of the language unless it involves food.
I must confess I have a problem with forcing my will upon an animal. SHe knows it. She takes advantage of it and she laughs. I love being with her, grooming her, the smell of her. Walking with her (yes I walk and she walks these days.) but just being with her is a privaledge. She has had a great life and is an old girl now at 40. When I clean the stalls I leave her loose outside and when shes done with her breakfast she comes back inside to bug me until I give her more food or a treat. She lives at a friends house these days with two nice fields and two friends. So there are just 3 stalls to clean and she will come in and hang out with me. Go through my pockets if she can........I wonder if she remembers our days out on the trail, jumping logs and exploring places with Spyder and Captain. Both gone now long ago. She would be very slow and plodding on the way out but the witch knew when we changed direction and would try to rush home. So the ride back consisted of lots of tight little circles and running up hills to get her to slow up some. I loved her running up the hills but admit that I hated coming down again and we would ride as much along the tops as we could until I could find the gentlest slope back to even ground.
I remember one day she ran away with me. I actually got a good canter going and thought hey this is great except that the barn was swiftly coming upon us along with the main road and log yard and I knew that we would not make the turn, well I knew she would.......i would not. I was very proud of myself that I was calm and could reach forwards to grab her rein close enough to turn her up the next hill and turn around. I got off and walked back shaking and glaring at her. Mary had already abandoned ship and was walking back beside Captain she didnt want any of that. Anyway, I made Lady walk really slow so she had to wait for supper. I know, I hear you ...shame ...shame ...shame..........she won again. Sigh......
One thing I must say in her defense, not that she needs it. She trusted me. If I asked her to walk over something scary, she would stare at it and stop when I would say "go on its OK" she believed me and would step over or onto anything. She would never spook, she might tuck her butt under but she would always go.
My instructor said if I wanted to learn to ride well I should get a different horse. I could not do that. She was mine for better or worse and I have loved every moment of it.