Gorgeous day today! Went for a ride out near Jump Creek. Tacked the horses up and headed out. Nice slow walk ... just doop de dooping. Came to a closed gate, and decided to walk the other direction ... kind of blaze our own trail if you will. And Kahlua was great walking through the sagebrush, up and down the hills, etc. At one point, I was chit-chatting with the trainer and I was about to be a wiseass (as usual), when Kahlua started to step down the embankment, and it was steeper than I anticipated, so I stepped pretty hard in one stirrup, and then it happened. In a flash, I saw the entire conversation with Couch in my head. "The last thing you do before you mount is check that cinch, otherwise, you'll end up looking at equine belly. But it will only happen once." Well ... she gee'd and I haw'd ... and the slow motion started. I'm sliding, but my opposite hip was past the point of no return and I landed on the ground. And Kahlua, bless her cotton-pickin' heart ... just stopped and stood there looking at me ... as if to say, "Hey Jodi, what are ya doin' on the ground?" She didn't panic. She didn't even walk off. She was such a good girl. And I was fine. Made for some funny conversation for the rest of the ride. Time for a new and much better quality pad to help with the endless slipping saddle, and believe you me ... I won't forget again to walk her around for a minute and then re-cinch her.
The more I ride Kahlua, the more I like her. She is so nice and calm ... nothing has phased her. She is very sure footed and doesn't hop over the bottom of a ravine like most horses. She keeps her feet on the ground and really takes care of the rider.
I have the 4-H ride this weekend that I'm really looking forward to checking out. And with any luck, I'll ride Kahlua once or twice between now and then.
I wish I would have thought to take a picture of Kahlua's belly from the wonderful ground perspective I had. This is on the ridge after that little mis-step. :-)
What a great horse to just stop and stand there after that! I have never had that happen to me, but have watched someone else's saddle do the slip and next thing you know, the rider was on the ground.
ReplyDeleteAnd what a beautiful view!!
Glad you are okay! That just made Kahlua's value jump a bunch - So awesome to have a horse take care of you like that!! The last time I hit the ground off the back of horse was on purpose - yep she put me there on purpose - I felt like I had been Pile Driven into the ground! The ole couch and I were buddies for a while - but I'm back at and have my legs and confidence back!
ReplyDeleteHave fun at the next ride!!
LOL, yep, it only happens once! I used to catch-ride a TWH who was built like a whiskey barrel on four very long legs. She went into a really hard pace and before I knew it FLOOP me and the saddle went sideways. A neoprene pad and a very tight cinch helped with her.
ReplyDeletegood girl! Hope you aren't sore after that little lesson, and COuch is right , it only ever happens once to most of us!
ReplyDeleteYears ago when I took riding lessons my trainer would not let me use stirrups. She said I needed to learn my balance without relying on the stirrups. Of course I was much younger then..LOL I did learn though and could even jump bareback. Had a really great horse once that I could ride bareback with leg cues only. I really miss having horses, but I'm sure my butt doesn't! Only been thrown once and fell off once in all my years of riding though. Have fun Jodi!
ReplyDeleteIt's a good idea to check all your tack before you climb aboard- things like the saddle strings getting caught under the blanket, is the blanket up off the withers, no twisted straps, etc. It'll be second nature before long! Kahlua is a real gem.
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