Category Archives: Riding

Horseback Riding Camp

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Image from Pics4learning

 

Hi! This is a story about how I got a concussion while horseback riding.

Over the summer, I went to a horseback riding camp. We would tack up and ride our horses in the morning and clean tack in the afternoon. My favorite horses were named Raven and Maximus. Raven was sweet and gentle, while Maximus was easy to ride, but quick to get scared.

My instructor told me I would be riding Maximus that day. The other girls were riding Raven, a well-behaved chestnut named Heidi, and a temperamental bay named Paddy. We get tacked up, mount our horses, and ride up to the field. My instructor warns us that horses are more likely to spook in the field.

With that, we start riding around, trotting at a brisk pace. The girl on Heidi shouts, “Race you down the hill!” We canter down behind her and stop at the bottom. My horse pauses for water, and I watch as the others race back up the slope. They stop at the top, chatting with one another about their horses while I trot Maximus back up. The girl on Raven suggests we race again, and the girl on Heidi quickly agrees.

We start cantering down the hill yet again. Suddenly, Maximus is galloping, bucking wildly as he whinnies. I catch a glimpse of Paddy bucking as I grab fistfuls of hair in an attempt to hold on. A yell lodges in my throat as I’m thrown into the air. There’s half a second where I’m pressed against his side, holding on for dear life as sweat slathers his flank. Then, in the blink of an eye, I’m on the ground.

My vision goes fuzzy, my breath sucked from my body. I hear my trainer’s voice, but it sounds distant. I’m acutely aware that my helmet’s visor has broken, and that my head throbs like it’s been run over by an elephant. A scream finally escapes, ten seconds late. I’m confused, looking for my trainer. Spots flare in my vision as I try to sit up. Slumping limply, I turn my head to see my trainer crouching over the girl who was on Paddy, the girl screaming that she can’t breathe over and over. Her yells slice through my mind like steel, and I wince. Turning my head, I see Maximus and Paddy cantering down the hill towards Heidi. The girl on Raven has dismounted, leading her away from the chaos. The girl on Heidi panics, hyperventilating as her horse takes control, calmly trotting away from the chaos. The girl continues to sob hysterically, dropping her reins and clinging to Heidi’s neck.

My trainer is on the phone, but I can’t hear much through the ringing in my ears. My vision goes blurry, spots glaring brightly. The girl who was on Raven is comforting the girl on Heidi, holding her horse while she panics. My trainer puts her phone away, helping the other girl stand up. The other two trainers come running up, one of them rushing to calm Maximus and Paddy while the other comes towards me. She helps me sit up and asks how I feel. For some reason, I say that I’m fine, and after testing me for a concussion, she believes me.

She takes me down to the lounge, and I eat a popsicle while I wait for my parents to arrive.

After going to the doctor, we found out I did indeed have a concussion. So, in case anyone was wondering, that’s why I lease Raven instead of Maximus. I think it was for the best that it worked out this way, since Raven is the sweetest pony I could have asked for. Anyway, that was my third time falling off, and it was also when I learned that you’re supposed to get a new helmet every time you fall off. Hopefully, I don’t get another concussion anytime soon.

Snow Day

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Hi! There’s been a lot of snow recently, at least here on the East Coast of America. I had a lot of fun and enjoyed my days off from school. That being said, the icy roads and cold conditions have caused a lot of problems for a lot of people. While I’ve been relatively unaffected, I haven’t been able to ride for the past three weeks due to the cold and snow.

Yesterday I was scheduled for a riding lesson, and when I got there, I was informed that we would just be brushing and feeding our horses, and that we wouldn’t be riding. So, I went and got my horse from the field, brought her down to the barn, and brushed her. I noticed that she had thrush on one of her feet, so I went to get the spray only to find it was frozen solid.

Annoyed, I left it under the headlamp and decided to go into the tack room and clean her tack while I waited for it to thaw, only to find the door crusted with ice. I heaved it open on my third try, only to realize that the power was out, which meant the room was doused in darkness. Abandoning that endeavor, I went to check if the thrush spray had unfrozen yet. Unfortunately, it was not even close. I decided to go ask my instructor what I should do, and she responded that it was fine and that I should just take my horse back up to the pasture.

Disgruntled that I had wasted so much time, I took my horse back to her pasture, in the process gaining a new appreciation for the word slippery. I was going as slow as a snail, yet still managed to slip down the hill five times. I am grateful for my horse’s sake that her lead rope was so long.

Long story short, be careful out there! The ice is more dangerous than it looks.

My First Horse Show

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Image from Pics4learning

Hi! If you love horseback riding, this post is for you!

So, I was recently at a horse show at Triton Stables. I was competing in the walk-trot-canter division. I was really nervous, because it was my first show. I went there with my mom, decked out in show gear. It was surprisingly hot, and so I was sweating through my riding jacket, and my horse was drinking a ton of water. We were supposed to show at around ten in the morning, but the start got delayed to two. My horse was not enjoying being tied to the trailer in the sweltering heat.

Finally, the announcer says over the intercom that the walk-trot-canter group should head to the arena. We start with a poles course, and I’m sitting on my horse fretting about how good the other girls are. When it’s finally my turn, my horse is on her best behavior. She’s a little lazy, but by the end of the courtesy circle, she’s at a brisk trot. She clears the poles and slows to a walk for the closing circle.

We exit the arena and wait outside while the last girl finishes up. After that, we all go back into the ring to do some flat work. While the other riders struggle to get their horses to canter, my horse gets right to it. After a lap of beautiful cantering, we glide to a walk and meander to the middle. We have our backs to the judges, and I’m nervous all over again, worst-case scenarios rushing through my head. First, they announce who won—the girl next to me takes four blue ribbons, two reds, and she wins first overall. Next, they announce the Champion of Reserve—that’s me! I get two blue ribbons and four red ones.

Once they finish the rankings, I’m sitting there proud of myself—and then I hear the girl on my other side crying quietly. She got last place in everything, and I feel bad for her, so I tell her it’s alright. Then, the girl on my other side decides to butt in. “Hey, at least your ribbons match!” Ouch. I can’t tell if she means well or is rubbing it in, but either way, it makes the girl cry harder. (By the way, the girl who’s crying is eight, and the other one is twelve). I shoot the crying girl a pitying look, and then I’m swept into the crowd of people exiting the arena. When I get back to the trailer, my trainer is congratulating the girl who won, a fifteen year old who won Champion of Reserve in another division, and I.

I wish I had gone back and comforted the crying girl, but I didn’t. I just sat there and smiled while I was congratulated. I get up and start to un-tack my horse instead of letting myself dwell on that awkward conversation. I’m putting her saddle back on the saddle rack in the trailer when I trip, and suddenly I’m on the ground, and blood is everywhere. I panic and start screaming at the top of my lungs. My trainer rushes over and helps me up, but I’m still whimpering in pain. Blood drips down my chin as my mom holds a cloth to my bottom lip. Someone hands me a Tylenol pill, and I shove it in my mouth. My mom helps me into a chair while my trainer takes care of my horse. Eventually, the pain dulls, and my mom helps me into the car. We drive home in silence.

It took two weeks for my lip to heal. I still have a scar there today. I won’t ever forget that horse show, for more reasons than one.

Long story short, my first-ever riding show went horribly wrong.