Initiation

Last night, in my post about my grandfather, I mentioned my little mishap with a stallion. So here's the full story:

Hootie is a pretty little three-year-old, sorrel-and-white Paint stallion, and an up-and-coming penning horse. He's a sweet little thing who loves attention, and about as docile as you can expect any young stud to be.

My trainer had me saddle Hootie up and get on. Then he asked me to do some walking exercises with him outside of the arena, and I did, and he was fantastic, even when it came to walking past a few nickering mares. Like I said, he's a good-natured little guy, and he's been started well.

So, then we move into the arena. The sprinkler's going, and that causes him a bit of concern (or maybe I was concerned that he was concerned and that, in turn, made him concerned!), so we kept to one side and worked in circles. When we got the full arena, we worked at a walk, and then a trot.

Then my trainer asked for a lope. No big deal. We loped fine around the arena several times, la-de-da, when suddenly he starts to buck. Now, I don't know if it was as bad as it felt, but up there in the saddle he was bucking. At least, I've been on horses that have bucked before, and this was nothing like that. And not bucking in one spot either, like I'm used to, but bucking down the entire length of the arena.

Now, unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it), I don't have much experience with bucking horses. Like I said, I've ridden out a few bucks, but not that many and not that hard. And I will admit, I froze. I froze wearing spurs. Not good. I knew I should have dropped my feet and snatched up his head, and I heard my trainer shouting instructions, but I just couldn't make my body do what my head was telling it.

However, I was ok with the bucking -- at least, that wasn't what worried me; I was pretty confident that I could ride it out. It was the fact that we were quickly approaching the arena wall, and Hootie wasn't slowing down. We crashed into the wall and Hootie reared up, and I suddenly remembered that I was in Oxbow stirrups. Oxbows are designed to be ridden with your entire foot in, not just the ball, and keep your foot from slipping out. I don't like these stirrups. Maybe it's because, all my life, I've heard "Don't put your foot in! Ride on the ball!". I just haven't gotten the hang of using them.

Anyway, my first reaction is to get my foot out of the stirrups. Then I see the horse tipping over, and I blank. Now, my biggest fear has always been a horse falling over on me. I've heard all sorts of horror stories, I've known people who have broken their leg, back or pelvis that way. So, I'm thinking, crap, I'll get out of this with a broken leg at best.

I hit the ground first, and I'm trying to make my body move, but it won't. Then the horse lands on me. Surprisingly, it didn't hurt -- it actually felt really soft, considering it's a huge freakin' animal. I was positive that I'd be injured, so it was completely shocking to me that I wasn't. I wanted to get up right away and get the horse, but my trainer wouldn't let me. He actually had to push me (gently, of course) back down and make me sit still, even though I kept trying to convince him that I was perfectly fine.

Of course, afterward, I understand why: when your adrenaline's pumping, you can't feel pain, so you may be hurt and not know it. Fortunately, I really was fine.

You'll all be proud to know that I got back on Hootie, and continued loping, and he was fine. I'd be lying if I told you that I wasn't nervous, which was a strange feeling; I can't remember ever feeling nervous about riding. But Hootie was fine, and after a few times around the arena, I was too. And I assured Hootie that there were no hard feelings (in fact, I like him more now).

I was sore by the time I got home, though (we left early, because I got the news about my grandfather right after riding), and really sore yesterday. Today I'm stiff, but not in quite as much pain.

But I've been officially inducted into the Cowgirls of America Association, and I'm not quite so afraid of having a horse fall over on me (although I certainly do not want to tempt fate and let it happen again).

Speaking of initiations, I'm told Kachina finally got a barn name: "Julie" -- after me, of course. I'm disappointed and proud at the same time.