Thursday, August 16, 2007

Back In Time

Today I drove a horse for the first time ever. She is a sorrel mustang with excellent manners, who was rescued as a yearling from the abbatoir. Of course her name is Lady. (Just like one of Almanzo Wilder's pair: Prince & Lady) My teacher is named Mike and is quite elegant. We drove down a dirt road, then onto the macadam, in a little two-seat cart. The harnessing is elaborate --- I have homework to do before my next lesson a week from tomorrow.
It's so odd using only nuanced hands and gentle taps of the whip to send signals to the horse. For obvious reasons, there is no leg or one's own weight to communicate with. I also have to remember that it is indeed a vehicle with the original horsepower and that I have to watch where I position it on the road. It's almost like I'm 15 again and learning to coordinate a car. Learning this, however, completes my personal concept of a horsewoman: the ability to harness and drive a horse as well as ride astride. Yes, I wore a helmet. Even in NM we're careful. And I have to go buy my requisite brown driving gloves. Have to be brown.

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