Today I had an amazing ride on my Arabian, Scout. It wasn't amazing because we accomplished tasks that we had previously strived to accomplish, or because we went farther or faster than we had gone before. It was an amazing ride, because I now value the time on the trail, with just my horse, dog and I, in a way that I didn't before.
When I am on the trail with just my four legged team, I am not a mother, or the laundry servant. I am not the household chef, or the cleaning crew. I am not an employee of the Department of Defense, and I am not a student worried about getting good grades.
When I am on the trail, I am simply myself. I get to remove everyday life, stress and worries from my mind and focus on the present. I get to focus on the horse, what he is saying, and what he is doing.
When I am on the trail, I am the 13 year old girl who would just go ride to ride, the girl who slept in the barn just to see if she could catch a glimpse of her horse sleeping. I get to go back to simpler times
Today I went for a ride,
Just me, my horse, and my dog at my side
We didn't do anything unique,
We didn't work too hard or face a challenging feat.
But the ride today was invaluable to me,
as the time on the trail, let me be free.
I wasn't a mother,
or the house cleaning crew,
I wasn't worried about tasks for my job
or checking my list of "things to do"
I wasn't a daughter, granddaughter or sister.
I wasn't a wife cleaning up after the mister.
I was an equestrian, just me and my horse.
I was present in the moment, like I hadn't been before.
My thoughts and worries dissipated as we trotted down the trail,
I left it all behind, in the dust and the shale
I focused on my horse.
I listened to his hooves to see when they fell
and watched his head and ears .
I could feel his worries, and see into his mind.
My horse and I rode together as a team.
He trusted me to guide him, and I took the lead.
We moved forward through the trees,
Cantered past a whitetail deer and felt the breeze.
The clouds rolled in and threatened to break,
his breath got louder with every step he'd take.
The thunder rolled and the lightning struck, I expected a spook, or even a buck. But he remained calm, only reacting to me As his hooves pounded the path, and we ran free. ➼