Despite the name of this blog, I am new to the Art & Agony of horseback riding. I’ve been around horses all my life, having lived in houses occupied by horse crazy sisters and daughters. While I like horses and they seemed to tolerate me okay, they have always been on the periphery for me. And until recently, I haven’t felt the need to team up with one.
To be honest, I never thought I would be able to ride. That the horses wouldn’t have it and I didn’t have the patience or motivation to convince them otherwise. That maybe I was just one of those people not meant to be on a horse.
Now, with the AARP years upon me, I have decided to give horseback riding a serious shot. In June 2011, I started riding lessons. My instructor is Karin Schmidt, the owner and operator of Karin’s Horse Connection in Grandville, Michigan. She is the most patient person in the Known Free World.
My progress has been slow – very slow. But I am doing things I never thought possible and I’m having more fun with it than I ever imagined. And I’m getting to know horses – and horsepeople – from entirely new perspective.
And I have no idea what’s going to happen next.
