learn to ride a horse

Not that hard, really. The riding part, I mean. It’s only really about getting accustomed and getting balanced. The hard part is all the knot-tying, padding and cinching that comes before and after riding. That and finding the time to ride. And the money…

I did this when I was a kid. Trail riding camp. The first year they gave me a young mare. She was spirited but generally did what I asked without much complaining. I was always polite and thanked her and brought her carrots.

The second year I got an old, big, stubborn slate-coloured gelding. He was badly trained and pretty much did what he pleased. The instructors shouted at me. One mean instructor decided I was stupid and ugly (he told me so) and bullied me.

At the end of camp all the kids were supposed to do a ring show for the parents. I hid under the bedcovers. I knew it would be an embarrassment.

It was… only not for me. I heard that during the show they gave that old stubborn horse to the bully and he couldn’t manage. He looked like a fool.

In my dreams that night he fell off his horse and onto his ass.