It's been at least 25 years since I've done this!

When I was a kid, I always loved horses. Actually, when I was very small I wanted to be a horse, and would pretend I was galloping across the West when I ran around the back yard. 

I remember making what I thought was a splendid horse out of a large box. Much like this picture I found on the Internet. 

Mine probably didn't look as nice as this because I had made it without adult help. 

BigStock From Web

But in my imagination it was a magnificent stallion and I would gallop at a breakneck speed around the neighborhood.  My heart was broken when I discovered that after leaving it at my friends house one afternoon, her dad had put it out with the trash, and it was gone the next morning.  Looking back I realize he did not see what I did, and was just picking up after the kids. 

As a teenager I would save my baby-sitting money and go to the riding stable as often as I could.  That pretty much ended when I met Craig.  He said if I could get him one with wheels, he would ride.  I did go without him once as an adult, but life led me in many other directions.

When we were checking out the activities here at Jonathan Dickinson State Park, we saw that they had guided trail rides, and they only charged $25 per hour.  Sign me up!

I was glad to see they had stairs! Just about the only way a fat old lady like me could get onto a horse these days.

Craig did not ride. He stayed at the stable so he could take pictures.

My horse's name was King. I think he was the biggest one they had. He was a sweet fellow. When I first got mounted up my hips screamed out in pain, but I quickly got comfortable and was ready to go. King had an easy gait, and I remembered to post a bit when we trotted. 

The ride was about three miles and took an hour. The sun was shining and the temperatures were no more than the high 70's. 

As I looked at my shadow I let my mind play with thoughts of crossing the country in a wagon train. Would it have been more comfortable to be on a horse all day, or in a bumpy wagon sitting on a hard bench seat?  I felt I understood why cowboys are depicted as bow legged. I wasn't sure I would be able to walk later in the day.

Craig took this picture of the second half of our group. The wrangler and several children had already passed where he was standing.

Craig said I looked like the horse and I had come to terms by the time we got back. At this point I was waiting to dismount and wondering just how I was going to be able to do that.

The answer, was with some help! Once again I was very grateful for the raised platform and the helpful wrangler. It was either that or a crane. 

So what's next?  

            Zip Line? 

            Sky Diving?

            Para-sailing?

            Rock Wall Climbing? 

                          

Answer: 

None of the above, at least not in this life. 

[From Craig] We'll see what the next park specializes in...  :-)