All In Our Perspective....

Back in the 90's, when we were seriously riding our horses in Endurance and Competitive Rides, I had a wonderful friend that would condition horses with me. She would also use that horse to ride endurance or competitive rides with me.  It was so much fun to have a friend to ride with, someone to talk to, someone to share exciting events of the day around that campfire after the ride.  Someone who knew exactly which tree you clobbered your knee on or how wonderful your horse was forging the river.  We were on the same trail at the same moments and our horses running through the same mud and we survived the hills, the bees, and vet checks......

In 1992 we each kept a journal of the rides, conditioning and whatever else.  We traded our journal writings for Christmas gifts to each other.  As I read her entries I wondered where and who she went riding with in the last year.  Her writings sounded nothing like the rides that I did..........   The names of the rides were the same, Lost Bridge Boogie, Hoosier 30, the Sheltowee and Ceasarcreek ride.  And yet, our stories were so different.  It was ALL IN OUR PERSPECTIVE........

I thought racing quickly through a little grove of saplings was like doing a pole bending event!   Beth thought racing quickly through the little grove of saplings was like having your knees clubbed at each bend.  I didn't know my horse was more flexible than the horse Beth was riding.  He was more like a straight board that could not bend going through those trees.  When I thought about swinging my sea sponge into water puddles as we moved quickly down the trail was fun, Beth thought it wasn't fun when her sponge got flung back under her horses tail, his tail clamped down and  he proceeded to shoot forward like he'd been shot out of a cannon.  I thought my horse was doing a great job a maneuvering the little dips in the trail, all the while behind me, Beth's horse could not dip so proceeded to jump all 50 dips in the trail!  As the lead horse and rider, we usually made it through the ground nest of bees in a log, only to stir them up for the following horse or horses.  Screaming and running was a sure sign that bees were on the trail and chasing the horses and riders!  Beth's horse usually followed my horse so closely that he would never see the log we'd just jumped until my horse had skipped over it, then suddenly he'd leap from where he was standing, you could never sleep when riding Feasty.

One of the funniest entries in Beth's journal was when she was newly riding with Trisha and I.  I would lead, Trisha would follow on Feasty, (Feasty liked it in this order.) and Beth was riding Knipper behind Feasty.  When riding in groups it was easier to communicate with hand signals so the riders behind you would know if you were slowing down, so a raised hand was the signal.  It was around the campfire that Beth questioned me about not understanding the hand signals Trisha would give her..........   I found out that Trisha would ride her horse down the trail, no hands on the reins and she would practice her cheer hand motions while trotting down the trail.  Beth following, trying to figure out what the signals would mean.

So you see, it is all in the perspective.......