Close contact with megafauna
Apr. 23rd, 2018 08:49 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
luzulaWell, domesticated megafauna. I went horseback riding for the first time in my life yesterday, and it was such an experience! Wow.
I went to a small place in the countryside that has North Swedish Horses. They are really beautiful draft horses that you can also ride on. Here is the horse I rode:
Since I was a beginner I was given a calm horse: she is 23 years old and was indeed very calm when I first came up to her (well, I guess she was focused on her hay). But she had lots of energy later when we were riding, or at least I thought so. Here I am:
There were four other participants, as well as the person in charge (all were women). So I was given five minutes' instruction and then we set off, first uphill and then on forest paths. When we got to the flat part we did some trotting and then galloping pretty much immediately, so no going easy on the beginner! But I didn't fall off or anything, which I guess, success? So glad there was a knob on the saddle to hold on to. And wow, so cool to feel this huge powerful animal moving underneath me--it was just such a physical experience.
I did not get into the right rhythm during the trotting, so that was pretty bouncy. Towards the end we did sync up better during the galloping, which was really cool! Pretty sure I didn't handle the reins that well (in the beginning I just let them hang while she walked, before I understood that you were supposed to keep in contact) but still, she was very responsive when I told her to turn or stop or go faster. We were out for several hours, with a lunch break in the middle, and towards the end I started feeling pretty tired in my inner thighs. Also it felt like my knees had to bend the wrong way. Today I am quite sore, but it was soooo worth it! Would totally do again. Also I did my first skinny-dipping of the year, during the lunch break.
I went to a small place in the countryside that has North Swedish Horses. They are really beautiful draft horses that you can also ride on. Here is the horse I rode:
Since I was a beginner I was given a calm horse: she is 23 years old and was indeed very calm when I first came up to her (well, I guess she was focused on her hay). But she had lots of energy later when we were riding, or at least I thought so. Here I am:
There were four other participants, as well as the person in charge (all were women). So I was given five minutes' instruction and then we set off, first uphill and then on forest paths. When we got to the flat part we did some trotting and then galloping pretty much immediately, so no going easy on the beginner! But I didn't fall off or anything, which I guess, success? So glad there was a knob on the saddle to hold on to. And wow, so cool to feel this huge powerful animal moving underneath me--it was just such a physical experience.
I did not get into the right rhythm during the trotting, so that was pretty bouncy. Towards the end we did sync up better during the galloping, which was really cool! Pretty sure I didn't handle the reins that well (in the beginning I just let them hang while she walked, before I understood that you were supposed to keep in contact) but still, she was very responsive when I told her to turn or stop or go faster. We were out for several hours, with a lunch break in the middle, and towards the end I started feeling pretty tired in my inner thighs. Also it felt like my knees had to bend the wrong way. Today I am quite sore, but it was soooo worth it! Would totally do again. Also I did my first skinny-dipping of the year, during the lunch break.
(no subject)
Date: 2018-04-24 09:33 pm (UTC)I love the pictures of the horse <3 I grew up with Shire horses in a field at the bottom of my back garden, so I got to pet their noses sometimes. It's been years since I've been around horses though so I'm a bit wary of them now! But I love admiring them!
(no subject)
Date: 2018-04-24 09:38 pm (UTC)I definitely have respect for horses (they're so big!) but I actually felt fine around her, probably because she was so very calm in the beginning.
(no subject)
Date: 2018-04-24 09:44 pm (UTC)It's great that she was so calm in the beginning, that's always reassuring. She sounds like she was really nice :) Hopefully she got an extra carrot or something for being so good to you!