Horses Who Made Me: Rocky

Traci at Fly On Over started a series chronicling her past with horses and how it got her to where she is now. I think this idea is brilliant. I'd thought for awhile about some sort of series, but was never able to sell myself on a good topic.

Until now.

Each Tuesday for the next several weeks I'll post - in chronological order - about horses who have made me the rider I am. The lessons I've learned from them are great and small, but all influenced me in some way to better myself as a rider and an equestrian.

Rocky
Rocky was the first horse I have memory of doing a significant ride on.

He was the horse of a local farrier with whom my parents were friends with. I would learn - much later in life - that my parents had discussed the possibility of buying a horse for me with this gentleman.

Rocky's owner led me on Rocky up a trail through the woods on his property. I was on the lead line throughout this portion of our adventure. We wound up a mountain side on a 4-wheeler trail for a time, and then back-tracked back down the mountain to the field where we'd begun. The whole time he talked to me about horse things and riding. Minor instruction was given here and there.

In this field, the lead line was unclipped and Rocky was left to follow his owner through the field at a pace of my choosing.

While the memory is fuzzy, I can remember having a little difficulty in the beginning of my new freedom on this horse. He wanted to eat and I wanted him to go. He finally chose to follow his owner back to the barn, not due to my efforts.

I remember him trotting some. I remember the thrill of that.

This was one of only a very few times I got to ride this pony, but I will always remember that first taste of freedom riding a horse under my own volition and not under the direction of someone else.

That moment, however brief, was the last pebble that tripped me into falling the rabbit hole of loving horses and riding. I've been here ever since.