My Own Horse...now what?

Finally, after years of wanting, dreaming, forgetting the dream, remembering, I had a horse to call my own. For better or for worst. 'They' say “green + green = black and blue”, and by this time I knew why; but back then all I wanted to do was ride, ride and ride!

The ranch was adjacent to hundreds of acres of open space…old Indian lands filled with oak, Manzanita and rocky outcrops with ancient grinding bowls used for centuries to harvest and grind acorns.
I owned my own horse! I could ride for hours and not come across people; explore old homesteads and side trails, if I could only find the courage to ride him! I knew nothing about ‘breaking’ a horse and Mystery was almost 8, mature, confident and independent. He wanted to eat. He did not want to be groomed, or touched. I started the only way I could, by becoming what I hoped would be his friend.

Days were spent walking with the herd in pasture and just following them around. I was fascinated by the hierarchy of the herd and their silent communications. One flick of the ear, one threat with a hind foot, and the offender would be sent on his or her way. One day, hanging out at the top of a rolling slope, I sat down and took off my shoe to clean out grass heads caught in my socks. I looked up to see Mystery staring at me intently. He came over and put his head down curious about my bare foot. I put my barefoot up and he sniffed it, then he looked at the other foot like “well, what about that one”? I untied my other shoe and took it off, then lifted my foot for his inspection. He sniffed, curiousity satisfied, and meandered off to graze. That was our ‘first’ real contact and I was thrilled.

Soon I had him in a halter and started to teach him to lead. I did everything wrong; of course! I had a pouch attached to my belt with pieces of carrot and I bribed him. He would do anything for food and soon I had him following me around like a little puppy. I was very vocal with him and he soon learned “ho” (I learned that from Susan), walk, back. We would open gates together from the ground and go for walks in the open space, but I still did not have the courage to get on his back. I had taken a bad fall from Sonny a few months earlier and could not bring myself to do it.

One day I tied him, too long of course, and I looked back just as he was crawling under the rail, from one side to the next, still tied. He squatted down like a big dog and crawled under, his head twisted back while his butt got through, and then stood up. He just wanted to be on the other side and when he was trapped, he did not panic but just figured it out. Again, I was amazed I actually owned a horse; in particular this one. I knew the time had come to ride him, if we were to move forward with our training…..