Tow Me to an Arena!

If you ride horses like I do, then you probably just broke your horses in for the season. This year, I’m blaming the late start on the weather. Snow ‘till April and no spring? True, it’s the Wisconsin weather we know and love, but, it’s not exactly the most ideal thing for horseback riding. I figured that gave me a good enough excuse not to get out there and heft myself up onto the backs of animals that had probably been about as lazy as me for just about as long. Never the less, my grandmother wanted a ride, and who was I to say no to my grandmother?

We have two horses. Each horse is ridden on average about ten times a summer. Not a hard life for Pearl and Whistle. Still, they weren’t exactly thrilled about being pulled away from their pasture when the grass was just getting high enough to munch. Despite their resistance, my grandmother and I got them away from their range and hitched them up to a post.  It only took a couple minutes of brushing them down and being Pearl’s scratching post to receive a fairly nice coat of hair for myself.  My horse riding season had officially begun.

My grandmother and I saddled up Pearl and Whistle and got on their backs before reminding the horses who was boss (and them reminding us a little about how to ride!) Around, and around, and around, and around the yard we went. It wasn’t exactly the most exciting, but hey, the horse trailer was buried in weeds and our trailer wiring for the Ford F-250 wasn’t hooked up yet anyways. So we rode around and around the yard until both I and the horse were bored. My grandmother was obviously feeling similarly uninterested for she gestured towards the field out back. After a quick reminder from my grandmother that the field was riddled with holes so the horses couldn’t run, we headed out, eager for a change of scenery.

The reminder from my grandmother held muchmore weight when we reached the knee deep grass. She was right, there certainly were holes, and many of them. I would have been fine at a walk, Pearl and Whistle however had other ideas. Whistle, antsy to stretch his legs and definitely ready to be done with our rides tossed his head and skidded about, pulling persistently against grandma’s tight grip on the reins. He was ready to run. Don’t get me wrong, Whistle is a good horse, but he tends to foam at the mouth when he has a bridal on. Foam at the mouth and head tossing tends to lead to mucus slinging showers for the rider. ‘Snot pleasant let me tell you. Pearl, the smaller of the two horses also wanted to be back. If you’ve ridden a small horse at an unwilling trot you are probably familiar with the toll each jarring step takes on your rear. Ouch.

We arrived back at the barn eventually. Both my grandmother and I were a little worse for wear. Specks of snot and saliva covered my grandmother and my butt ached. We should have taken the weed whacker to the mess around the trailer and spent the time to hook up the wiring. It would have been easier on me… and my grandmother’s laundry. We let Pearl and Whistle back into the pasture where they rolled away all of the sweat and grime they had collected. I wished vaguely it would have been as easy for us. Next time, I thought I as walked gingerly inside, we would tow them to a nice, flat, hole-free arena.  Next time being after my soreness wares off of course.

Erin Blumer

This Ginger lives the Towing Lifestyle! Although new to the tow blogging community, Erin is no Noob when it comes to writing. Currently double majoring in Creative Writing and Choral Music Ed at Mankato, She brings a fresh nuance in her writings to the Towing Aftermarket. If you have any lifestyle questions or suggestions, comment below!