Many years ago, my chosen daughter wanted to go horseback riding for her 12th Birthday. She had never been on a horse and I thought it would be great to grant her wish.

When I was young, living in the mountains we had a horse and a couple of ponies. I had also rode a friend’s horse after high school (that didn’t go so well). Even though it has been many years since I had ridden, I felt confident that it would all come back to me.

I chose a tourist riding company because I figured they would have calmer horses, unlike my friend’s horse. When we got there, it was exactly what I had hoped for.

They chose a sweet mare for my chosen daughter and a large male for me. She was in front of me and they told me not to let him get to close to the mare. There were about 12 of us all together who would be riding through an area behind the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs (which is hilly and rocky).

As we went along the trail it became obvious that these horses did this every day, possibly several times a day. As we’d come up on a bush that I didn’t want to be brushed against, I’d tell the horse to move over (gently using the reins, of course). When I would do this, my horse would stop, turn his head to look at me as if to say, “I do this every day and know what I’m doing, you just sit there”. When he was confident that I got the message, he would continue on. The first time he did it, I thought it was funny. The fourth or fifth time I couldn’t believe it. I gave up after that because he wouldn’t do what I asked anyway.

I laugh about the look on that horse’s face, every time I think about it.