I was struggling not to scream "OUCH! OUCH! OUCH!" and fall off clutching my inner thighs. That's what I was picturing; me, ungracefully falling off in a heap, clutching my inner thighs and wailing like a big baby, while Prime stood over me in complete disgust and amusement as he ruffled my hair and rolled me around like Alaric's big blue ball. Oh, what an embarrassment!!!
So, I was practicing the art of graceful bareback riding. Ya, right! I used to be a talented bareback rider. Walk, trot, canter, gallop, jumping, barrel racing, trail riding, bucking, rearing, you name it I rode it and I stayed on. I used to be able to post bareback, get into a jumping position and hold it as if I wasn't riding bareback at all. I had a great case of "velcro butt", except I didn't only stay on, I made it look easy and graceful. Unfortunately, not anymore!!!
Yesterday, I decided that I would be lazy while tacking up Prime and headed out with just his support boots and a bridle. I hadn't ridden bareback in at least a year. The old fool didn't know what to think when I hopped on him with no saddle and asked him to trot. He actually halted and turned his head around as if to say "Are you sure?". "Of course I'm sure" I mumbled under my breath, "I used to do this all the time". So off he trotted being extra cautious and slow as I just about slid off the left side of him at the corner of the ring. I caught myself on his whithers and giggling with embarrassment centered myself and corrected my legs and riding position.
Off we went again, and I tried to post. I could still post without stirrups, but man, the pain I was feeling in my legs is like nothing I've ever felt before. I was struggling not to scream "OUCH! OUCH! OUCH!" and fall off clutching my inner thighs.
Though I pictured it, it didn't happen. I stayed on, I kept my posting trot, the pain in my thighs went away, riding bareback started to feel familiar again. I sat down, gave a scoop and Prime picked up a beautiful canter down the long side of the ring. One, Two, Three, Four strides, hit the corner and into a pace. Through the second corner and back into a canter down the other long side, except this time it was a diagonal, 4-beated canter that only a pacer can manage. Back to the posting trot, sit, scoop, and there we had the beautiful canter again.
A little more work on the canter and I was really feeling my legs and my stomach muscles. From Prime's back I opened the arena gate and we headed out for a short relaxing walk around the track before dinner. During our "cool down" ride, I began to think about the Standardbred that stood below me.
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