Getting Off My High Horse

So I'm at work, dutifully fulfilling my 8 million duties, when my cell phone rings. It's the barn manager from Other Barn, saying I can come out and test ride the new horse. Yay! I ran over there right after work and gave him a go.

Let me tell you about this horse. He is huge. HUGE. About 17 hands. For me, that is quite large. I grew up riding a 14.3 hand Arab, and Mae is about 15.1. He is also very forward moving and strong and sometimes feels the tiniest bit like he can snap through the reins like the Incredible Hulk and take off with me at a wild gallop. Hmmm.

But the ride went okay. The first time I cantered him I was kind of nervous, but we pulled it together. We had a few challenging moments but otherwise seemed to work well together. To my surprise, the barn manager was pleased and said I did very well. She told me I'd be a good lease rider for him that I should just keep her updated on my situation. He isn't spoken for at the moment, so maybe I'll get lucky and he'll still be available in the coming months.

I'm going to think about it. I did like him, and I think with some hard work, he and I might make a good team. I think part of me is just a little afraid of his hugeness and speed, so I'm not going to rush into anything. I'm sticking with Mae for now, and maybe I'll decide later in the summer to switch over to the huge Thoroughbred terror. Oh, and he doesn't seem like he'd be an ideal trail horse -- it's hard to imagine trucking along on this mammoth, feisty Thoroughbred through the woods -- so the enticing trails at Other Barn aren't really factoring into my decision here.

So we'll see. For now, I feel grateful for Mae.