Yesterday was my first day on top of a horse. During the last semester a classmate of mine vocalized her passion for horses and mentioned how she taught people how to ride. The last day of class, I questioned her if, maybe, just maybe, I could get to ride horses at some point.
I was put on a flecked (flea-bitten was the terminology for the coloring I believe) white and a brown horse that was over twenty years old, complacent and well-trained, named Roger. The week previously when I had checked out the ranch, I noticed him being ridden by six year-old and who which, when being groomed, fell somewhat asleep.
As I climbed aboard old Roger and he walked at a slow pace, I started picking up how to sit, how to hold the reins, how to find my center of balance. Thankfully, I’m not afraid of heights, but I did mention to my classmate, who was teaching me (darn fabulously I might add), “I could see how falling off could be not so happy.” That leads me to need to share this quote I found, which just makes me laugh at just the politeness of the wording:
In the life of every horseman occasions will arise when it is desirable or necessary to leave the saddle in a hurry and without formality.
Posted by firewings 
