I have not been very good about writing. There is nothing very exciting to write about.
April 20 I am going to Iowa and then to Omaha for the International Horse Show, one evening of it at least. I am not sure what it is we are going to see- whether it is jumping or not. I believe it is. I haven't ever watched show jumping in person so am really looking forward to it. I am going to have to board Nigel. I hate to do that but I know that it is too much for one person. Cooper is staying home as well. Another thing I do not like doing, but there will be 3 people in Susie's little Prius and I just don't think it would work...LOL.
(from google)I cannot imagine show jumping. When I was riding all the time and still relatively brave, I would take my horse over fallen logs, and it terrified me if you have to know. I had a lot of close calls riding, but jumping was the only time I was afraid on a horse. I didn't, I think, have a lot of faith in his ability to jump, he being a kind of clunky quarter-horse type. In truth, he never put a hoof wrong, and was considerably more athletic than I.
Horses are funny animals. It is easy to forget they are prey animals and therefore very paranoid. Paranoid horses live a long time, unharmed by wolves and snakes, cougars and little girls who ask them to do very stupid things.
Horses are good teachers. Mine was, anyway. While it gave me a sense of power to get on that big old horse and get him to do what I wanted, he never let me get any further than that. He constantly reminded me that no matter how big my britches were, he outweighed me by a good thousand pounds, and he was doing my bidding only out of the graciousness of his soul and his un-ending good humor.
(Percheron Congress)
