So I went to New Mexico with my family to visit some family. Of course I only went for the weekend since apparently graduate students do not get spring break, but you can bet my family will be sorry to hear about all the damp, cold, drizzley weather they have been missing out on here in balmy MN.
One of the highlights of the trip was when my dad, my sister and I went horseback riding along the banks of the Rio Grande outside of Albuquerque. My sister had a horse named Spot. Spot was named, I can only assume, for his dozens and dozens of little brown spots. Spot was a smaller horse that knew the trail rather well. He did not run, he responded to my sisters confident, if perhaps misleading, directions, and he kept pace with the group. My sister had a wonderful time and claimed that Spot was the most beautiful horse ever.
My father rode a horse named Beauty. Beauty was mostly black but had a little bit of auburn color around her legs. Ernesto claimed she was gaited. I don’t even know what that means, but my father claims that Ernesto was mistaken. A woman who has been taking private horse riding lessons also went on the tour with us, and she was rather jealous that my father got to ride Beauty. This woman had to ride Cotton Candy, a rather large horse that I could not find a problem with. Then again, I know nothing about horses. The point is, my father rode the much coveted and well behaved Beauty.
I got to ride a blonde colored horse named Topaz. I had no trouble mounting Topaz, and I thought this was a rather good start. When Donald, one of our guides, asked if I had ridden much, I said only a few times, and not since I was younger. He gave me a worried look, then he said I shouldn’t have a problem. Donald led Topaz, with me astride, into the little corral where we could get used to being on a saddle and getting along with our horses. For the first two minutes, I thought I was doing rather well. I directed Topaz to the right, and he went to the right. Then, I directed Topaz around a barrel, and he went around the barrel, then continued straight for a pile of grass. This is where Topaz and I stayed for the rest of the “warm up” ride. Topaz was very hungry – VERY hungry. I let him get a few mouthfuls in, then I tried to do what Donald and Ernesto had told me. I pulled up on the reigns, directed him to the left, tapped his sides with my heels and said, “C’mon Topaz!”
Topaz shook his head, then reached down to get another mouthful of grass. We probably continued this activity for ten or fifteen minutes. Other horses would come and get a mouthful, then move on. Other riders shook their head at me and laughed as I bounced up and down, trying to get Topaz to move. “C’mon Topaz! Pretty horse! Let’s go!” At one point Topaz turn his head around, looked at me, and wiped his nose on my pants before going back to eating. Still, I was convinced we could make this work.
When it was time to go out on the trail, all the other horses obediently filed out of the corral and headed out. Topaz took one look at them and went back to eating. Ernesto had to come over and give me a hand, and even then, Topaz was extremely reluctant to leave. “Don’t worry,” Donald told me, “He’s a little slow here at the ranch, but he gets going on the trail.”
That was a lie.
Topaz stopped every chance he got to eat. Whenever my dad brought Beauty back to visit me, he laughed because Topaz would greet them with a mouthful of something. The scariest part of the ride was when, while going down a steep hill, Topaz bent down to get a bite. As per Katie, the third guide’s instructions, I had tightened the reins a little bit, so when Topaz bent way way down to eat, I just about slid right over his head and down the hill.
Anyway, Topaz liked to stop and eat, but he did not like to be far from the group, this meant we did a lot of unsolicited trotting. Sometimes, I’d give him a nudge to get going and catch up, but other times, he would run until his face was right in some other horses behind, and we’d stay there for a while until I either managed to steer him around or he got the munchies again. Maybe Topaz smokes pot before every trail ride, and that's why he needs to snack so much.
I guess Topaz is notorious for his case of the munchies, because the guide in front came back at one point when Topaz was behaving and asked if we had stopped for snacks a lot. When I replied that yes we had, he just laughed and said something to the effect of “Topaz likes to eat!”
Anway, the scenery was beautiful, and I took some pictures that I’ll probably post some of later. If you see a south-western-y photo, it was probably from Albuquerque. I had a good time, and it was kind of funny. The only thing is, my butt kind of hurts now.
One of the highlights of the trip was when my dad, my sister and I went horseback riding along the banks of the Rio Grande outside of Albuquerque. My sister had a horse named Spot. Spot was named, I can only assume, for his dozens and dozens of little brown spots. Spot was a smaller horse that knew the trail rather well. He did not run, he responded to my sisters confident, if perhaps misleading, directions, and he kept pace with the group. My sister had a wonderful time and claimed that Spot was the most beautiful horse ever.
My father rode a horse named Beauty. Beauty was mostly black but had a little bit of auburn color around her legs. Ernesto claimed she was gaited. I don’t even know what that means, but my father claims that Ernesto was mistaken. A woman who has been taking private horse riding lessons also went on the tour with us, and she was rather jealous that my father got to ride Beauty. This woman had to ride Cotton Candy, a rather large horse that I could not find a problem with. Then again, I know nothing about horses. The point is, my father rode the much coveted and well behaved Beauty.
I got to ride a blonde colored horse named Topaz. I had no trouble mounting Topaz, and I thought this was a rather good start. When Donald, one of our guides, asked if I had ridden much, I said only a few times, and not since I was younger. He gave me a worried look, then he said I shouldn’t have a problem. Donald led Topaz, with me astride, into the little corral where we could get used to being on a saddle and getting along with our horses. For the first two minutes, I thought I was doing rather well. I directed Topaz to the right, and he went to the right. Then, I directed Topaz around a barrel, and he went around the barrel, then continued straight for a pile of grass. This is where Topaz and I stayed for the rest of the “warm up” ride. Topaz was very hungry – VERY hungry. I let him get a few mouthfuls in, then I tried to do what Donald and Ernesto had told me. I pulled up on the reigns, directed him to the left, tapped his sides with my heels and said, “C’mon Topaz!”
Topaz shook his head, then reached down to get another mouthful of grass. We probably continued this activity for ten or fifteen minutes. Other horses would come and get a mouthful, then move on. Other riders shook their head at me and laughed as I bounced up and down, trying to get Topaz to move. “C’mon Topaz! Pretty horse! Let’s go!” At one point Topaz turn his head around, looked at me, and wiped his nose on my pants before going back to eating. Still, I was convinced we could make this work.
When it was time to go out on the trail, all the other horses obediently filed out of the corral and headed out. Topaz took one look at them and went back to eating. Ernesto had to come over and give me a hand, and even then, Topaz was extremely reluctant to leave. “Don’t worry,” Donald told me, “He’s a little slow here at the ranch, but he gets going on the trail.”
That was a lie.
Topaz stopped every chance he got to eat. Whenever my dad brought Beauty back to visit me, he laughed because Topaz would greet them with a mouthful of something. The scariest part of the ride was when, while going down a steep hill, Topaz bent down to get a bite. As per Katie, the third guide’s instructions, I had tightened the reins a little bit, so when Topaz bent way way down to eat, I just about slid right over his head and down the hill.
Anyway, Topaz liked to stop and eat, but he did not like to be far from the group, this meant we did a lot of unsolicited trotting. Sometimes, I’d give him a nudge to get going and catch up, but other times, he would run until his face was right in some other horses behind, and we’d stay there for a while until I either managed to steer him around or he got the munchies again. Maybe Topaz smokes pot before every trail ride, and that's why he needs to snack so much.
I guess Topaz is notorious for his case of the munchies, because the guide in front came back at one point when Topaz was behaving and asked if we had stopped for snacks a lot. When I replied that yes we had, he just laughed and said something to the effect of “Topaz likes to eat!”
Anway, the scenery was beautiful, and I took some pictures that I’ll probably post some of later. If you see a south-western-y photo, it was probably from Albuquerque. I had a good time, and it was kind of funny. The only thing is, my butt kind of hurts now.
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