GinkoProductions

I’ve finally mastered getting on the horse again after 20 years.  It’s still scary and my horse is not a pokey one.  She’s animated and curious, she’s friendly and mostly tolerant, however, she’s not one to let just anybody on her back.  Once you’re there, she’s reliable and gentle.

I’m still a little scared of riding and I mean to continue that fear, because ultimately it also keeps you aware and in the moment.  Something that’s important when your sitting on 1200lbs of prey animal with a primal brain geared for survival by flight.  Growing up I never thought of riding this way, it was always just matter of fact that I would go to my horse, hop on and ride wherever without a care or thought on consequences.

A picture of me riding a Welsh Mountain pony.  Never had a saddle or bridle, never mattered.  I took my first jump on this horse, bareback and unintended over a gate as high as he was.  He didn’t falter and I didn’t fall off.  Sometimes it would be nice to have that courage again.

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I am beginning work on my goal to ride west.  Of course, first I actually need to ride again and that’s the scary part, actually getting back up on a horse after 20 years.  I took the first step and got my hip replaced so I can now move about freely and just have to hold off the riding until the 6-month mark in June.

I will log my trip here and post pictures to ginkoproductions.ca so you can follow me if you wish.  The journey isn’t really set to take off until around May 2017 and will be mapped out for the whole distance.  I will need places to stay with the horse nightly whether it’s a stable, farmers yard or a park setting.  I will be followed by my husband in our 1984 Westfalia that has already made the trip once on it’s own.  Having travelled across Canada a few times by car I am quite familiar with the terrain I need to cover – it can be very daunting in places but always interesting ground to cover.  Closer to the date I will be putting up a Go Fund Me to gather some help for the trip, hopefully sending each one of you who donates a postcard or a book depending on what the donation level would be.

Can’t say much more at this point, just looking forward to the challenge.

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