Giddy up!

Horseback riding becomes an exhilarating experience

Story and photos by Jenna Burleigh

The doors slide open to reveal an alley with stalls lining the left side. As I walk past each one, I read the names on the gate. Romeo. Blue. Prophesy. Eventually I come to the final and largest stall, which bears the name of Ladd.

Welcome to Cloverleaf Meadows. Here, patrons can sign up for horseback riding lessons and learn, not only how to ride the animals, but how to take care of them as well. Horsemanship, according to Instructor Joe Sprano, is just as important as learning the basics of riding. So that’s where my adventure began.

I first met Ladd the summer of ’09 and instantly fell in love. His dark eyes watched me; his velvet nose sniffed me, curious. A chestnut-colored quarter horse/paint mix, Ladd is nine years old. His lets me pet his soft nose, even though he is a little annoyed that I came to visit during dinner time. It’s time to ride.

Halter in hand, I step into the stall and gently tie the straps around his head and lead him out into the alley. We walk for 30 yards or so, and I attach the lead rope to a clasp on the wall. First things first. I brush him down and pick the dirt out of his hooves. Once he is in ship shape, I lead him into the arena. My instructor helps me with the saddle and bridle, or tack. I use the small saddle because I’m vertically challenged, even though this particular saddle is mostly used in lessons for grade-schoolers. I don’t mind.

Once Ladd is properly tacked, Sprano tells me to lead him to the center to get him warmed up. This is ground work and entails having Ladd run in a few circles in both directions — nothing major. Once the horse is loosened up, we readjust his saddle and prepare to ride. Of course, because of my height, I need a boost. I could use the mounting blocks, but I choose not to. Three. Two. One. With a swift kick, I slide into the saddle.

There is something surreal about staring ahead and viewing things between the twitching ears of an animal that could easily pummel me.

The first time I mounted a horse, I felt like a five-year-old. I became the girl who had once stared longingly at the horses in her neighbor’s yard, dreaming that someday, just maybe, she would be able to pet one, ride one.

Someday became a delightfully sunny day in July.

I would compare it to the first time I got behind the wheel of a car. I had no idea what I was doing, but I knew it was going to be exciting. I decided that “giddy up!” must have derived from the excitement one feels when you ride a horse, because that’s exactly what you are — giddy. And the faster you go, the more excited you get.

Sprano leads us into the center of the arena, a spacious, enclosed area with a dirt floor. For the first lesson, I would be “on-line,” which does not mean a virtual horseback riding lesson, but instead that he would lead the horse, and incidentally me, by a rope, also known as a “line.”

We start with the basics, as all beginners do. “Whoa!” That means “stop,” when you pull back on the reigns. Click your tongue and squeeze with your legs — that means go. To go faster, just keep squeezing and keep on clicking. This is nothing like riding a bike.

We walk a bit, this way and that. Sprano teaches me about proper posture and the positions my arms and legs should be in. “Heels down,” he says to me, “and eyes up.” I correct myself, but then I would forget, and a minute later my instructor would be picking on me about my heels again.

There are so many things to remember when you first learn to ride a horse. Of course, you have to keep your heels down, and only your toes should be in the stirrups. Look ahead, not down at the horse. Sit tall, but allow some movement with your lower back. Hold onto the top of the reigns, and don’t let your feet flop around everywhere while you’re riding. Don’t squeeze too tightly with your legs, as the horse might be confused as to what you are asking. These are just the basics.

Once I am confident with my posture, with Ladd, we start to trot. It takes a little while to get the rhythm just right, but I eventually find that sync. As expected, I forget to keep my heels down, as my instructor so kindly reminds me. So I adjust myself and then Sprano tests me further with a bigger trot.

At this point, the five-year-old inside of me is bursting at the seams. I can’t contain the smile from sprawling across my face — I’m having a blast. A little more practice with trotting and we slow down to give Ladd a little break. He has been a very good boy.

During our break, Sprano tells me about the things I am doing well, but he also explains things I need to watch out for. I must remember to keep my heels down and my eyes up. One thing that he really knows how to do is explain how to ride a horse to those, like me, who don’t understand a single thing about horses. Sprano says that he doesn’t mind looking or sounding like a fool so long as his students understand what he is trying to tell him. That’s why he’s there.

After a minute of rest, Ladd is ready for another go. Sprano asks if I’m feeling confident and if, in the last few minutes of my lesson, I would like to try cantering. Not that I knew what it meant, but the child in me spits, “Yes!” out of my mouth faster than I can stop myself. Essentially, cantering means to go fast.

I can’t describe how exhilarating, how phenomenal it feels to sit atop a living, breathing creature, let alone control its movements with a simple strand of leather. The experience was worth more than the several hundred words I have devoted to it… and far more exciting.

Have you ever been horseback riding?

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