I have been remembering a lovely friend from second grade, and how we spent most recesses “trotting” around the playground, as horses. My favorite part was jumping, which I imagined to be like flying. Of course, in my mind the horses were all sweet and loving and probably blue and pink. Think My Little Pony!
That summer, my family took a vacation to Yosemite, and I begged my mother to take me on the trail ride. It took some finagling because I just under the required height/weight, but I got my own horse and set off with the group. On what was a terrifying ride--at least to an 8 year-old--for my horse had a mind of its own and seemed to want nothing to do with the trail, following the other horses,or being with me. I simply couldn't wait for that trail ride to be over.
After that, I was pretty much DONE with horses. Real and imaginary.
Until many years later, when a work-friend talked me into accompanying her for elementary level horseback riding lessons out in Topanga Canyon. Time to face my fear!
Slowly, I did. Soon, that weekly lesson became the highlight of my week. I reverted back to that little second grader who was trotting the playground, only this time, for real. Eventually I worked up to one of the perfect moments of my life: taking my first jump.
Eventually, though, the lessons came to an end. And it’s been years now since I’ve been on a horse. But I’ll always have my childhood dream--and how I went on to make it come true.
So tell us, in order to be entered to win a signed copy of FORGIVE MY FINS, did you or do you love horses and riding--either now as a kid?
Tina
Tina Ferraro
The ABC’s of Kissing Boys, 2010 Rita® Finalist
How to Hook a Hottie, 2009 Rita® Finalist
Top Ten Uses for an Unworn Prom Dress
www.tinaferraro.com
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50 comments:
I love horses! When I was young, we used to go to my dad's parents' house in Virginia for the summer. He had an aunt who lived in Tennessee - on a horse farm! One summer, she promised a horse to each one of us kids and I tried to come up with all kinds of ways to bring that horse home with me to Massachusetts. Unfortunately, my parents didn't buy it.
Margay
I used to love horses (although now they kinda scare me! They're so big!) & always wanted to ride one, but sadly the opportunity has never presented itself :(
Maybe one day...
I absolutely love horses, but I am allergic to them so I've only been horseback riding 3 times in my life.
I don't do horses.. LOL Last time I was on one is got spooked ad started freaking.
I dreamed of having a horse as a girl, but never even got to ride. Then in college I signed up for horseback riding lessons for a PE credit. Best PE class I've ever taken. Now my daughter dreams of having a horse (ever-practical dad says no). We get our weekly horse fix grooming horses every week for a therapeutic riding center. It's still the highlight of my week.
I like horses, but haven't spent much time around them. I've done a couple trail rides, and wandered around a barn where my best friend used to ride a lot. My dad is in his 50s and just started horseback riding, so I guess you never know...maybe the day for my own riding will come!
When I was a kid at summer camp we rode horses occasionally but I never wanted to so they assumed I was scared of the horses.I finally rode a horse and at the end of the summer when they handed out "awards" I got one for overcoming my "fear" lol, it was so embarrassing.Anyways, no I have never really enjoyed riding.
As a child I loved horses. I would neigh loudly whenever we drove by one. Untried convincing my parents to buy one but instead we got two cats. As I have grown up my love of horses has waned and while I no longer wish to own a horse or become this amazing horse back rider i still love driving by horses and reliving my youth by neighing
Oh I love horses! We have two. And I don't mind if I get tossed off by one or not. When we first got our horse Dancer my dad put me on him bare back. LOL. Unlike my brother Wayne I landed on my feet and ran like the blazes when he came after me, Wayne.. well he sorta fell with a thud and rolled around a bit. But that didn't stop him from trying to tame the demon horse we had that busted our horse trainers eye. That one, I smartly stayed off of. :)
When I was in elementary school I had an obsession with horses. It probably lasted around a year. I had horses on my walls, in my locker...this list could go on. Then of course, my parents brought me to riding lessons because I kept begging them. Well, I got on the horse, which was probably four times as big as me, and screamed that I wanted to leave. I can be near horses now but I'll probably never ride one agian. I now have a moderate fear of them.
I liked them in theory and was absolutely obsessed with the Saddle Club books. But in person, they were too smelly for me ;)
I love horses, but unfortunately I never had the chance to ride. They are awesome creatures! Maybe one day...who knows? :)
Giada M.
fabgiada @ gmail.com
Ah, forgot to mention I'm an international reader. So please enter me in the contest only if it is international.
Thank you!
Giada M.
I was a dinosaur girl over the horse/ponies! But I did love My Little Ponies! And then while in college I had a tax teacher who decide he loved My Little Ponies so made us do the online coloring pages lol
Hi,
I'm terrified of horses! I took lessons as kid, but then years later, my BFF's brother's horse took off with both of us and frightened me for the rest of my life.
I love riding horses. As a kid I took weekly lessons for awhile. Now whenever we vacation somewhere that has trail rides I lobby for that as my activity pick, I'm lucky in that most of my family is willing to go along with it.
Tina, I LOVED My Little Pony!!! And I was lucky enough to grow up around horses and was riding (with my dad) before I could walk. I love the freedom of just being able to saddle up and ... go. Wherever. Make me totally understand what those Old West cowboys loved about the land.
Thanks for sharing your childhood dream in honor of my release week! You guys are all awesome.
I used to love horse-things, especially My Little Pony. And when we were young, my sister and I used to ride our bikes and pretend they were horses, giving them names and racing them down the street. But I've only actually been on a horse one time in my entire life. They are kinda big, lol.
-Shalena
writerquirk@live.com
Would it be bad if I said I'm afraid of horses. Actually I'm afraid of all animals.
I've only ridden a handful of times, mostly trail rides...but I LOVE it. I took a couple lessons when I lived in Montana, but then I moved...I definitely want to pick it up again!!!!! Horses are so amazing and beautiful and graceful...and fast :)
And I loved My Little Ponies, of course!!!! Does anyone else remember the Glowworm cartoons they used to show in between, like little filler segments or something? And there was another little segment they alternated with, something in a jungle?
Can't wait for Forgive My Fins!!!! Yea!!!!!!! (and Lifted....)
I think that every little girl has gone through a horse-loving phase. I went through mine in the sixth grade. I had horse posters, books, figurines, stickers, tee shirts, just about everything horse related. I did go horseback riding once, but since I live in the southwest, it was on a short stocky horse-not a pretty horse. I still love horses, but I'm not quite as obsessive.
Horses are big, powerful animals, and more than intimidating. But I met a horse named Mojo years ago at a horse barn. He had just been ridden, so he was still wound up. His owner gave me a treat and let me feed it to Mojo. Mojo took the treat from my hand and was so affectionate toward me that I fell in love on the spot.
I've never been able to afford horses, but I sure wouldn't mind having one someday.
So, Tina, when you finally jumped, was it like flying? (I've never jumped, so I don't know!)
My friends and I in grade school always made up characters and stories like the books we read and acted them out -- and they usually involved us having horses. We went into great details about the coloring and the names and all that... My favorite imaginary horse was all black with a white star on his forehead. (Of course, as a kid, I thought "star" meant star! So I imagined it like a five-pointed star.) :-)
I did go riding a few times at camp -- easy horses always.
Then once, when I was thirteen, I was a junior counselor at a camp, and the other girls my age were experienced with horses. We went riding in our free time and I guess I let them think I was more experienced than I was. So when the horses started trotting, I was in trouble -- I had no idea how to properly use stirrups! Every time I bounced up, I landed farther to the right...and they thought my saddle was slipping at first. (No, just me.)
Silly. I bet they realized I was a total fraud. Well, at least I didn't fall of the horse...
Cara
When I was ten I soo wanted to get lessons in horseback riding, but my parents didn't thought it was a good idea. My older sister did it when she was 12 and fell of her horse a few times, and they where so shocked when she didn't stand up right after that..so thats why. Luckily I got a friend at a later age who had a horse and where I could do a few try outs rides!
Thanks to all who have commented. And Cara asked when I finally jumped if it was like flying?
YEP! ;) And I actually teared up with the realization that I'd made a childhood dream come true.
I like horses, though where i live i don't get to see many. When i was younger i use to collect little minature horses and had at least one 'my little pony' :D
I love horses, I used to take lessons when I was younger but stopped after my instructor got a little too serious. I still go on trail rides with my family every summer though :)
I grew up with a saddle attached to my butt. Seriously. Every day during summer vacation, I would saddle up my horse and ride. That was before the driver's license came... the horses under the hood replaced the horse in the pasture.
It's been many years since I've been on a horse, but have many fond memories.
Okay I must state this before I start this: I loved horses but never owned one, and still don't.
I loved loved horse's when I was little, and I really wanted one, until I hit around the age of 14. And then reality struck and I saw how much responsibility it would be. But before that happened I loved horses no matter what, and the only time I was around them was when I was at a fair and had to pay to ride one. Most of my friends when I was little had horses, so I would always wish for one on my birthday. My whole room was full of horses, I even had a cowboy boot hanging on the wall. My mom even made me a horse quilt! Yes I would say I was obsessed.
Maybe one day I'll own one. Who knows?
~Andrea
The only time I ever rode a horse was when I was about seven, and I had to ride with my dad. I'd love to be able to ride a horse one day.
I liked horses growing up, but seeing them in person freaked me out. They were so huge! When I was 12 I went to Girls' Camp and my ward had planned a horseback riding activity for us. It took me awhile before I would get on the horse, but after I did, I was in love. It was so much fun and I couldn't wait to do it again. Every other year since, I got to go horseback riding for a couple of hours and had a blast each time.
~Meredith F.
rosesaremyfavorite at hotmail dot com
I loved horses when I was young. My grandpa had them and we got to brush them down every day. I loved to ride, but fell once and then my riding days were over. I landed on my tailbone, broke it, and couldn't sit for weeks!!!
I LOVE horses and riding. Like you, I had an imaginary horse and trotted around our yard. On a real horse, I did have one nasty fall at age 13 while going over a jump. Knocked myself out for a couple of hours, but this didn't diminish my love of horses.
We sold our car a few years ago, and I've been trying to convince my husband that we should buy a horse instead of push bikes.
I love horses and riding! Horses are such majestic and intelligent creatures, how can we not love them?! :)
I Love Horses! I Got To Ride One When I Was Eight Or Nine. It Was the Most Amazing Experience. I Felt So Proud Of Myself.. Sadly, I've Never Really Gotten The Chance To Ride One After That Or Even Now. I Would Love To Go Riding Again One Day, Though..,
xoxo
Kaila
Horsies! <3
horses are wicked awesome. Unforunately, growing up (and still living) in a small insland country like Singapore in a middle-class family results in absolutely no chance to see a horse - much less ride one (excluding those $5 pony rides at the fair).
D:
but yeah I do love horses.
Well, I never really wanted to own a horse when I was a kid for lots of reasons.
1. I wanted a sports car then.
2. Where would I place the horse?
3. I don't think I can climb up to its back. I'm too small.
But that doesn't mean that I never thought of riding a horse. I don't see it as a fantasy though. I see it as a sport. And as a kid, I really did love sports cars. Shiny and fast.
I did love horses adn riding as a kid. We camped alot on Chincoteague and Assateague Island and I adored the wild horses. Misty of Chincoteague was one of my absolute favorite books.
Short answer: Heck to the no!
Long answer:
One of my best friends in elementary school had a few horses at her house. I was a tad bit scared of them seeing as I was really short and those things were really freaking huge. One day a few kittens got caught out where the horses were at. A bunch of us were there and somehow me, the girl who was scared of horses, got shoved out there to get the kittens. Then one of the girls chucked a carrot towards the horse, hit the thing in the butt, and the horse charged forward almost taking me out. Right after my life flashed before my eyes, I somehow jumped out of the way, about peed my pants, then said screw the kittens and ran back on the other side of fence.
I've never really been around them so I'm not sure. I went riding one time and I guess it was okay. It wasn't something I would want to do all the time.
I have ridden a horse twice and have fully enjoyed it both times. The first was when I was younger and I had that positive outlook that all children have. The last time was a couple years ago and I was surprised to find that I still love it.
-Katrina
atomicxrawr@yahoo.com
Come to think of it, I think I went through a phase where I read a bunch of horse books. Mustang Mountain series, Pony Pals Club, etc. But I wasn't ever really-really into horses or riding, actually.
@deltay--me too!
did anyone ever read the Thoroughbred series?--I loved it, but I also remember being very surprised, because it was the first series I read where the characters grew and changed, and weren't stuck at the same age in perpetuity.
HATE HATE horse, lol i had a horrible childhood i guess. well i rode a horse with some1 that was drunk and didnt know it, hm think maybe even the horse was drunmk, but i was scared . and then a horse accidently stepped on my foot a couple days later, and wala i cant get close to a horse without freaking out
I loved looking at horses (lol..how weird does that sound?)..especially ones with gorgeous golden coats. Sometimes I'd hire a horse and go trotting on the beach. But..thing is, I had to have someone with me. I was so afraid of falling off!
I haven't gone horseback in about two year.
*Plans*
I have ridden horses twice --- once with Girl Scouts and once at camp. I enjoyed it both times. I would love to do it more, but who knows when I will get a chance again.
Oh, really cute, Tina! I love horses, too.
hugs,
Heath
I was horse mad as a kid. I had all the my little ponies, and all these horse movies I would watch over and over again. I got to do some trail rides on various vacations, which was the highlight of my young life. Sadly I never get to ride now.
I've never actually a fan of animals, so horses weren't a big deal to me. I was never the girl who wanted a pony.
serendipityxkiran@Yahoo.com
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