Personal Narrative-Exploring Horse Riding

A horse has four speeds: walking, trotting, loping, and running. Anyone who has ever ridden a horse has felt the gentle side-to-side sway of a walking horse. Its soothing constant motion is an addiction no one can truly overcome. Trotting, however, is a very different story. The quick, choppy movements of a horse at this speed send you on a short ride up followed by a hard smack when you regain contact with the saddle. Though beginners often dislike trotting, easy tricks can be learned to make it a more enjoyable ride. If the first two speeds are too slow, the loping might be a step in the right direction. The smooth circular motion of loping makes you feel like a kite blowing in the wind: light and free. Finally, there is running; who can truly describe it?
Personalities click, and it doesn’t matter how much experience you have. This happened with me and a beautiful chestnut named Rocky. Rocky was a tall (roughly seventeen hands), skinny camp horse with a mild temperament. He was perfect for me. Together, we made an eight-hour ride across dusty dirt roads and through wooded paths to the campgrounds at Pillsbury State Park with about ten other campers and two leaders. The ride was brutal but heaven. Nothing beats the feeling of getting back in the saddle after months of not riding, but nothing beats the pain at the end of an eight-hour ride