Flashback Friday: My Favorite Sport

I don't think I've ever mentioned this before, but when I was a kid, I was obsessed with horses. I have a huge collection of those Breyer horses, and I loooved My Little Pony. :) My granddaddy owned a few horses, and he told me one of them was mine (which I knew better, but it was still fun to hear)... her name was Glory, Hallelujah; but we just called her Glory. Anyway, I still remember him letting me ride her when I was really little.
My aunt also owned horses. She used to take me riding a lot, and I would help out at the stables, mostly brushing them and watching her take care of them.

So naturally, my parents thought it'd be a good idea to get official lessons. To this day, I regret ever quitting. That was probably the best therapy ever. I could forget everything and totally concentrate on riding. It was so fun and an amazing experience. I gained some confidence there. I fell off and would get back on. One time, my horse Rudy (the one in the first picture) tripped over his own feet and fell on top of me. I wasn't too hurt, and I refused to quit. I was taught English riding, but I could do some Western style too. I did the jumps, and I even learned how to do a little bit of dressage (you know, the dancy type moves?). But seriously, there was nothing more exhilarating than doing a simple canter (slow gallop) around the arena, getting ready for a jump... when all of a sudden, your horse decides he wants to do something more fun. I was riding a Thoroughbred named Night Owl, and he wanted to go a little faster. Oh my gosh, we flew. It was so fun and terrifying all at the same time.

Someday, I will start riding again. If it wasn't so darn expensive, I'd own my own horse by now. Or at least borrow one. I don't want lessons again. I just want to take a horse and go for a ride.