# Best moment on horseback



## dee (Jul 30, 2009)

Strange you should mention it. I was just thinking about it today. It happened years ago... 

I was in a walking cast because I broke my stupid ankle. I don't know why I tried to walk to the back pasture, but I did. Once I got back there, I realized there was no way I was going to be able to walk back - I was in agony. :-( My mare, Sugar, walked over to me and was "wuffling" my hair and generally being a pest. I figured - what the he_ _, it might be worth a try. I had never really ridden bareback, and Sugar didn't even have a halter on. I led her (actually, she followed me) to a tree stump and I climbed on. I had to get on from the wrong side - she wasn't completely cooperative, but somehow I made it on board without killing myself. I can't believe she tolerated it, with that dang cast banging up against her. :shock: Once I was up there, I realized I didn't have a clue how I was going to get back down, or even get her to go where I wanted. I gave her a tiny nudge (I sure didn't want her to take off with me!) and she started walking. A little lean, and she slowly turned the direction I wanted her to go. I grabbed her mane and hung on for dear life when she crossed the spillway and climbed up onto the dam, but she was still going at an easy walk. Sugar headed straight for the gate, and even let me unfasten the chain holding it closed without fuss. I didn't close it behind me - she wasn't having any part of that (this isn't a miracle story, anyway!), but she carried me all the way to my front porch. 

Hubby met me on the porch and helped me climb down. That's when Sugar's good behavior ended, and she was her cantakerous self again. She didn't have a halter on and she was loose in the yard! She started to take off down the road - but decided that the bucket my husband grabbed might have something interesting in it and followed him instead. By the time hubby reached the feed room, the other horses were out of the gate I left hanging open. He was NOT happy with me, but they all raced back to their feeding stations when they saw him come back out with a big bucket of oats. Even Sugar ran back into the pasture. 

Not much of a story, but I love telling it. It was the only time Sugar was ever really sweet. Most of the time she was a real pill, but I loved her!:wink:


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## Lenuccia (Oct 3, 2009)

I remember the very first time I jogged on a horse. I was in France on holiday with my boyfriend and there was a place where they rented out horses, so we decided to go for a ride. We had a guide with us, just the three of us, and I didn't have much experience on a horseback (practically none). But I had courage ;-)
And at a certain point the French guide said "Are we okay for a jog?" And we said "yes" and off we went on this narrow path in the woods! I was riding a white gelding with a McLellan saddle, so I didn't have much to hold on to, but I just went with it. And stayed on the horse for the whole ride. Wow, I just couldn't get the smile off my face for the rest of the day :-D


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## Lenuccia (Oct 3, 2009)

Oh no, got jog and lope mixed up (my English is not so good), I meant lope, gallop, canter, how do you call it? Well, the fastest speed :-D


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## flamingauburnmustang (Dec 25, 2008)

I have a few. One was when I went riding at a bushveld ranch. We went on an outride and I was on a stallion. Throughout the trip he was so frisky and wild, every now and then having a brief gallop next to one of the other horses. On the way back to the stables he took off, galloping the fastest I have ever felt. It was amazing!


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## gypsygirl (Oct 15, 2009)

my favorite rides are with my two horses ! by far my favorite is gypsys first ride ever, beacause that is an amazing feeling anyways, & the fact that gypsy is totally my baby made it even more special

my other favorite ride is with my horse scout. our last event together was perfect [we won on our dressage score of 27 btw] on xc if felt like we were perfectly in harmony the whole time & even though the course was really hard we were perfect & it was so fun & thrilling i cant even discribe !


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## RubaiyateBandit (Jan 25, 2009)

Magic is the first horse I've ever ridden around barrels at anything faster than a slow trot. I started her off slow, because I wanted to figure out the pattern for myself, but we advanced quickly, and soon enough I felt confident enough to take her to a show. I was nervous, and she was dancing at the gate, blowing and stomping, and I was ready to turn back and refuse to run her until I felt I had her under control better. But a friend convinced me to go anyway, and I took her for a quick jog in the warm up pen under the guise of checking for lameness, entered the arena and, not sure what else to do, just let her go. The feeling of her running full out for that first barrel was the most exhilarating thing... and then she turned, a little close, and headed for the second barrel; she had to break to a trot since she hadn't changed leads, and then she galloped off for that third barrel, and was running so hard for the gate that I couldn't even feel her hooves hitting the ground.


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## Sissimut-icehestar (Jan 20, 2008)

last winter, late, it was completely dark, very cold but still and I had a lake on one hand and the forest on the other. My horse had a rare good moment I was just going along in a smooth, fast tölt looking at the stars. It was wonderful.


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## Britt (Apr 15, 2008)

Hm... this is a hard one, but I would have to say the first time I ever went faster than a trot with my mare... I'd owned her for a few years already, but never cantered with her because of her bucking problem... We were trotting and she just slid into a canter and we were flying... it was amazing, I was excited and terrified because if she'd have bucked, I would have flew off her back, but she was perfect.


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## Annaland13 (Oct 28, 2009)

The first time I rode bareback. It was awesome


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## whit144man (Sep 28, 2007)

I love just about every minute I can spend on horseback, since I can't do it nearly as often as I'd like. I guess a few stand out though.

One was where I was at a very high-quality riding center while on vacation in Wisconsin. I spent a few lessons on a beautiful Friesian cross named Alijah. I forget what other breed she was, but I do have a picture of her in my photos if anyone wants to see.  We spent the first half-hour lesson longing with a bareback pad. It was the first time I felt completely in sync with a horse. Walk, trot, canter... Her gaits matched my style perfectly and I was complimented that my seat never left her back.


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## BaliDoll (Sep 21, 2009)

Is it weird that it was the first time I ever fell off? Lol!

It was in our indoor arena, my mare spooked but didn't buck. I landed on my butt, and it hurt, but she came right back over and looked at me like- "What happened?!" and I just laughed even though my butt hurt like hell!! Just the look on her sweet face was so cute.

Also, the very first time I rode Bali as a two year old in training. My mom had told me he was going to be my 14 - 18 horse, and I really didn't like him much. I only knew him as our colt we kept stud until we realized he was too studdy, who was crazy and ran through fences for mares and was kind of retarded about fly spray.... but I got on to please her. Our first lesson was walk trot, and every time I turn him walking in a circle he'd grab the toe of my boot and tug as he was walking... it made me laugh and fall in love with his quirky little self! <3


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## justsambam08 (Sep 26, 2009)

It was one day after I had been working all day at the summer camp I used to ride/work for....I got to work all day and then go out on the trails....well it was supposed to rain later, so the BO wasn't going to get 6 kids on horses, but she let me go ahead and mount up and ride around the arena. The TWH I was on was kind of being stubborn, but I knew him well so I was just pushpushpushing him...I remember thinking it was funny because he was so obviously frustrated with me and somewhere in the middle he started doing a running walk and I just went with it. When I got off the BO and a few other people were watching and she said "you made him look GOOD"....yes, it was an ego boost for my 15 year old self.


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## myQHpaul (Jun 25, 2009)

i had only had paul for a few weeks and a few of us went out on the trail. it was dry enough to cross the creek and i was a bit nervous because this was the first time i had taken paul across it. first horse went across with no problem, second horse got really nervous and start jumping around and refusing to cross. finally it was paul's turn, he walked across like a champ. even getting stuck in the mud up to his hocks couldn't get a reaction out of him. he took 2 big hops and pulled himself out. they call him the 4 wheeler of the barn.


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## LoveStory10 (Oct 31, 2009)

I have a few:

One time I was having a lesson with my instructer and another girl, when the horse she was riding freaked out, bucked her off and took off. The gate next to the arena was left open, and she headed out, and galloped down the road. My riding instructer had to take care off the little girl, so she asked me to go fetch her. I headed out on my gelding, and we trotted along, me hoping the mare would stop. But she diddnt, so I knew we had to chase her down. And suddenly I was galloping down the road, it was amazing! We caught her, and everything was fine, but that gallop was amazing!!

The other time was when I first jumped my mare Love Story over a metre. I was very nervous, because she hadnt been jumping for that long, and I wasnt too sure if she would do it. But I tried anyway, and she jumped it like the star she is. It was the best feeling!!!


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## Cheshire (Oct 17, 2009)

I have a couple that are pretty neck-in-neck. It would have to be...the very time I rode a gait that wasn't "walking"  

I was on my all-time favourite schoolhorse who still holds a place in my heart today. She was a behemoth black warmblood named Glimmer...one lesson my instructor decided it was time for me to "graduate" and took the lead to jog beside her, so I could get a feel for another gait I had never experienced before. Oh my, she had the most lovely, swift smooth trot. I was soaring through that arena (and still on the horse at that! :lol: ) Heaven.

Then there was that time where my mum, her friend and I went trailriding up in the mountains and around this beautiful little alpine lake in the midst of autumn. It was a crisp but still fairly warm day, there was nobody else out on the trails, the trees were turning and the air smelled of pine, distant woodsmoke and old leaves. I was on this woman's trustworthy quarterhorse gelding and this was my first real trailride, so to speak. I was a bit unsure (there were moments when we were literally climbing up impossibly steep "stairways" cut in uneven stone on the side of the mountain o.o ) but he took care of me. It was one of the best days of my life.


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## irydehorses4lyfe (Sep 8, 2009)

My favorite time has got to have been when my best friend and I decided to take this long all day horseback ride to a local regional park and go riding, and on the way back we found this really long dirt road. We decided to let the horses go at whatever pace they wanted to...oh it was fun, cantering and galloping on a long straightaway is the best feeling in the world.  Too bad we haven't been able to do that since though. :-(


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## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

Mine would be earlier in the year in the country dressage championships. We got there a day early to have a ride in the arenas and get the horses settled in before the major competion started. 
I took my mare out the back and started working her in trot figure of 8's, serpentines and into some half pass after warming up. She was going reasonably well, but just felt a bit tense and not as supple as I'd like her.
I took her back over to my coach and asked her to give me a hand to loosen her up.
She changed just ONE thing, told me to pretend I was pushing a baby out basically! And next second I was sitting right into her, could sit trot without even trying and her wither felt like it grew in front of me, it was increadible she was just so uphill, I didn't need to touch her mouth, just move my hip and I'd get flexion. It was just beautifull. My tests weren't as good, but I still placed very well, but I was just so stoked that I'd managed to achieve such beautifull lightness.
I had some very well known and respected FEI riders come up to me when i was taking her back to the stables after that ride, tell me that they'd been shocked to see that mare travelling so beautifully after seeing her going in previous years with her last owner.
I was stoked!


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## MangoRoX87 (Oct 19, 2009)

One of my most favorite and memorable moments happend in June or July. It was the Red Dirt Ride Equestrain Drill Competition, and for our theme we were knights! We had these hip drops over our horses hips, but as w were doing a crack-the-whip, the outside rider's fell off, and amazingly her horse did spook. But, when that went out into a circle, the horses really noticed it and the girl's horse infront of me spooked and dumped her. I was SO not wanting horse going loose, so I ran forward, blessed that my paranoid ole' mare didn't spook at the hip drop on the ground. We caught him at the other end of the arena, and I have never had a quite the adrenaline rush ever before! Its amazing that they got a photo of it!


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## KaylaOscer1994 (Oct 1, 2009)

mine would have to be the first time i cantered.
i know its not a big deal but it was for me.
just the fact of uniting with the horse as it canters, being able to trust that you wont fall off, the wind in your hair, it was just.....magical : )

i wish i could relive that day over and over


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## DixieMay1996 (May 2, 2013)

Anytime I get to ride my mare Dixie is amazing. She's a sweetie.


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## SaskGal (Apr 18, 2012)

My most memorable moment was when I final could jump by horse bareback and not get off balance. Also when I stopped being scared of falling off while going bareback.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## OTTBlvr (Jul 20, 2008)

it's difficult to pick just one, but the one that sticks out the strongest in my mind is just the other week....I've had to retire my jumper mare due to health and soundness issues at 7 years old (OTTB who got her knee sliced open by a machete thanks to a disturbed former neighbor....followed by lymes and arthritis...) anywho, she's basically been a walk-around-on kind of horse for the past 2 years. on a good day, she's happy to trot...but any attempts at cantering result in her basically gaiting, trying to avoid moving....she's clearly in pain. 
anyway, the other week, she was doing amazing wt and was extending like she did back in her show days. so I asked for just a bit more, and she moved into a comfortable canter...and didn't want to stop. I was so ecstatic to canter my mare again...24 hour turnout, pulling her shoes and devil's claw have given me hope that I might have a trail-sound horse


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## Northernstar (Jul 23, 2011)

MangoRoX87 said:


> One of my most favorite and memorable moments happend in June or July. It was the Red Dirt Ride Equestrain Drill Competition, and for our theme we were knights! We had these hip drops over our horses hips, but as w were doing a crack-the-whip, the outside rider's fell off, and amazingly her horse did spook. But, when that went out into a circle, the horses really noticed it and the girl's horse infront of me spooked and dumped her. I was SO not wanting horse going loose, so I ran forward, blessed that my paranoid ole' mare didn't spook at the hip drop on the ground. We caught him at the other end of the arena, and I have never had a quite the adrenaline rush ever before! Its amazing that they got a photo of it!


Wow!!! _What a save,_ MangoRoX87!!! You look sooo calm - can't help but chuckle at the whites showing in those horse's eyes...looks like they stayed relatively calm for you, though.... I'd have an adrenaline rush after that as well!


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## Incitatus32 (Jan 5, 2013)

Although I find something special on every ride I've had a couple of moments that I'm just proud to death of my horses for. 

One was on my mom's gelding who even after going through a fabulous trainer to work through his past abuse and neurotic behavior sat in a field for four years. I decided to bring him up and start him in dressage (which he'd had some prior training in) and after weeks of working him on the ground I finally got back on him. There was no buck, spook, or anything. I decided to see if he remembered anything at all from his previous training and sure enough I cued for a side pass and he hopped into action, he collected himself and did it at a walk and trot like we'd been working at it for ages. I was so proud of him that day. 

The other was when me and my mare were taken to go look for a missing horse. She'd never been on a highway to my knowledge so I was a little apprehensive to ride her on the stretch that we had to cross (we were on the side in the grass to sway any fears) and she plodded along like an old pro. That day we covered probably around 14 miles throughout the day, she ground tied several times for a long while and didn't move a muscle, even gave a pony ride to the kids in a family who'd been in a small car crash and were shaken up until her big old head ducked down and nuzzled them, galloped over fields and crossed all sorts of terrain and when we found the horse herded it back. I've never been more happy to be on a horses' back than I have hers. 

I recently was given the okay to ride again despite the initial doctors thoughts that I would never be able to ride again, and it would only be a maybe after many years of therapy. The minuet he said okay I climbed up on her back and she walked and trotted like she was walking on broken glass. Anytime I said 'whoa' or 'easy' she stopped instantly and looked back at me. Every time I ride her I feel so proud.


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## bkylem (Sep 21, 2013)

Pretty easy answer for me. I'm a six month beginner and after getting my post-trot down during that time,my instructor asked me to get a strong trot going and ask for the canter. It was simply unbelievable. It was the first time I actually felt like a "rider".
A bit bouncy around the track, but I didn't care. I was riding.

What a great sport !


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## ForeverSunRider (Jun 27, 2013)

I have 3 that are tied.

1. I had an old Arabian gelding named C.J. He was 24/25 when we got him and I took lessons on him for a summer with my mom who was recently getting back into riding. C.J. was my first horse (before I'd owned a pony). The pony was a stubborn little piece of work but C.J. was 100% perfectly trained - pivot, sidepass, flying lead changes...he had all the buttons, I guess the lady who had him before us competed on the national level or something with him. Anyway, he was such a good guy. He was the first time I cantered. I was over the moon haha. 

2. Same horse, C.J. and I were on the trails on a group ride and we were all loping along on a wide stretch of path and some idiot kid comes out of no where with a dirt bike right in front of us and C.J. swerved to the side, I lost my balance and he moved back and tried to catch me and finally just stopped and I fell forward on his neck and landed on my back in front of him. He had been shuffling his feet when I fell and I looked up and just saw his on hoof right above my head and then I saw his nose poke over his knee and he moved his hoof to the other side of my head and just looked at me and waited for me to get up. 

3. My current horse, Sonny, when I test road him on the trails the day I brought him him home. His old owner (my mom's friend) new speed was important to me, so she got on her her horse and we raced - just the two of us. Both horses are barrel horses that she'd trained herself from the time she bought them. She bought both when they were 2 and I got sonny when he was 15. I love to go fast and it was just fantastic.


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## JustWingIt (Jul 29, 2012)

Mine was this past summer.

I'm a newbie eventer, and so is my horse. Last summer we went to our first recognized event, which meant that the cross country and stadium are timed. At this point we hadn't gotten around a cross country course without one stop at a fence. 

So I'm in the box, and they count me down, and we go. Then all of a sudden we are over the last fence, and I realize, oh my god, we made it over every jump for the first time every. Then I was like oh crap this is timed! And we flat out galloped through the finish. 

Then I threw up. 

And we got third at our first recognized event!

Best moment ever.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Faustinblack (Aug 16, 2011)

Probably when I got up at four in the morning to be out on the trail when the sun came up. Glorious.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## BlueSpark (Feb 22, 2012)

the single best would be when I got on my BO old OTTB stallion. he's gone now(died of liver cancer) but was 11 at the time. I was feeling like a daredevil and my crazy BO gave me permission to try him out. I'd ridden him a bit bareback, but it was his first time wearing a saddle in 9 years, and first time ever in anything but a race saddle on the track. I lunged him a bit and hopped on. It was magic. We could read each others mind. He did everything I asked, before I consciously asked for it. I ended up going for a trail ride on him that day with a few other boarders, all on mares, two of which were in heat. We cantered through the falling October leaves, and it was magic. At one point a rider got dumped, and all the other riders galloped off in pursuit. I stayed with the fallen rider as his mares rode away. Perfect gentleman.


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## PrivatePilot (Dec 7, 2009)

Hands down - first time I cantered the Clydesdale in my avatar pic. 

Riding a Clyde was on my bucket list. Finally finding a lesson barn with one and then getting to the level where I could ride him (he can be a little spunky sometimes so the beginners don't get him as an option) was amazing. The thunderous sound and the feeling of power as he took off was amazing. He's a ball to ride, sometimes when he's really into it he lets out a little playful "happy-buck" a few strides in and then hunkers down and HAULS. :wink:


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## UpNorthEq (Oct 7, 2013)

One of them would be today... Hopping on my mare bareback trotting and being like "I dont know if i can lope" haven't loped her bareback in over a year... but I did it!  and im extremely happy i pushed myself and gave her a little trust  Also loping my pony for the first time bareback yesterday!


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## MangoRoX87 (Oct 19, 2009)

My most memorable moment 
HEY. WAIT A MINUTE. THIS THREAD IS FROM 2009. Lol


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## Luce73 (Dec 7, 2012)

Mine would probably have to be last summer, when me and my girlfriend rented horses to go for a trail with a guide. My girlfriend doesnt ride (has been on a horse 3 times), so when we got to a big field the guide told me I could go ahead and canter to the end of it if I wanted. I did, and about halfway I saw a small bush with silvery leaves on in, when I cantered past it it turned out they were not leaves but a whole swarm of dragonflies!! They flew up around me and it was really magical. 

Afterwards I realized I was lucky the horse didnt spook lol.


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## danny67 (Nov 27, 2012)

The time my pooper lost his balance in a snow filled roadside ditch and we both fell with me breaking my collar bone.

This was best moment because my newish previosuly barn sour Aarab did not run away, but stood calm in the middle of the road looking at me. He let me get back on with my broken wing and we rode home. It was at this time that I knew we had bonded and he was gonna be my trusty mount. <3


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## amberly (Dec 16, 2012)

I have been riding my horse bareback recently to gain better balance and get good bareback as I am in the saddle.
I think the best moment I have had that was good was when Brisco and I went over our little jump perfectly and went straight into three loping circles without breaking gait or misbehaving.
Another great time was when he let me lay down on him and stand up on him and do all sorts of crazy sitting positions on him while he just stood there and slept!!


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## boots (Jan 16, 2012)

Those days after work or a game or a practice is finished, things went okay to good, as we're doing that head-bobbing walk toward home (or the trailer).


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## frlsgirl (Aug 6, 2013)

See my avatar pic? That was my best moment. We went trail riding in Turks and Caicos. I got to ride this beautiful Arab mix named Dreamer.


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