When I was young ( a long time ago), my father ran a summer camp in the upper peninsula of Michigan. The Walloon Outdoor Camp had all sorts of activities, including horseback riding. Joan Fletcher was the riding counselor, and I idolized her. To make us feel better about falling off the horses, which we all did regularly, Joan told us that every time we fell off, we gained seven years of experience. Since we were only nine years old, it was not long before we had years of experience beyond our own lifetimes, of which we were very proud.
Today, I gained another seven years of experience, which I really no longer need.
It was a beautiful morning, and we wandered around the trails. The horses were lazy and uninspired. We went to work on the ring, planning on only a light ride, since we had jumped yesterday. Once we started to trot, Bart’s ears went into “high alert” mode. I could smell a skunk, and wondered if there was one nearby.
I never saw anything, but suddenly, Bart did one of his trademark spooks, and he unseated me. As he spooked right, he was surprised to see me falling over his right shoulder, so he shied away from me to the left and flung me hard onto the ground.
Then, he was gone at the gallop. Poor Jane! She didn’t see me fall, but she saw Bart leaving the scene and she jumped off Derry, who was quite excited and wanted to follow Bart to the barn.
Harry was just about to go downstairs to do his biking and rowing, when he heard galloping hooves. He saw Bart run twice around the barn at top speed, before dropping his head to eat grass on the lawn, tangling his feet in the reins. Miraculously, he did not break my $150 reins. Good luck on that score, at least. Harry’s heart stayed in rhythm, despite the scare, which is even better luck than a set of reins!
Jane and I arrived to retrieve Bart and reassure Harry that all was well. I gave that bad horse a good long lunge session at the scene of the crime, then remounted and rode him without incident. Jane and Derry worked along with me, so our “light day” became a serious workout after all.
Able to laugh, so not so bad 
Damn you, Bart! 
Bart is lovely to lunge
After that excitement, I had an online tutor session set up to learn how to do a better blog. That was interesting, and I probably did learn a lot. Alas, I messed up this evening and lost almost a whole post. It has not been a good day – bad biorhythms, I guess.
Since I did cats yesterday, I thought I would do dogs and horses today. It was hot, and I missed the afternoon dog walk, so these pictures are post walk, and all dogs are exhausted.
Nettie in the office 
Mistletoe under the bed 
Weedy on the bed 
Cedar on the couch
The horses in late afternoon light.
Ready to go out 
Oisin 
Stone 
Bad Bart
A new day lily started to bloom today, much to my delight.
And finally, remember “It is not enough to learn how to ride, you must also learn how to fall”. Good life advice, and literal for some of us.
Stay safe, stay well, and stay on.
Oh my, I hope that you aren’t too sore. Bart does look a bit chastised. And the humidity was not as comfortable as yesterday. Sounds like a frustrating day with the lost blog. I think your blog doesn’t need improving. Hoping Sunday is better and you aren’t too sore.
Yikes! those days when things are off, then “A New Day Lily!”
Wow, seven years! I doubt if I will outlive my experience! 🤣 Happy to hear and see you are ok. Im sure Bart was just as distressed by your coming off as you were. Love all the pictures! I’m with Rebecca… your blog is good.
Oh, Bad, Bad, Bad Bart! using all his snappy reflexes for evil instead of good. Tell him I am TERRIBLY DISAPPOINTED!! in him. No cookie from me today or tomorrow. :-<
Bart will be chagrined to hear that you are terribly disappointed. He didn’t mean to dump me and it is impossible to stay mad at him, he’s such a wonderful horse. No cookies today, back to work tomorrow, and then I am sure he will earn cookies. I love him, and I never forget how lucky I am to have him. Well, maybe for a minute or two I forgot, when the wind was knocked out of me! 🤣
Hope you are riding today – what a lovely, cool morning!
Yes, headed to Kirksville now with gray mare in tow. Such a beautiful morning!
Nobody could stay mad at Barty for long. 😊 especially since it was a horse eating skunk!
I’m sure I don’t need another 7 years experience! I am grateful I never fell off in the hunt field.
That is indeed something to be grateful for, and even to brag about, Janis! Not many who have hunted can claim that. I fell on my very first hunt as huntsman! Very embarrassing. I believe I have 70,000 years of experience by now. I stopped keeping track when I was about ten. I couldn’t do the math…
Thankfully you were not seriously hurt or we would have been subjected to endless pictures taken by Harry of you in various attempts to be sleeping or smiling.
I got evidence of my latest! hopefully you can open this – it is public. Neither of us were hurt so fell free to laugh as much as I did when I saw the pics! Glad you are okay too!
https://www.facebook.com/jana.lyle.1/posts/10218719559834294?notif_id=1594517516436202¬if_t=feedback_reaction_generic
“Bad Bart”. Sounds like a character from a Monty Python movie. One who worked at a nunnery….