For some unknown reason I signed Tango and I up for a course tomorrow. It's an introduction to competitive trail riding. That's right. Competitive trail riding. It's not unusual for me to be hit with sudden enthusiasms for things (i.e. quilting, marathon running, baking cakes with fresh coconut as a primary ingredient, interpretive dance). But usually I come to my senses before I commit.
This time it looks as though I am going to have to follow through. And as you might expect, I'm sort of freaking out. (But quietly, so as not to spook my horse).
Tango excels at going around in circles at different speeds as well as eating grass. We sometimes go on trails. These are wide, groomed park trails that run for oh, say, a couple of miles. Tomorrow we will be going on a 12 mile ride in the wilderness. I hardly even drive 12 miles.
Also, I have to haul Tango to the ride, a journey of about an hour, which is quadruple the length of any trip I've done with the trailer so far. Tomorrow it's supposed to be freakishly cold out. There could be cougars around. Not to mention water hazards. Tango hates getting his feet wet. I hate being mauled by cougars. And landing on my face in a creek when my horse decides he's had enough of this B.S. The other riders are probably adventurous and brave. They probably have sturdy, sure-footed horses. I have the most delicate 1300 pound flower on all of Vancouver Island.
Sigh. I am not an adventurous person. I consider changing coffee brands to be quite a shakeup.
Will let you know how it goes. I guess I will take my inspiration from this guy. I don't think you'd hear him crying and moaning about having to go on a trail ride. No sir, I don't think you would. As he said after capturing a man police had been chasing for ten days: "If you try to do something, shit will happen. If you don't try to do it, nothing will happen." Exactly. I just sort of hope the shit that happens isn't, like, bad.
P.S. Thanks for the excellent entries to win a copy of Through the Wardrobe. I'm going to end the contest on Monday. If you are a Narnia fan, don't forget to see the blog below for details of how to enter.
My spirit animal
Tango inspects Susan's ear to see where her brain went
