"Mom, Why Don't You Ride?"

Teacher Daughter Lisa is a horsey girl. She took lessons as a young girl and is a competent rider. But she feels rusty, and so she has asked for my help in getting her skills back.

 She'd also like to see me get back in the saddle again.

 "Mom, why don't you ride any more?" she asked me a few days ago. "There is really no reason for you to not be in the saddle again."

True confession - the last time I rode, Lisa was a Girl Scout and her troop had gone on a trail ride. I was asked to chaperone and had gone on the ride with the troop. I haven't been back in the saddle since - almost 30 years later.

Several reasons played into that - around that time, I started having a lot of bone and joint issues and it hurt to even walk sometimes. I was a busy mom who was also taking classes at the University of Illinois so any spare time was in short supply. 

Then, when my kids were all in school, I started teaching and while Craig was (and still is) a man who believed in sharing the work load, just keeping up with our busy family took every moment we both had.

The kids grew up and left home. I had both knees replaced, a hip replaced, a spinal fusion, ankle surgery, wrist surgery, and went from surgery to surgery until finally my joints quit hurting so much.

Years continued to pass, and we moved back home to Indiana. I was active in the hobby portion of the horse world, but had not owned a horse for years.

And then Abby happened, a very good and happy change for me.  

But I have never ridden her - when I got her, Indiana Horse Rescue did not know if she'd ever been ridden before. Tim has been on her and says she accepts the saddle and bridle along with a rider's weight, but has no clue what to do.

She also limped for over a  year and a half after I got her (that stemmed from her neglect), and with all those things combined along with me being quite overweight at the time, I felt it just would not work.

Me with Abby, six years and eighty pounds ago.

Abby hasn't limped in years, I've lost that weight, and I'm retired and don't have so many time constraints. So, good question, Lisa. Why shouldn't I ride again?

These two gals may just help me make that happen again.