Wanting to be a cowgirl wasn't enough.
I first started learning about riding as a child. I read books, magazines, looked at pictures and watched westerns on TV. I remember reading a magazine article about leg aides. I think it was about "using your legs" while you ride a horse. I was like many people and thought that legs were meant to wrap around your horse and clench ~ to hold on. I also watched Bonanza after school quite often and saw how the cowboys hands were always holding the reins pretty tight and usually high up in the air. |
| My Sister Riding Today |
My sister Penny was the first cowgirl I really knew. She's my "big seester". She rode a lot when we were growing up. I remember her riding bareback, going fast! She also spent a lot of time near her horses or in the barn. I also remember her reading lots of books, while lumbering on her horses back. She had one horse that was pretty short and wide where Penny could lay on her tummy backwards, knees bent~feet up in the air. She would lay with her elbows propped on her horses butt, holding up her book.
My good friend and riding mentor, Kelly, always told me that I looked like a Barbie on my horse and that I needed lots of time in the saddle to get confident and loosen up. She helped me with that by spending hours and hours, together on our horses, exploring the beautiful trails and scenery down near Kellettville, Pennsylvania and Lisbon, Ohio. I have to admit that I did drink a couple of beers before and during these rides and that helped limber me up a bit. I remember being confused when she explained how she rode, "First I think of where I want to go, and then I look there, and that's where my horse takes me. Usually."
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| Kelly and Madison at Flying W Ranch |
When my daughter was about six years old I took her to riding lessons over the winter. I paid close attention to everything her instructor said, and didn't say. I remember learning the words inside leg, outside rein, jog, canter and roll back. I already knew walk and whoa (that was about it, though).
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| My daughter, Kaylin on KC |
Because I have a clumsy nature, and I'm pretty nervous and uptight I never did enjoy showing. However, my daughter was quite successful in 4H making it to States for many years. I watched her and the other kids and learned a lot. I tried to go to every Drill Team practice because I noticed improvement in each rider's skill every week! What were they doing to improve? Riding.
I made a plan, set some goals and once again God blessed me with what I needed to achieve them.
I decided to just keep riding. I rode and rode and rode. Although I was scared, once we got our indoor built, I rode bareback too. I rode and rode and rode some more. It was ride-altering. I finally understood what Kelly meant because I could feel what my body was doing when I turned and looked where I wanted to go. I finally understood what the article that I had read so many years ago was really referring to. My legs also moved when I turned to look where I wanted to go. Finally, I could think of where I wanted to go and my horse would take me there, no tight reins or hands waving in the air. Watch a video of Harley and Lori
We have won Extreme Cowboy Races, Barrel Races and Pole Bending events. I've raced in over 50 rodeos! I love my life.