Hey, good to see you again. Sit back, kick your shoes off and enjoy the story.

We had been having lovely late summer weather and to celebrate the last days of carefree warmth, one of my stable friends decided to take a ride out in the woods with her horse. Birgit didn’t ride out very often and because of this we were all pleased to hear that she was going. We figured that the change of pace would do both her and her horse Max good.

Birgit drove out to the barn extra early and saddled Max up, checking the girth twice and being mindful not to forget his protective leg gear – just in case. She was feeling pretty special in the smart new britches she had purchased in internet and was happy about life in general. Oh the excitement of a ride in the woods!

Smiling contentedly, Birgit checked her reins and stirrup leathers, making sure that the stitching was still okay and the leather hadn’t gotten brittle since she last rode on Monday; she didn’t want anything to tear or break while she was out. She put her helmet on, clipped it shut and fastened her body protector extra snug against her sides.
Birgit and Max were all ready to go.

She led Max out of the barn and swung a bit stiffly into the saddle. It was hard to be elegant with her upper body encased in a thick, padded vest, but as they say, better safe than sorry. She adjusted her equipment, straightened her helmet and like a ship breaking out for rough seas, she gallantly pushed off towards the woods.

Halfway passed the pastures, she threw an apprehensive glance towards the sky; thank goodness, no sign of rain. Yet.  She disliked rain because it created mud and mud could be slippery. She didn’t really want to risk Max slipping and falling, so she generally avoided riding when it was raining or recently had rained, which unfortunately was fairly often in our area. Nevertheless, the sky was clear and all systems were go.

Sitting erectly, hands nailed to the reins, she entered the woods.

It was still pretty early. So she assumed that she wouldn’t meet any other riders, which was a Good Thing. She didn’t care for casual encounters outside; you never knew how the horses would react. Hers could sometimes get nervous, so she generally avoided others on the trail. But she had chosen a good day, no rain and no other riders. Birgit sighed happily and shortened her reins.

Suddenly, she spied a red something off to the left, and it looked big. ‘Oh god, it’s a tractor!’ Avoiding certain disaster, she adeptly turned left into a tangle of branches, fighting her way through an uncleared section of the woods. ‘This is nice’, she told herself reassuringly. ‘It’s almost a short cut.’ But the last time she had to go this way she had ripped her britches on a branch, and that was expensive. She thought about her new britches from internet and hoped they would survive.
But all in all, this way was fine too. No tractors could get through here, she reasoned, so deep in the woods.

After a while she emerged from the undergrowth and turned onto a path going in a different direction. She knew this path well and remembered that there was a lovely, small farm house off on the right with a cozy little garden filled with dahlias and sunflowers. And a dog. ‘Hmm. I hope it’s not out.’ She thought about the situation for a moment and calculated the risk.
Practiced, she turned at the next possibility to the left, congratulating herself for quick thinking. It was a small dog, to be sure, and the garden was fenced, no doubt, but even little dogs can really pack a bark and she didn’t want to risk getting injured in case Max got scared.

She continued down the new path a bit faster than she cared to. They were going in the direction of home now and Max had quickened his pace. But she had seen it coming, and preventatively she had sealed her hands hermetically to the reins. She spoke to Max reassuringly and gave him a good tug, reminding him to be good. Heart in her throat, they swiftly maneuvered the path toward home.

About 15 minutes after they had left, Birgit and Max reappeared at the barn; her new britches torn and both of them covered in sweat. ‘It doesn’t matter when I ride out,’ she said, ‘it always gets dangerous. I know it’s supposed to be nice, but it’s just not worth it.’

Life is risky, isn’t it?

A ride out in the woods always involves a certain amount of danger and risk, as does every adventure in life. Generally speaking, the more exciting and thrilling the experience, the greater the risk. But that’s part of life. No risk, no fun. Birgit’s worries and fears caused her not only to clamp down on her reins, but also to clamp down on her life.

The best way to miss out on all the exciting adventures is to tighten your reins, the ones to your horse and the ones to your life, and to look for danger and risk. If it’s an exciting adventure, I guarantee you’ll find enough of it.

Happy riding out,

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