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Big as a horse MY ASS!
May. 21st, 2003 11:10 amSo, in my quest to find a new stable to ride at (sorry Sally, your place is just to far to take the risk that I won't be riding due to weather) I've checked a few different stables. Since two friends of mine also wish to learn to ride, we've been kind of looking together. There's a place in Dracut we were trying to get information from, but they've had a bunch of different things going on. Back to that in a moment.
Next was the place the only person I know who jousts, S.R., rides. Figure, they trained him, why not me? Oh yeah, they're something like 10 minutes from where I live. How does it get better than that? Well, they apparently raise Morgans and at 220 pounds (without clothes... don't try to picture it), I exceed the 180 pound weight limit. Now he understands why he's the only male riding there.
Okay, back to the place in Dracut. Yesterday, after dealing with the instructor's vacation and a horse show they were having, I finally got to talk to the instructor there. Great lady. Very helpful. Super nice. Problem... they have one horse that any of the three of us could use (with K.E around my build and S.P. around 190 lbs and 6'6" tall) due to size concerns. And that horse has a tendency to buck and is otherwise not new-rider friendly. But she recommended a place in Acton that I had looked at. So I contacted them. S.R., as it turns out, has been there and said it looked nice. Another friend, M.M., had ridden there also and as considering taking lessons there.
Okay, here's the catch.
They appear to be a western stable. This is not entirely bad, but most jousting gets done on english saddles. This may be easier for me since I have no intention of posting in armor but I'm wondering how the transition from one style of saddle to the other will go. The instructor appears to be bigger than me so I'm not overly concerned about horse size. Maybe I'll even learn to lasso a steer. Since cowboys need to be able to have both hands free while controlling the horse, I imagine this will give me many useful skills. Now, if they just get back to me. I don't expect to hear from anyone until after 2pm today but that's okay.
If nothing else, the fact I'm too fat for all these horses has made me more determined to lose weight. I'm fluctuating just over 220lbs these days, but I haven't gone back above 223 this week. If I can keep the pace of losing 1 lb per day, I should be down to 200lbs in no time. Really need to eat fewer cookies. :)
Next was the place the only person I know who jousts, S.R., rides. Figure, they trained him, why not me? Oh yeah, they're something like 10 minutes from where I live. How does it get better than that? Well, they apparently raise Morgans and at 220 pounds (without clothes... don't try to picture it), I exceed the 180 pound weight limit. Now he understands why he's the only male riding there.
Okay, back to the place in Dracut. Yesterday, after dealing with the instructor's vacation and a horse show they were having, I finally got to talk to the instructor there. Great lady. Very helpful. Super nice. Problem... they have one horse that any of the three of us could use (with K.E around my build and S.P. around 190 lbs and 6'6" tall) due to size concerns. And that horse has a tendency to buck and is otherwise not new-rider friendly. But she recommended a place in Acton that I had looked at. So I contacted them. S.R., as it turns out, has been there and said it looked nice. Another friend, M.M., had ridden there also and as considering taking lessons there.
Okay, here's the catch.
They appear to be a western stable. This is not entirely bad, but most jousting gets done on english saddles. This may be easier for me since I have no intention of posting in armor but I'm wondering how the transition from one style of saddle to the other will go. The instructor appears to be bigger than me so I'm not overly concerned about horse size. Maybe I'll even learn to lasso a steer. Since cowboys need to be able to have both hands free while controlling the horse, I imagine this will give me many useful skills. Now, if they just get back to me. I don't expect to hear from anyone until after 2pm today but that's okay.
If nothing else, the fact I'm too fat for all these horses has made me more determined to lose weight. I'm fluctuating just over 220lbs these days, but I haven't gone back above 223 this week. If I can keep the pace of losing 1 lb per day, I should be down to 200lbs in no time. Really need to eat fewer cookies. :)
