Happy New Year

I am excited about what the new year is going to bring. Don't know what it might be but I am still happy about it.

Been spending time riding out in the country with RD and on my own. Mr. Semper is on the mend and I rode him three times last week. He feels great.

An interesting thing happened to me last weekend. I don't know if I can explain it or not but I am going to give it a whirl.

While at RD's I wanted to try out a new saddle. On a side note... I have been looking for the perfect saddle to do Ranch Versatility and WCH and just haven't had much success. She had the saddle on a horse that is what I would consider a finished WCH / ranch horse deluxe. He has some quirks but he definitely knows his job. I have ridden him before but just to kind of dink around while she was working Ms Lily. Basically I used him as a couch. He had a WCH style bridle on and a set of nice romels. I get on and start to walk him off. Here is what went through my head. saddle... um... o.k. ouch - hard seat.... horse... WOW. I lifted my reins slightly and he was so light in my hands. Forgot all about saddle, seriously I could have been riding on a bizillion dollar m.l. leddy covered in gold and wouldn't have noticed how it rode. I asked him to trot - again so light. Not that the gait was smooth or that his movement was wonderful. Because honestly it wasn't all that great but what I couldn't get over was how it felt in my HANDS. Weird. I can't really explain it. I thought I knew what that felt like. Semper is light. Heck I can ride him around bridleless using only my legs to do a reining pattern, he drives from behind and collects up nicely when you ask with your legs... how much lighter can you get? Let me tell you.... tons and tons, light years, infinity and beyond lighter. I can't put my finger on it. I can't articulate it. I obviously am not explaining it well. But what I do know is that I WANT IT. Whatever IT is. So what do you think it was? Was it the drive from behind that I was feeling? was it just his way of going? Was it the lift in his shoulders? Lord knows it wasn't the saddle, the bridle or me.

This is one of those things that makes me question my level of horsemanship and / or knowledge. How can one 15 minute ride on a strange horse change my perception so drastically? It has me so befuddled, confused, irritated, and beyond annoyed. AND longing to feel it again. Only on my own horses of course.