by Laura Crum
Happy
New Year to all! Here’s hoping 2014 is a banner year for all of us—2013 was a
difficult year for many people I know, including me. But there were happy
moments, and many of them were on a horse.
I
didn’t ride as much this past year as I have in the previous five years, but I
did ride quite a bit, even so. And today I am going to post my favorite riding
photos from this year, in order. Right up front I have to say that these photos
are largely of my son and his horse, Henry, or of my Sunny’s ears. Because
virtually all the riding I did this year was with my son. And truthfully, that
is what I really want to remember—the happy hours my boy and I spent together
horseback, the year he turned thirteen and his horse turned twenty-five. It’s
actually one of my really joyful memories about this year—we kept on riding
together on our good horses and saw some lovely things. I’ve tried to pick some
pictures that capture that magic (at least a little).
So
here is my son and Henry last January. I like this photo a lot—a boy and his
horse in the wild world. I especially like the completely unmarked sand—we were
the first people to ride/walk down the empty beach this winter’s day.
This
photo is from the same ride—looking out to sea. A storm was coming in.
Another
beach ride—we took a lot of them last winter/early spring.
The
view from Sunny’s back—I never tire of these lovely views through the ears.
A
favorite thing we did—long trot the horses side by side down the beach. Henry
has a very fast, very smooth long trot—Sunny often had to lope to keep up.
We
rode at home in our riding ring, too.
Sunny
likes to gallop up our driveway from the gate to the house. I usually wear a
helmet but my husband wanted to take a picture with my hair blowing, so I took
the helmet off for this photo.
During the summer we
gathered cattle at my uncle’s roping arena with friends—many, many times.
And
we rode out my uncle’s back gate into the redwood forest. This dirt road is
perfect for long trotting or a good gallop.
Riding
along the ridge.
I
took quite a few solo rides in this magical wood when my son preferred to stay
at the roping arena and work cattle.
We
didn’t ride a lot in the fall—due to much schoolwork and other interests (like
bike riding). But we did ride, sometimes just exercising the horses here at
home.
And
in December we got out for a few more rides. Here in the redwood forest of
Nisene Marks.
We
rode on our local trails up to the Lookout, about a mile from our front gate, where we can see the Monterey Bay (looking towards Santa Cruz).
Looking
towards Monterey.
Many
of our rides included our friend and boarder, Wally, with his horse Twister.
Wally is eighty years young and still riding strong. This photo was taken just
a few days ago, up on the ridge near our place.
