Shortly after posting that I never ride in my dreams [Horse Dreams], I not only rode but jumped without stirrups. Odd because that is a skill I don’t have the real world. I was taking a nap after volunteering at the zoo [Serve]. Over-tired and dehydrated, I slept badly but fell asleep long enough to….
Be assigned a large, friendly chestnut. The saddle was shaped like a jumping saddle but padded like a dressage saddle. Also odd, because I prefer flat-style saddles for both. I object to being told what to do by a knee-roll. I asked if I ought to shorten my stirrups and the instructor decided to take them away. Possibly from seeing this picture a few days ago. Since I wasn’t wearing any shoes, I was able to wrap my legs around his middle. Definitely from reading this post before I fell asleep.
Once the tack was adjusted, the horse ambled off before I asked. Ordinarily I wouldn’t like that but he was so amenable I didn’t mind. He wandered over to a little white vertical in the corner. It was advertised as 3′ but wasn’t. Over we flowed. It was wonderful. How riding is supposed to be but rarely is, especially without stirrups.
When I went to get on for the second session, the horse had turned into a firetruck. Before I could climb aboard, the truck rolled off without me. This one’s easy. Our new, first-out engine starts moving as soon as you push the button (yes) for drive, even before you tap the gas. I hate that. I grabbed the back rung of a ladder much the way one might grab a horse’s tail. The truck kept going while the ladder telescoped open. The mind is a vast and weird place.
That night, I returned to sleeping well and having anxiety dreams. I wonder if a sleep quality/dream quality inverse relationship exists? Since I usually sleep like the dead, that would mean many more anxiety dreams in my future. Still, it was nice to have one shiny moment.
Your strangest horse dream?
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Gratuitous Cat Pic
Virtual Brush Box 
Shiny photo!
love the laundry vulture!
I’m really surprised you never jumped without stirrups, you’re so good at everything. but i rode my mare bareback on easy trails a lot, so if she wanted to jump – even a few times when i didn’t – we jumped. she was so steady it didn’t seem to matter. she was 13.2 hands. I’m not good at judging size, but i don’t think we jumped anything higher than 2’3″-2’6″. She died of liver disease when she was 23.
but in dreams it’s my stallion (OK he was gelded at age 14 but always was a stallion in his own mind) I’m riding, bareback, no tack at all, running for the shear joy of running, thru a pasture by a woods. by the time i actually got him my riding days were numbered, my spine & nerve were deteriorating faster than the doc said, but i wouldn’t have given him (the horse, not the doc) away for any amount of money, and would have kept him as a pet forever (he died at age 26 of colic). But in my dreams, we flew. i sometimes dream of watching horse shows, but it’s much rarer i dream about riding any more.
re jumping: First Horse & I spent too much time with eventers. In consequence, I learned to jump out of the back seat. With Previous Horse, I overcompensated & got into the bad habit of jumping ahead. If we start jumping, Rodney will likely need lots of trot & canter over low jumps to build fitness & relaxation. I was hoping to do a lot of these w/o stirrups to build my balance.
BTW, did you know that Wofford recommends being able to trot a jump at the height of your level? That means trotting 4′ for Advanced. Eeep. Training p159.
boy, i’m glad wofford isn’t training me! eep indeed!
i came in late – why is Rodney not ridiable? and what is his problem that needs heat treatment?
if i’m not beingtoo personal
re back: see Our Story So Far link at the top of the page, toward the end, paragraph that starts, “I can report …” for an explanation and links to posts on same.
re Rodney: short answer, panic attacks. Long answer, see rest of blog, particularly Back to Eventing & Back To Riding on sidebar. Sigh.