Finding Bert: The journey of a 42-year-old novice rider

Julie Gordon together with Bert enjoying a beach ride.

Julie Gordon was aged 42 when she decided to acquire a Equus caballus together with accept upwardly riding. Not everyone persuasion it was a expert idea. She tells of a journeying that brought her together amongst Bert, an older standardbred who institute a novel best mate – but it wasn’t Julie.

I was 42 years old when I institute myself wanting to fulfil a wish to ain a horse.

I worked equally a veterinary nurse inwards a small-animal practice. My hubby together with I owned 23 acres, thence nosotros had the space, but non the experience.

My only experience amongst riding was on well-controlled Equus caballus treks. I would maintain commercial Equus caballus treks equally frequently equally I could, but fifty-fifty that was only 1 time every few years.

I had confidence to trot a horse, but was never able to instruct myself how to acquire into a beat amongst the horse, together with had never cantered.

I had a few novice riding lessons to hit my confidence after falling off a immature greenish Equus caballus I had 1 time tried to ride. I was unhurt, but shaken.

My experience inwards caring for horses was express to feeding my neighbour’s horses when they were away. That’s it.

At 42, together with amongst such express experience, I was possibly non the best candidate equally a first-time Equus caballus owner, together with falling off the Equus caballus should get got set me off, but it didn’t.

Julie together with Bert on a ride amongst a friend.

Unfazed, I striking the library books, together with read all I could well-nigh caring for a horse.

With my veterinary nurse background, I shortly got to the phase that all the books were repeating the same advice together with I felt I right away had a expert agreement of the help required.

I also develop well-nigh learning “horse talk”. I studied all well-nigh Equus caballus language, equally I had a lack of noesis on how they communicated amongst us or amongst each other.

I had ever been told never to walk behind a horse; if it reared upwardly it wase non happy; ever movement tardily only about horses equally they are spooked easily; maintain dogs from barking when horses overstep your property.

To hit farther knowledge, I right away had to acquire “practical”.

All the library books emphasised that owning a Equus caballus was a lot of run together with toll money.

Friends together with workmates advised me non to acquire a Equus caballus … Their messages were hardly encouraging. “You’re likewise old to start riding”, “older people who ride get got done it since they were kids”, “you’re non experienced enough, y'all volition wound yourself!”.

My husband, who also had no horse-ownership experience, was keeping out of it. I mean value he was hoping that the whole matter would only travel away.

I did get got my supporters. “Who says y'all can’t start riding a Equus caballus at 42,” 1 said. “You powerfulness equally good produce zero inwards life, otherwise”.

I started seriously looking for a horse. Of course of pedagogy I had no gear.

I borrowed a riding chapeau together with boots from my neighbour, grabbed some tips on “what to inquire when buying a horse” from her together with I was off! I was on the marketplace position for a “mature Equus caballus looking for a novice middle-aged adult woman owner”.

I knew what I had to await for inwards a Equus caballus together with I institute him.

Firstly, I met the horse’s owner. I had an instant trust amongst her together with rapport. She had genuine reasons for selling her Equus caballus together with I liked her correct from the start. This was an first-class get-go step, beingness happy together with getting a expert feeling amongst the electrical flow possessor of the horse.

I met Bert, a 23-year-old standardbred gelding. He stood at 15.3 hands. He was greying together with had sunken dimples higher upwardly his eyes. These, however, were the only existent signs of his age.

The possessor rode him only about her arena, trotting, together with thence cantering amongst ease.

At that instant I had a fantasy of me on a immature horse, jumping only about an arena, galloping along a beach for the adjacent 10 years.

Of course, that was never going to endure the reality for him, due to his age, or me, given my historic menstruum together with lack of experience.

Bert was an onetime riding-school horse. He was rattling experienced, like shooting fish in a barrel to catch, float, a farrier’s dream, together with the possessor assured me he was happy amongst his ain company, together with would endure content amongst livestock for companionship.

I was up-front amongst her well-nigh my express riding powerfulness together with lack of experience.

She was happy for me to lawsuit Bert over the adjacent few weeks, spell silent nether her care.

We went away riding together. All went good on every ride, together with she taught me to tack up.

My veterinary boss checked Bert. He was inwards peachy kind for his age. “You may non get got a lot of fourth dimension amongst him, however, due to his age,” she warned.

It was fourth dimension for Bert to come upwardly home.

Bert was excited together with on high alarm when he arrived.

I allow him settle inwards for a brace of weeks earlier riding him. He was silent on lawsuit for some other 3 weeks spell at home.

During this fourth dimension my get-go challenge came after Bert grazed for a brusk fourth dimension adjacent to the neighbour’s stallion.

Once separated, the stallion became upset together with Bert paced, bared his teeth, together with travel agitated inwards his paddock.

My hubby was out of town, together with I could non acquire close Bert. I only had to travel out him alone.

I got a fright. Doubt filled my veins. I can’t grip this horse!

I phoned the previous owner. She advised that inwards fourth dimension he should settle down, together with she was right.

Sir Pigalot, Bert’s best buddy.

After a few days, he had settled downward together with was dorsum to his normal self.

This was a vital lesson to me. Respect horses, they volition produce y'all damage, they are strong, fast together with powerful, together with they tin give notice endure moody, fifty-fifty the “bomb-proof” old ones.

Bert’s get-go challenge was to acquire along amongst our pet kune kune boar, Sir Pigalot. None of my reading literature warned me of a horse’s full general lack of wish to portion their pasture amongst a pig. Whoops!

After a brace of initial grumpy moments on Bert’s part, they get got travel inseparable paddock mates.

Over xviii months later, Bert together with I are silent going strong.

He has taught me thence much to a greater extent than than the library books ever could. We trot, canter, together with get got done pocket-size jumps.

The to a greater extent than fourth dimension nosotros pass amongst each other, the to a greater extent than nosotros trust each other.

He specially loves together with respects my husband. It must endure a guy thing.

Will Bert ever observe me? No. I am far likewise inexperienced a passenger together with slightly nervous at times for him, but for the most business office he seems to behaviour this is hear when I ride him.

Does he appreciate our human relationship – absolutely!

But who does Bert reserve his truthful dearest for? The pig!

 

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