Horses and such

In a bold attempt to fill up my days with activities that I enjoy, I now have so much to do that I am constantly busy! Not long after I arrived in Vegas, I googled "horse rescue" and found a place in Sandy Valley, not far from here. But when I put the address into Google Maps, it said that it would take me 1.5 hours to get out there and that was just too long a drive for me at the time. I didn't know whether my car (and I) would hold up to the desert drive.

Then earlier this year, there was a pet show called Pet-A-Palooza which I went along to, out by the UNLV stadium, and low and behold, Shiloh Horse Rescue had a booth! So I asked them first-hand how long it would take for me to get there and they all said "about 45 mins". Google Maps obviously assumes that everyone sticks to the speed limit!

So in May, I did my first trip out to Shiloh and when I got there, Elisa (the riding instructor) asked me if I wanted a lesson! Did I? I was so confused, excited and overwhelmed, that I said yes! And so began my step back into the equestrian fold.

I had a serious horse accident about 8 years ago and have only ridden once on a trail ride in Wales about 4 years ago. So although I was not nervous or fearful, there was definitely some trepidation there. Elisa leant me a pair of boots and a helmet and I rode Orlando in the arena for an hour or so. It was great. I didn't realize how much I had missed riding until that moment! But I also think that if I had started again when I wasn't ready, I wouldn't have had such a positive experience. 

My first lesson on Orlando

Since that first week, I've ridden Dude, Priceless and Cedar, and with each lesson, I get a little better and a little more confident. I have been riding Western, and I discovered after my last lesson, that for all the years that I rode in a Western saddle, I was using it like a dressage saddle! My seat was dressage but my saddle was western, so I am in the process of "retraining" to ride Western as it should be ridden. I would like to get to a point where I can do both Western and Dressage. Baby steps...

Last week I had my first horse related injury! I was tying Cedar up at the wash bay with a quick release knot, when she pulled back and my knuckle got pinched by the rope as I was tightening it. I iced it immediately, but it was sore, bruised and swollen for about 5 days. I'd rather have a many small injuries than one big one, that's for sure!

My second ride: out on the trail with Dude (I am in the middle on the chestnut horse)

Jill Curtis, who owns Shiloh, and her mom Sally both work out there every day. They are such kind people - they try to rehabilitate every horse they have; even the seemingly un-fixable. If magic wands existed, these ladies should have one. They rely on donations and kindness, and I don't know how they do it. They have hundreds of horses on the property, just living out their lives in comfort and only a handful of adoptable horses, that they train and sell on to good homes. The horses come from all over the country but mostly from feed lot auctions, where buyers are there to purchase horses for slaughterhouses and the horse meat export market. Jill bids against the people she knows are buying them for this purpose and gives these animals the chance to live out their lives as happy horses.

For more information about Shiloh Horse Rescue and Sanctuary, check out their website.