Exploring
/By far, the riding I have done with my ponies over the past two decades has been of a single type. I have gone out, sometimes on trails, sometimes off trail, exploring. Sometimes the route is entirely new to me, and sometimes it is familiar. Even familiar routes, though, are new every time, due to weather or the pony I am riding or changes in the landscape (downed trees, for instance) or the time of day or the wildlife that is about or the dogs that are accompanying us. Only very, very rarely have I gone out riding with another person.
Rose and I out exploring
When I am new to a place, the exploring has more dimensions of course. I am truly exploring a landscape for the first time, learning where routes go and how each route relates to another and what routes might be worth exploring further. The first two places that were entirely new to me I explored with the same pony, Mya the Wonder Pony. I know now that I took for granted Mya’s suitability to the role of fellow explorer. She was level-headed and sure-footed and slow to spook and alert without being on edge. I still remember vividly the first time we encountered a bear while out riding. She stopped and looked at it, allowing me to do the same, until it wandered off. She didn’t snort or get busy feet or get tense. She gave me confidence to continue taking our exploratory rides. Mya is now retired and elsewhere, and I have a new place to explore.
I have been bringing my homebred Fell Pony mare Willowtrail Wild Rose along in her ridden work. Exploring was not something she took to when we began. Every time out she had new reactions to new things and new reactions to things we’d seen before. I came close to giving up hope that she’d ever be my fellow explorer, since newness is inherent to exploring. Then one day things seemed to change.
I had learned of a new route. Previously I had been taking Rose on the same route day after day, adding distance usually but sometimes asking her to tolerate different weather or ground conditions or cattle populations. Then I asked her to tolerate my dogs going with us. That seemed to be easier for her than many of the other things I’d asked. And one day I decided to try the new route.
The new route involved not only new scenery but also elevation changes and close foliage and a building she’d never seen up close before. And the dogs were along. It was a beautiful day, and for me it was even more beautiful because Rose carried me safely and sanely on the new route with all its newness without complaint. I was ecstatic.
Nearly every day since, we’ve gone exploring. Nearly every day we are going someplace we’ve never been before. And since I live at the bottom of a valley/canyon, nearly everywhere we go has elevation change (and views!) A month or two months or three months ago I would not have believed you if you’d told me Rose and I would be exploring our new place with my dogs. She hasn’t yet achieved Mya’s standard of fellow explorer, but now I believe that we can get there, and I’m excited by the possibility.
© Jenifer Morrissey, 2020
You can find more stories like this one in my book What an Honor, available internationally by clicking here or on the book cover.
