This weekend, we went to Bandera, which claims to be the cowboy capital of the world. Really, Bandera? The cowboy capital OF THE WORLD?? If that is so, why did I only note one instance of cattle rustling while I was there? Need I mention I actually engaged in 35% fewer shoot-outs while in Bandera than I usually engage in at home? However, they do get some cowboy points because I went on the longest horseback ride in Powell history while there. Begin horseback story.
For a man who uses the term 'rootin tootin' regularly, I haven't been on many horses. In fact, before this week, I'd only been on one, maybe 12 years ago. However, I owed Laura a horseback ride from her birthday last year so we decided to pony up (ha ha ha) in Bandera. The verdict? It was a lot of fun. Also, a little painful.
My horse was a fat, dumpy, short female named Tequila. I was told to keep her away from the other horses, or else she'll start biting and kicking. Immediately, I felt at home, thinking I'd just been handed the equine version of my cat. Once I climbed aboard, I discovered another characteristic that Octopussy and Tequila shared: both like to haul some ass for no good reason. There were many times when the horse decided she wanted a snack or something, and I'd be a good distance back from the rest of the pack. I relax for just a second, and suddenly we're wildly careening up a hill, over very rocky terrain. What's that I felt around my neck? Oh right, that was death's icy grip. Luckily, my girlish screams sounded exactly like horse whinnies so no one picked up on my terror.
Tequila and I had over 2 hours of quality time together. That included many near death experiences, but also a fair amount of good times. At the end, I felt like maybe there was something more for me with these animals. Maybe if the software biz doesn't work out, my future could lie in the equine world. Master rider? No, probably not. Breeder? Unlikely. Horse whisperer? Now we're talking.
Posted by Cody at April 24, 2006 5:30 PM