Leaning into Nature

Friday evening I was on horseback in the mountains of West Virginia. It was amazing. As it turned out there were only a few of us on the trail ride; Kevin, myself and our guide, oh and Emmie the dog as well. It was hot and muggy and a storm was brewing, the owners were checking the Internet for info as to whether we should reschedule. We decided to pack some ponchos and head out.

It had been 20+ years since I had been on a horse and more than that for my husband. I was so looking forward to the experience and didn't have any apprehension at all until I looked at the stirrup and wondered if I would be able to mount without a platform! I did fine.

Our guide was 13 years old and looked as if she had been born on a horse. I was directly behind her and she spent most of the ride turn sideways or backwards in the saddle chatting - very sweet.

The rain started about an hour into our ride and we all agreed that the ponchos could stay in the pack, it felt so good after a day in the heat to ride through the woods in the soft rain. As we traveled, deep into the forest, any stress I had been carrying fell away and I was enveloped in the peace of the trees.

It was near dark when we returned to the barn and the last 10 minutes or so were an exercise in trust. Trust that Smokey, whom I was riding, knew where to put his feet! It is dark in the woods well before it is full dark in the meadow and the trail seemed more narrow and the hillside more steep than it had in the daylight. I noticed that I was feeling some tension and moved my awareness to my heart. I was immediately aware of the sure-footedness of the animal that carried me and again of the calm beauty of the forest. Even in unpracticed circumstance the Universe supports me.

Life is good.