Flash Back Friday: The Little Red Mare
Meet Molly, 14 hands of hell on hooves.
To be fair, her insanity is partially nature, partially nurture. She's Hancock bred, and her mom is a notorious lunatic. Just mention the name Lorelei in my town, and most people know exactly what horse you're talking about. She was a rescue and came to Miss S beyond skittish and reactive. By the time I left, she had calmed down significantly, but crazy is a part of her personality.
I started riding Molly in August of 2011, about four months after I had started riding. We were both green at the time, and the partnership caused many of my well-known issues. Our time together pretty much culminated in many impacts with fences, shot confidence, and a bruised tailbone at one point. But lets face it, I was a kid who finally had a pony all my own. Despite the nerves while riding (many days, I could barely muster the confidence to trot her), I was always eager to ride her when I went to the barn.
My issues with Molly weren't an isolated event; a number of riders had tried her and realized early on that it wasn't a good match. I would have done the same if I wasn't such a ridiculously stubborn human being. There was one girl after me who managed to click with Molly. They were a competitive pair for a while and still are as far as I know. It reminds me of this Denny Emerson quote:
People get nervous sometimes, and that's okay. Through those nerves, Molly allowed me to learn about limits. Knowing and understanding my limits has allowed me to progress physically while building my confidence. I've made the mistake in the past of exceeding those limits at the insistence of others, but I'm more strict with myself now; sometimes holding yourself back is what allows you to move forward.
'heard u were talkin shit" |
I started riding Molly in August of 2011, about four months after I had started riding. We were both green at the time, and the partnership caused many of my well-known issues. Our time together pretty much culminated in many impacts with fences, shot confidence, and a bruised tailbone at one point. But lets face it, I was a kid who finally had a pony all my own. Despite the nerves while riding (many days, I could barely muster the confidence to trot her), I was always eager to ride her when I went to the barn.
Throwback to my pre-afro days |
People get nervous sometimes, and that's okay. Through those nerves, Molly allowed me to learn about limits. Knowing and understanding my limits has allowed me to progress physically while building my confidence. I've made the mistake in the past of exceeding those limits at the insistence of others, but I'm more strict with myself now; sometimes holding yourself back is what allows you to move forward.
Thanks Izz for the super old photos!
Aw she sounds like an interesting character! I kinda love reading about those horses that stand out from all the rest
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