Recently, I did something I haven’t done in decades—I went horseback riding! A few friends and I saddled up for a ride, and while it had been years since I’d been on a horse, I wasn’t nervous at all—just excited. I’ve always loved animals, and horses are high on my list of favorites.
My horse for the day was named Ed. Maybe a nod to Mister Ed? If you’re too young to know who Mr. Ed was, he was a horse-star on a show in the 1960s. Yes, I remember it. It ran until 1966, the year I was born. I don’t know if my horse was named after the TV icon, but what made me laugh was that the horse behind him was named Kentucky. I have a relative named Ed who just happens to be from Kentucky, so that little coincidence cracked me up. Kentucky, it turns out, was a little bit naughty and decided to bite Ed on the butt a couple of times. Let me tell you, Ed did not appreciate that and neither did I! My horse jumped straight up off all fours and scared the you-know-what out of me!
We rode through the woods and along the Minnesota River Valley. The landscape wasn’t exactly colorful—February’s warm spell had melted the snow, leaving behind bare trees and brown grass. But the sunshine, the crisp air, the golden fields, and the crackled ice on the river still made for a beautiful scene.
More than anything, it just felt good to be on a horse again. There’s something about the rhythm of the ride, the connection with the animal, and the quiet of the outdoors that makes for a perfect kind of peace. I won’t let decades pass before I do it again!
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