Being Barnes: Riding in a Winter Wonderland

Once upon a time, in the land of Provo, it finally snowed.

And it snowed a lot.

And it was beautiful.

My aunt Terilyn knows a guy who has the responsibility of keeping some horses in shape during the winter, so he takes people riding for free on the weekends. An awesome opportunity that just could not be passed up. My two horse-loving roommates Hallie and Christie joined me for the adventure on this snowy Saturday.

Before we could get anywhere they took it upon themselves to get the six inches of snow off my car.

So excited!!

Hallie and Christie are both long time horse lovers. They grew up with horses of their own and a serious passion for these large and in charge animals.

And then there's me. I did not grow up with horses. My experience amounts to one ride per year at girls camp. I wish I was a horse girl. I see horses in movies and read about them in books and learn about what wonderful and special animals they are and the great bonds that people form with them. So then I get all excited, but then I stand next to one and suddenly i'm overcome with hesitation and maybe some fear. They are just so big and I feel like they are going to bite my fingers off, or kick me, or fall on top of me (yeah especially that last one for some reason)... which is why I am shamelessly proud of myself for how I did yesterday. I rode a horse. In the snow. And we even trotted. On a horse. In the snow. Yep, me. I still wasn't 100% comfortable, especially considering the soreness that was quickly settling into my boo-tay, but I think that with continued exposure and practice, I could possibly eventually become a horse-lovin' kinda girl.