Childhood Dream Come True

Ever since I was a little girl I have had a dream... Back in the days when I was horse crazy (still am a little bit) I always wanted to go swimming with the horses. I had read it in a book somewhere and thought it would be THE greatest thing EVER. Well after missing it twice this summer I finally got to go. I felt like a kid in a candy shop. Probably looked like one too.

The other thing I have always wanted to do was ride bareback. Just so you know this isn't as luxurious as once thought. In fact it's down right painful! I was riding Elmer... And let me just stop and say, whoever named that horse, that is a terrible name! It's like sentencing him to his death. He's also, and I'm sorry to say this, a very ugly horse as you may see in some of the pictures. Really he's not bad from a distance or if he's not wet.

But anyway, as I was saying... Oh the pain! Elmer's spine happens to protrude from his back by about 2 inches. It gives you the feeling of a major wedgie. (I won't get into the details) Elmer happens to be one of our more spirited horses and prances. Now I'm bouncing up and down. Then when we neared the lake Kristi says "last one to the lake is a rotten egg" Elmer senses the excitement and takes off across the fiel at a trot/canter. This, just in case you aren't following is MAJOR PAIN! Ok ok.. it was worth it though cause I was having a blast. All I lacked was the war paint cause I was doin the whole grab the mane, put your head down and ride indian style type of thing. Let's just say I'm glad I'm not a boy. :)

When we finally got to the lake a whole boat full of kids had just pulled in and the horses didn't too much like that so we had quite the time trying to get them in at first. Duke didn't have any problems though. ( he's the one on the far right) The kids on the boat thought it was the greatest thing they'd ever seen and I'm thinking "ha ha! now I'm the one doing it and you're the one wishing!" I know I'm terrible but one has to revel in their glory once in awhile.

When they finally got in, boy was it great! After a few trys I got Elmer to actually swim. It's pretty pointless to try to stay sitting upright. They swim fast enough that your legs slide right out from under you and you end up just holding onto their mane and gliding along until they hit ground. Once Elmer would come above water I'm sure I looked pretty interesting with my arms around his neck, laying on top of him with my legs bent in the air.

It was a sad thing when it was time to go. Elmer the ever energized just HAD to prance all the way back to the barn. I will never forgive him for that. As an update, no I cannot walk. You have to use your legs to balance so they get quite a work out, even without the bouncing up and down on a horses spine. Add the fact that I went slalom skiing and knee boarding this morning, I don't really feel like moving. Which is apparently the reason that I am going out one more time before I leave tomorrow. I'm actually excited. I'll miss camp like crazy. I mean how many places can you do stuff like this on your time off? And, even though its been me and mostly boys cause Jessie and Kristi keep leaving, I'll miss all the people my age. What I'm really looking forward to is the food though. Stuff me Mom, I'm coming home!