Horseback Riding

     Not too long ago the main means of transportation was on horse back. This meant that if you needed to go somewhere that wasn't in your village you could be riding for days. I decided to see what it would be like to spend all day on a horse. 
     There is a lot of preparation to go on a day long ride. I'm sure it's even more complicated if you planned on going across state which could take months. We had to decide on all the things we would need while we were out. And everything we wanted to bring was going to be carried by us or the horse. We packed food and water. We also brought toilet paper since we weren't going to be riding out in the woods, away from civilization.
     We road through some woods and then followed a creek for the rest of the day. It was very tranquil. We didn't really have an end destination, it was just a really long loop. When we would hit more open areas we would go faster and run the horses a bit. Cantering in an open field was so invigoration. We were out in the middle of no where so it really did feel like we had stepped back in time. We stopped a couple times to rest, eat and let the horse graze and play in the water. It was a wonderful way to spend the day. 
     I had a great time, but the next day I was feeling it. My butt and thighs hurt so bad! I can't imagine what it must have been like to have to ride everyday for weeks or months at a time. But I'm glad for the experience and plan on doing it again. Next time I go I want to plan to camp out for the night. I think that would really be an experience to resemble the past.

Saddling up!

Crash course in steering and breaking.