I found happiness...

In a stall, among wine tree covered hills,

 after a winding road

 through a small forest....

I found her:

see me grinning???No????I guess not; Mary attracts all eyes!!!

Her name is Maryem, and she's the biggest horse I rode so far...and by far the most beautiful being I've ever seen in my entire life!

"pro' " turn to the right...

She is so nice that she made me feel like I can ride, but of course it's all her doing! She's the one pacing like on clouds... so that I didn't feel like riding....

the only time Mary was in front...

...although she is HUGE! Huge and gracious! I will have some more photos...I didn't realize it, until I saw the photos Arthur took, that I was smiling all the time!

oh how proud I was!and who wouldn't? she's a beauty!

see meeeeeeee???

yep...crooked foot...

that foot again...

That must mean I'm a little more relaxed around horses!!!

        As soon as I was up in the saddle my first thaught was....would the contact with the sand on the ground hurt? then I shrugged, said a preety unconscious "watever", and went forward! It shurely musn't hurt as bad as asphalt, right? only the hooves would be a real threat...but I refuse to think about that!
        It was for the first time that I didn't feel unbalanced..but it must be a combination of my little aquired experience and Mary's extremely well-breeding...I just hope that I can keep her from now on...she's so gentle inspite of her stature...

can you see how much I enjoy this???

        Imediately after we entered the paddock, althout one hour early, we could ride...one more clue to the nice people at Herneacova! Mary was already half out of her stall, a little girl was grooming her and the huge horse rubbed her head against the girl like she was my Sheeba, or Eisi....only 1000 times bigger!she didn't look so menacing back then...but when the trainer said I should get in the saddle....exactly on that same huge horse...I wasn't so brave anymore...my eyes got wider...and I was to stunned by the beauty of the horse and the fact that I get to ride a Frisian...that I didn't even realize that a guy was pushing my butt to get on the horse...:D...I was 100% shure I made it myself!! how wacky is that???
        Only the shock that I was going to ride the biggest horse made me freeze and not start wincing...and maybe complain....but thank God I didn't get to say anyting...frightened and shocked as I was...the photos I watched afterwords showed me why I felt time flew while riding that horse...I was smiling from ear to ear all the time! and not for the camera....

The trainer always corrected me and said I should stay more straight...and the above photo shows me exagerrating that....but I was still grinning....
         The nicest part was when I tried to separate Mary from Tsjikke...

...and our ways parted....

...and I was enchanted with success...

...and quite puffed-up like a turkey....

 ...but Mary has a really strong will.....despite all my efforts....

...and here I am right back where I started...

 and again....

and so I sighed...

 so I got used to following...

 ...and I was happy anyway!!!

         Group photo at the end...with Aura's super nice and super gentle horsie...Carina....she had the most docile one..considering that Tunde's beautiful 12 years old Tjikke Frisian was so trained in dressage that she wasn't supposed to touch her with her legs...or she would start making all kind of exercises....my Mary was so inlove and attached to Tsjikke that she followed her everywhere, despite my real efforts to turn her over (I eventally gave up and let her take me anywhere she wanted...), but Aura's girl was really listening to her...or maybe is it that Aura really knows how to impose herself  to the horse???? She was riding excellently from the beginning!
          I guess that as compared to last time I went to Herneacova....

...this photo says it all:

         Wonderful wonderful wonderful experience! I will repeat it on Sunday!

p.s. look what I got:

Blouse from Tunde, earrings from Aura

 Bisous and thanks for stopping by!