What haven't you done?

One of the guys at the barn recently got a new horse. A big, spotted, gaited horse. He kept making comments and dropping hints about having me ride the horse for him some time. The other night he came right out and said, "You'll have to throw a leg over him...."

After cleaning my stalls, trimming Kats feet and getting the feed ready for the night, I went outside and enjoyed the breeze. On my way home later, the truck was reading that it was still 78 degrees outside. Yeah that's pretty warm for November. When he spotted me,  he asked if I wanted to ride the horse. Sure why not?  It has been many, many years since I've ridden a Walker.

Which got me to thinking- What haven't I done?  I didn't get to ride until I was about 14 or 15 and then it was a on relative's horses. From there it was anything further that I could throw a leg over, saddled or not.

Over the years I have ridden just about everything from ponies to Warmbloods, grade horses and registered horses. I've ridden Saddlebreds, Arabians, Quarter Horses, Thoroughbreds, a few warmbloods, Appaloosas,  POA's, mules, Peruvian Paso's, Rocky Mtn. Saddle horses, Missouri Foxtrotters, and a couple of Tennesee Walkers.

I spent some time penning and sorting, tried team roping- I was a lot better at heading than heeling. I have ridden jumpers, done some barrel racing. Ridden dressage as well as saddle seat, there was always a lot of trail riding in beween everything else and I have shown halter as well as a few showmanship classes. Then there was cutting and finally driving. I am just as comfortable in an English saddle, be it dressage, saddle seat or close contact, as I am riding in a western saddle, Austrailian saddle, A McClellan or even bareback.

When I was giving lessons for the ex, I have always encouraged people to try everything. Give it a shot at least once or twice and see how it goes. You never know when something is going to grab your attention and make things come alive for you. My discipline of choice these days?  I still and always will, have a strong interest and passion for driving. I think that comes from one of my distant relatives, a woman, who drove stagecoaches back in the day.  I love hunters as I prefer the form and delicate intricacies invloved with clean rounds. Dressage has also been drawing me in lately too. The tests are some of the toughest easiet, things to do.

So there ya have it folks. I have ridden a lot of horses from an array of different backgrounds. What's your story? How many different types of horses have you ridden? Which different disciplines have you ridden? Breeds?