Day 39: Hold your Horses

Tuesday, July 30

So, we had classes, as usual. I'm sure they were very educational.

And once classes were over, as we had planned the previous day, I and a group of 5 others went out together to go horse-back riding!

So, we left school and went to McD's first for sustenance (i.e. salt), then the 6 of us grabbed a grand-taxi to take us to the horse-ranch which is on the outskirts of town.

The cab driver knew the general direction in which to go, but not really. We think he took one turn too soon, and we ended up in the sketchy part of Meknes. And he drove around confusedly for a while because we certainly were of no help, and then he started using what we have dubbed as "Arab GPS," which basically consists of stopping next to the nearest pedestrian and asking them what road to take, and then taking that road, and asking the next person you see for the next road, repeat until you get to your final destination.

Using this method, we eventually found the ranch, and he dropped us off promising to return with enough time to get us home before Iftaar.

The ranch was quite lovely.

The horse ranch is owned by a bunch of nice French ladies that don't speak Arabic, but do speak very good English. One of their accents was so British she may have been British and not French at all even though she spoke French so well, but honestly I how am I supposed to know? Maybe she actually speaks terrible French, and all the other ladies just tolerate her, and I just can't tell.

Anyway, apart from the brief 30 second jaunt on Saturday, I've never really been on a horse before. I've seen them from afar, and I've probably had dreams about riding horses and fighting dragons and whatnot (the usual), but the practice is much different from the expectation.

They only had English saddles, which everyone was all grumbly about, but which means nothing to me of course. They gave me a horse for "beginners", and she was brown and her name was Kuna. They briefly explained how to use the horses (how to put on the brakes and how to use the blinkers and windshield wipers, etc), and we were off.

It was pretty fucking majestic, if I don't say so myself. We were riding horses across the uninhabited valleys of Morocco, up and over hills and through these large fields. It was really beautiful and lovely. So picturesque. (Except that it was a 1000 degrees outside and I did NOT drink enough water before embarking, but now I know.)

Two of the French ladies went with us to guide us, and tell us when to run and trot. We did a lot of casual walking and some trotting on the horses. Then we would go super fast for these little bursts, and then we'd go back to walking. My horse was no leader. She was a follower 100%. She would walk when the other horses did, and run when they did, and stop once more as they stopped.

Well, there was one moment when the horses did this, they all started galloping, and I wasn't super prepared, and then we were going really, really fast, and I was doing all the things they said to do with the horse about the leaning and the holding the reins, and we were going fine for 10 seconds or so, then my horse suddenly leapt sideways to avoid a rock or something on the ground, but it was just enough that all of the horse's weight went one way, and all of my weight went unexpectedly in the other.

I tried to hold on, but there was nothing I could do. I didn't want to get tangled in the reins, or get my foot caught in the stirrup, so when I knew it was too late and there was no hope, I just let everything go and I fell like the graceful creature I am.

 

It was so fast. I hit the ground with my back and arms and legs and neck and head... I don't really remember. I rolled for while and finally stopped. All the other horses ran past. I just sat there for a bit. Then one of the French ladies was in front of me asking me questions, like my name and where I was from, and I was thinking, "You know the answer to all these things. You've been using my name this whole time..." And then it occurred to me that she was asking those questions to check my mental state. Which was fine, by the way.  Well, it was as it normally is, anyway.

And you know what? I didn't just fall onto some ground, or some nice soft sand pillows. No. I fell into a field of sharp, prickly bushes. It was literally the worst place that I could have fallen. So my arm, shoulder, and back were/are covered tiny scratches, and my clothes and skin were filled with thousands of those tiny splinters.

But after sitting for 30 seconds or so, I stood up without any difficulty, brushing splinters off my arms and back, gathering up the scattered pieces of my pride, and waited for my horse to return. Apparently my horse had kept running, so the other French lady had to go capture her. The lady did catch her in the end because Kuna managed to get her reins hung up on a branch, and the French lady returned with her and asked me if I wanted to continue riding. I was like, "Yes. Of course." That horse needed to learn her place.

So, I broke off from the group, and I and the French lady rode our horses at a lovely walking pace back to the house, while the others finished up the full route, running and whatever. We all got back at the same time, and after some pictures, I was done.

I may look dumb in that hat, but not only did it protect my face from the sun,
but it also kept those stickers from getting to my head.

I drank all of my water, and part of somebody else's (with their permission, of course), because what I was feeling more than anything else was thirst and dehydration. I think at some point during the horse-ride, I stopped sweating, and I'm pretty sure that's a bad sign.

But anyway, I sound all negative and whatnot, but it really was a good experience. I got to fall off a horse ride horses across the plains of Morocco, and who wouldn't want to go do that?

Aaaaaaaaand I didn't do my homework when I got home, because I didn't want to. I took a shower instead to remove the remaining splinters and dirt, and then I just sat on my bed and talked on Skype and didn't move for the rest of the night.

But you know what? I don't regret the trip. 

And! Oh, And! So... I didn't discover this until I took my hat off after I got home. But...

Now I'm Harry Potter.

Best possible outcome of falling off that horse.