My husband the cowboy

Joel and I just celebrated our 2nd anniversary on March 26th! We went to a bed and breakfast and vineyard in Dundee called Wine Country Farm. It was so beautiful to be in the red hills overlooking several vineyards and farmland in the valley. No cell phones, no computers, it was so relaxing.
Joel and I decided that we would take a horseback ride through a nearby stable thinking it would be fun. I had bought Joel some used cowboy boots so he would be safer (it's recommended that you wear shoes with a heel and little or no traction so that in an emergency you can get your foot out of the stirrup easier and the heel is so your foot doesn’t slip through the stirrup in a fall and cause the rider to be dragged. Yikes!). I’m so glad I did.
We drove out to this beautiful barn and met the nice 60 something year old owner who would be leading us on our ride. He showed us some of his beautiful horses, including a Friesian and a Gypsy Vanner that are not very common. He then led us to our horses, both were Tennessee Walkers; a breed that has a special smooth gait instead of the bouncy trot. Very comfortable.
We spent a little time in the arena getting used to our horses. For Joel this was his first time on a horse for about 10 years, and for me this was my first time on a Tennessee Walker. Joel had been taught by his mother how to ride back when he was younger, but he wasn’t sure he would remember how to ride after so many years.
Once we felt comfortable the man led Joel and me out of the barn, across the street, and into an open field. We were going along happily side by side when we came to some mud. Our guide’s mount led the way and Joel and I followed. We started to realize that the mud covered a larger area than we thought and was also deeper than we thought. My horse picked its' way through and the guide and I were on the other side. But then I realized Joel was no longer beside me. I turned my horse around and my heart dropped into my stomach. The mare Joel was riding was struggling to find her footing and her back legs slipped underneath her and she was now sitting in the mud! She continued to fret and struggle with her back legs sliding in the mud. Joel in the meantime is cool as a cucumber keeping his balance and had in a brilliant move taken his feet out of the stirrups. Everything he did ensured that the mare kept her balance and because of it prevented her from falling over which would have most certainly hurt Joel. The mare finally got her feet in right order and found her way out of the mud. The guide and I met Joel where we had started on the other side of the mud and Joel was full of adrenaline but un-traumatized. The guide went on to say how nothing like this has ever happened and how impressed he was with Joel for handling the situation in the best way possible. Had Joel fallen, jumped off, or kept his feet in the stirrups the situation would have probably ended in a bad way.
As it turned out we were able to choose another route and had a very fun and relaxing ride.
When the hour was over Joel gave me a big smile and told me how fun that was and how he would love to own a horse in the future. And I left the barn that day very impressed with my husband. He’s a cowboy!