City slicker no more: one wild ride

Palm Coast Observer
Opinion

When I drive past the cow pasture near my house every morning, I fantasize about riding slowly on a horse through the great unknown, a piece of straw dangling from my lips, only a can of beans in my satchel to get me through the next few days on the open range. My face is wind burnt, my eyes in a permanent squint. I dream about tugging on the brim of my cowboy hat and saying clipped phrases like, “Evening,” because cowboys are too mysterious and don’t have time to explain what kind of evening it is.

And so, when I heard a horse was coming to the B-section in Palm Coast, I knew this was the day when I would finally live my dream and let the inner cowboy inside me finally show himself.

It was Alexis Fort’s birthday party. She was turning 3, and her parents had arranged with Jacob Boyd, a friend from church, to bring his star rodeo horse, Pistol, to the backyard and let the kids have a ride around the tree.

I waited patiently in line.

“So how do you get on?” I asked when it was my turn. “Aren’t you supposed to have a saddle?”

Jacob demonstrated how to leap onto the back of the horse. I followed suit, doing a perfect belly flop on to Pistol’s spine. Fortunately, he didn’t seem to mind.

I was on the great beast’s back, and I was off.

“Hi ho!” I shouted in my own mind, while my wife cheered from the patio. My children watched me with amusement, their mouths full of gummy bears.

DeLayna Thomas, the 10-year-old sister of the birthday girl, was leading Pistol on a rope around the yard. “Do you want to go faster?” she asked.

Ever so quietly, I said, “No, thanks.”

We took one lap, then a second lap, and my turn was over.

It was something I’ll never forget. I had tamed nature. I had been a true cowboy, even if just for a few moments, and I learned a few things about myself: First, I was born to work with wild animals like Pistol — we just “got” each other. Second, a saddle would probably be a must if I wanted to do this for any extended period of time. Third, there’s nothing like birthday cake after riding a horse.

So, thanks to the Forts for inviting me over. Let’s do it again next year. I’m asking for spurs and chaps for Christmas, so I’ll be ready!