Whiting: He's Such a Horse's Brain

OCRegister.com - Full Article

BY DAVID WHITING
COLUMNIST
THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
dwhiting@ocregister.com

Windy runs under me as we jet up rocky, rutted hills so steep no 600-pound animal should be able to walk them, let alone fly.

The sweat on the horse's red-brown coat glistens like dew in the sun. Her massive lungs work in conjunction with her powerful legs. Hooves find footing where – seemingly – there is no solid ground.

We crest the hill. Massive boulders narrow the trail to a foot. On two legs, it would take all my concentration to avoid a stumble. With four legs churning, Windy twists one way and the other. At the same time.

She clears the passage.

I'm in the middle of a race called "Ride and Tie." Teams of two people and one horse make their way through rugged backcountry, the humans tying horses to bushes or trees and trading off on riding and running.

My only goal is not to kill anyone, including Windy and myself.

Only four weeks ago, riding like this was sheer terror. On this day, it is a harmonic convergence of human and horse...

See photos and read more here:
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/-293507--.html