“We Should All Go Horseback Riding!” Says Friend Who Owns Horse

OXLEY EQUESTRIAN CENTER—Out-of-the-box thinker Jenna Locke ‘26 surprised her friends with the truly novel suggestion that they all get together for an afternoon of horseback riding. The large financial burden and immense physical danger that this would impart on the friend group did not occur to Locke, as she already owns a horse.

“I’ve been riding since I was like six years old, so I can totally teach you how to do it,” said Locke, seemingly forgetting that it had taken her the intervening thirteen years to actually learn how to ride the horse. “It’s so funny that you guys have never gone! I feel like every one of my friends in high school rode. It’s definitely getting more expensive though for casual riders, rental prices and day passes are cray-zee! It sounds confusing, but buying your own horse is actually the affordable option.”

While Locke’s friends didn’t quite understand how spending about one week’s salary on an afternoon of chafing and stepping in manure constituted a “super fun time,” they were willing to consider the suggestion. Though Wine Tours and trips to Greek Peak provide a nice way to burn cash, they simply cannot match the emotional power of the bond between man and beast, nor the ever present fear that said beast will get mildly annoyed and kick you in the head.

“My mare, Tilly, is my best friend,” explained Locke. “She’s just a dream under the saddle: kind, steady, and she never bucks. Some of these other horses though, wooo-eeee! They’re real pieces of work, let me tell ya,” Locke added, referring to the horses her friends would have to ride. “Just last week General Hanibal’s Lucky Strike, [a horse], threw this newbie rider clear across the stable and he still hasn’t come back from the hospital. Gosh we’re gonna have so much fun!”

Locke’s friends are sure to pick the sport up quickly, as she is full of helpful tips such as “let the horse take control,” “don’t let the horse control you,” and “stop doing the thing that you’re doing right now.”