I rode a jumper!

I rode a jumper.

What image just popped into your mind when you read that?

Maybe something like the drawing here?

Well, that’s not the jumper I am referencing.

Instead, THIS is the jumper that I rode recently:

Fun fact for the day. Carousel horses that have four feet off the ground are called “jumpers”. That’s the kind of carousel horse I mounted while visiting a fair. The photo makes for a different sort of “through the ears” snapshot from what I usually post.

Yes, I am over the age six. And I admit to being the only adult who wasn’t accompanying a child during the ride. But whatever. I always liked riding carousels as a kid. So I decided to go for a spin when I had the chance. It’s the closest thing I’ve had to a group trail ride in a long time.

Visiting the fair and taking a spin on the carousel proved to be a pleasant journey down memory lane. While traveling round and round, I couldn’t help think about how thrilled I would have been as a child to know that I would in fact eventually realize my dream of having horses. That instead of decorated wood and plastic, I would one day be mounted on flesh and blood painted ponies of my very own. Even taking pictures at sunrise while riding in my backyard.

On a related note, I found this neat little article from the creators of Mane and Tail grooming products at https://manentailequine.com/carousels/. I got a chuckle out of how they managed to make a segue from the history of carousels to marketing their shampoos, conditions and sprays. I also enjoyed their suggestion that readers imagine what their own horse would look like were it to magically become part of a carousel. 🙂