Never say never

Amanda du Buys writes:

On 20 May 2010, at the age of 65, I had my first riding lesson.
I always said that I want to learn to ride on horseback before I die. Suddenly I realised that time was running out and despite misgivings from many people, I took the plunge. When they saw how determined I was, my dearest friends, the Van Zyl family in Johannesburg, agreed to sponsor my riding lessons and also provided me with riding gear.

My first contact with horses here in Parys, was when Johann and Annalize Theron of the Yentl Arabian Stud invited me to the stables when they saw me staring longingly at the horses from the gate. Now these horses welcome me, because I visit them at least once a week with a bag of carrots!

The next step was when Martie Bezuidenhout of the Le Camarillo Riding School agreed to teach me to ride. (What a brave woman!). All went well but during July 2010, I fell. It was not the horse's fault, but entirely my own. Luckily I was not seriously injured and got back on the horse immediately. The only damage was a huge dent in my confidence and the fact that I couldn't ride for six weeks to recover from bruised ribs.

I enjoy every minute. Progress is slow, as you can imagine, but at this stage I am comfortable with a trot and is very excited to start learning to canter this year.

The moral of the story is that it is never too late to realise a dream. The riding lessons have enriched my life and lift my spirit when I feel the pressures of life.

I will never be an accomplished rider, but I pray for a few more years of incredible pleasure and fulfilment which I experience when in contact with the most beautiful and intelligent animals – horses.

"Horses lend us the wings we lack." (Unknown)