Riding to the Bookmobile

Red Gate Farm · 09-09-2009, 09:38 AM

Back in the early 1980's we lived in rural Nova Scotia, Canada. It was a lovely little piece of land nestled in South Rawdon. I met Granny Clampet there, but that's another story.

As the then hubby (as opposed to the now hubby) used the family vehicle to travel back and forth to work, I was basically farm bound except for two horses, Jet and Radar. My closest neighbour was a graveyard and the television got all of one channel, which sometimes didn't work.

Except for being a new mom, I had little to occupy myself until my next to closest neighbour told me about the rural bookmobile that came around each month. Books? I love books!

She offered to babysit for me while I picked out some books. The only thing was, the closest it stopped was about two miles away and she didn't drive. Did that stop me? No way! I saddled up Jet, the QH mare and headed down the road with my book bag strapped to the saddle.

Arriving at the bookmobile (a huge bus) I introduced myself to the lady inside and introduced Jet as well. I just tied her to the bumper of the bus while I chose my books. There was a communal chuckle when I told the driver not to drive off with my horse, ok?

The other ladies were smiling and started to tell me stories of when they were young and went to school on horseback and what a lovely black mare Jet was. I learned a lot of the history of that area.

Packing up my choices in the bag, I swung up and trotted home, happy in the stories they had told me, and of the new friends I had made that day.

Horselady44 · 09-09-2009, 09:48 AM

Very cool story! I always thought it would awesome if everyone still rode their horses everywhere....The world would be a much slower pace! How nice would that be!....but it will never happen again

Owell.
Thanks for sharing that story

PaintedHeaven07 · 09-09-2009, 09:50 AM

That was a great story

. I really enojoyed reading it. I am sure Jet was a beautiful horse.

Valerie62 · 09-09-2009, 09:52 AM

Thanks for sharing that story. It's amazing how resourceful one can be when you want something.

TheUpNorthCowgirl · 09-09-2009, 10:10 AM

Great story! I wish we had a book mobile, I have heard of them before travelling around rural areas to take people books.

midnyte · 09-10-2009, 10:30 AM

As a librarian, I think riding your horse to the bookmobile is awesome! I know you made the librarians' day!

In the past, there were librarians who rode horses and mules to deliver books to very rural folks. There is a children's book about it that I would suggest you read just for fun, called "Down Cut Shin Creek: The Pack Horse Librarians of Kentucky" by Kathy Appelt. Another children's book celebrating librarians on horseback is "That Book Woman", by Heather Henson. Another fun one to read is "My Librarian is a Camel", by Margaret Ruurs, about how librarians all over the world get books to patrons using different modes of transportation (including elephants!)

I would love to see a patron ride a horse up to my library! I drive a boring old van to work. Nothing fun there!

SeayBreezeFarm · 09-11-2009, 12:28 PM

Many years ago as a teenager, there were many of us in our rural community that rode horses. Thus on the last day of school one year, when you basically only went to pick up your report card, about 10 of us got permission to ride our horses to school that morning. Quite a sight with all those horses at the high school. At that time, girls were only allowed to wear dresses/skirts to school - no slacks or jeans. We got permission to wear coulottes so we would be in compliance. To this day, I still get occasional comments about the stir we caused at school that day, but we had a ball!!!

Funny how things like this thread jog our fond memories.

tahani z's momma · 09-22-2009, 10:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SeayBreezeFarm

Many years ago as a teenager, there were many of us in our rural community that rode horses. Thus on the last day of school one year, when you basically only went to pick up your report card, about 10 of us got permission to ride our horses to school that morning. Quite a sight with all those horses at the high school. At that time, girls were only allowed to wear dresses/skirts to school - no slacks or jeans. We got permission to wear coulottes so we would be in compliance. To this day, I still get occasional comments about the stir we caused at school that day, but we had a ball!!!

Funny how things like this thread jog our fond memories.

thats really cool. i never got to ride my horse to school because im only 18 and those days that it was acceptable had passed but every time i went to school i looked at the empty fenced in lot next to it thnking that if i did ride tahani to school then i could put her out there during the day and ride her home after school. all of my horsey friends wished that we could do that instead of having to ride a bus for 45 minutes each way with all of the stops.

redboy · 09-23-2009, 06:03 AM

That's a nice story! Thanks for sharing it

.

Gramma Sassy · 09-23-2009, 07:02 AM

It was the week before Christmas, I went out to start my car and lo and behold.... no battery.... Asked hubby for assistance. He made some smart a##ed remark and went back to his tv program. I was supposed to cajole him.

Went out and saddled up my little paint mare and threw a bridle on the buckskin. Eldest son, then about 14 hopped on bareback, I hung my purse on the saddle horn and away we went.

It was one of the most memorable two mile rides of my life. We had almost no snow yet, unusual in these parts, but evrything was covered with hoarfrost. About a quarter mile down the road the sun peeked thru the haze and bathed us in a sea of diamonds. Everything glistened, even the steam from the horse's nostrils... We talked about my Dad's stories of riding his horse to school daily, we talked about the "olden days", and the ride was far too short.

Son was told to pick me up at 10 if need be. Unfortunately, embarassed Hubby was there to collect me and I did not get my moonlit ride with diamonds that night.

Red Gate Farm · 09-23-2009, 09:13 AM

Yes, I love it the way one story will generate memories of others.

Please share! This is a pleasant read from the normal violence in the papers and assinine "reality shows" on the television.

To me, this is the reality, and the beautiful memories shared.

Terry · 09-23-2009, 10:56 AM

When I was in high school I lived about 5 miles from town. On the last day of school my junior year (when you go in just to pick up your report card) my friend and I rode our horses the 5 miles to school to pick up our report cards. It was so much fun seeing everyones expressions when we rode up to the high school. What was even funnier was when my horse decided to leave a "gift" on the sidewalk outside the front doors to the school.

A year or two later after I got done riding in a local parade I decided that I was thirsty and needed to go somewhere to get something to drink, so I rode my horse through town to the Hardees that I worked at at the time and rode her through the drive-through! The expressions on my co-workers faces when I showed up at the drive-through window on my horse was priceless!

Keep the stories coming everyone.

singing tree · 09-23-2009, 11:49 AM

We rode our horses on the road alot when I was a kid. One memorable time was when we rode a couple miles to a subdivision, where a male friend of mine lived. I was on a huge gray appy named Chief, who was shod at the time.
We trotted into the paved and sealed driveway, and immediately splatted on the ground when Chief lost his footing.

What an entrance! He was not seriously hurt nor I, except of course for my pride!

Mister's Mom · 09-23-2009, 12:07 PM

What wonderful memories and stories! Please keep sharing, I am loving reading them.

I am convinced I was born 200 years too late. I would love to ride my horse to work but I would have to start at 6 in the morning and dodge maniac drivers! We do have a lovely, grassy, enclosed "quad" that I could put him in once I got here though!

ruffian · 09-23-2009, 12:17 PM

Two stories
During Stampede week in the early 70's (everyone is drunk or insane then anyway) on a bet I rode the neighbors horse through the local indoor mall. The mall cop chased us out, but he couldn't catch us as we jogged past Safeway!

A few years later I was in rural BC and went riding at a dude ranch. They didn't have a saddle that fit the mare I liked, so I rode bareback. During the group canter she started to buck a little. I held on and got her stopped. When they heard I was from Calgary they said "oh no wonder you ride so well, you must ride your horses to school still" yeah, and we live in igloos too!

GV4 · 09-23-2009, 12:49 PM

When I was a kid, I used to ride my pony to ball practice. I would tie him to the backstop and let him graze. He really didn't like foul balls, though!

arabiancowgirl · 09-23-2009, 04:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ruffian

Two stories
During Stampede week in the early 70's (everyone is drunk or insane then anyway) on a bet I rode the neighbors horse through the local indoor mall. The mall cop chased us out, but he couldn't catch us as we jogged past Safeway!

A few years later I was in rural BC and went riding at a dude ranch. They didn't have a saddle that fit the mare I liked, so I rode bareback. During the group canter she started to buck a little. I held on and got her stopped. When they heard I was from Calgary they said "oh no wonder you ride so well, you must ride your horses to school still" yeah, and we live in igloos too!

Huh. I mush my huskies to school

.

minnowline · 09-23-2009, 08:17 PM

I ride my horse out to the highway to pick up the newspaper when I can...its about 3kms round trip. We even had our pics published in said paper for doing this....

As a kid I rode my horse all over town, took her to school for show and tell, rode her to my house and tied her to the clothes line to graze. This was not seen too often as it was pretty much a 2 or 3 horse town and that was it.

Living here as an adult with horses again is a blast.....we ride all over town sometimes.....meeting dogs and bikes on walking trails is always interesting for all involved....makes me feel like that kid again.....fearless and free!

.....next challange....the dounut shop drive thru

snwflk · 09-24-2009, 01:12 PM

I agree w/ Mister's Mom- born to late.. I would have LOVED to ride my horse everywhere.. I know my mom did when she was little.. she even tells the time when her and her little bro were riding bareback back from her friends house when the horse decieded it had enough and layed down w/them in a dried out river bed..

Apparently horsey didnt like lil bro much and decieded he needed to be removed for the rest of the ride.

Scouts Willows Ridge · 09-24-2009, 01:38 PM

This summer my husband and I got permission from our church council ,which we are members of, to put a temporary corral in the lot across from the church. So on Sundays we would ride our horses to church service till the bugs got to bad. The children and adults loved to come and visit the horses after service even bringing them carrots and apples. It was quite a spectacle. We are a small congregation. The pastor made a comment to the congregation that if they hear a noise it is not his stomach growling but that we had ridden our horses to service and that we had new members outside to welcome.

LS

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09-09-2009, 09:38 AM
Red Gate Farm Started Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Alberta, Canada Posts: 2,732	Riding to the Bookmobile Back in the early 1980's we lived in rural Nova Scotia, Canada. It was a lovely little piece of land nestled in South Rawdon. I met Granny Clampet there, but that's another story. As the then hubby (as opposed to the now hubby) used the family vehicle to travel back and forth to work, I was basically farm bound except for two horses, Jet and Radar. My closest neighbour was a graveyard and the television got all of one channel, which sometimes didn't work. Except for being a new mom, I had little to occupy myself until my next to closest neighbour told me about the rural bookmobile that came around each month. Books? I love books! She offered to babysit for me while I picked out some books. The only thing was, the closest it stopped was about two miles away and she didn't drive. Did that stop me? No way! I saddled up Jet, the QH mare and headed down the road with my book bag strapped to the saddle. Arriving at the bookmobile (a huge bus) I introduced myself to the lady inside and introduced Jet as well. I just tied her to the bumper of the bus while I chose my books. There was a communal chuckle when I told the driver not to drive off with my horse, ok? The other ladies were smiling and started to tell me stories of when they were young and went to school on horseback and what a lovely black mare Jet was. I learned a lot of the history of that area. Packing up my choices in the bag, I swung up and trotted home, happy in the stories they had told me, and of the new friends I had made that day. __________________ "Humans is sneaky" - Scotty

09-09-2009, 09:48 AM
Horselady44 Started Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Montana Posts: 2,550	Very cool story! I always thought it would awesome if everyone still rode their horses everywhere....The world would be a much slower pace! How nice would that be!....but it will never happen againOwell. Thanks for sharing that story __________________ A happy horse equals a happy rider!

09-09-2009, 09:50 AM
PaintedHeaven07 Weanling Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Maryland Posts: 237	That was a great story . I really enojoyed reading it. I am sure Jet was a beautiful horse.

09-09-2009, 09:52 AM
Valerie62 Yearling Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Washington, PA Posts: 934	Thanks for sharing that story. It's amazing how resourceful one can be when you want something. __________________ *There's more to life than horses ----- but NOT much!*

09-09-2009, 10:10 AM
TheUpNorthCowgirl Long Yearling Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Upper Michigan Posts: 1,422	Great story! I wish we had a book mobile, I have heard of them before travelling around rural areas to take people books. __________________ The horse has so docile a nature, that he would rather do right than wrong, if he can only be taught to distinguish one from the other."

09-10-2009, 10:30 AM
midnyte Halter broke Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 199	As a librarian, I think riding your horse to the bookmobile is awesome! I know you made the librarians' day! In the past, there were librarians who rode horses and mules to deliver books to very rural folks. There is a children's book about it that I would suggest you read just for fun, called "Down Cut Shin Creek: The Pack Horse Librarians of Kentucky" by Kathy Appelt. Another children's book celebrating librarians on horseback is "That Book Woman", by Heather Henson. Another fun one to read is "My Librarian is a Camel", by Margaret Ruurs, about how librarians all over the world get books to patrons using different modes of transportation (including elephants!) I would love to see a patron ride a horse up to my library! I drive a boring old van to work. Nothing fun there!

09-11-2009, 12:28 PM
SeayBreezeFarm Newborn Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Virginia Posts: 27	Many years ago as a teenager, there were many of us in our rural community that rode horses. Thus on the last day of school one year, when you basically only went to pick up your report card, about 10 of us got permission to ride our horses to school that morning. Quite a sight with all those horses at the high school. At that time, girls were only allowed to wear dresses/skirts to school - no slacks or jeans. We got permission to wear coulottes so we would be in compliance. To this day, I still get occasional comments about the stir we caused at school that day, but we had a ball!!! Funny how things like this thread jog our fond memories. __________________ Home of happy Arabians & Border Collies and one Quarter Horse

09-23-2009, 06:03 AM
redboy Greenbroke Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Eastern Shore of Maryland Posts: 3,164	That's a nice story! Thanks for sharing it.

09-23-2009, 07:02 AM
Gramma Sassy Long Yearling Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: North Dakota Posts: 1,323	rode my horse to work.... It was the week before Christmas, I went out to start my car and lo and behold.... no battery.... Asked hubby for assistance. He made some smart a##ed remark and went back to his tv program. I was supposed to cajole him. Went out and saddled up my little paint mare and threw a bridle on the buckskin. Eldest son, then about 14 hopped on bareback, I hung my purse on the saddle horn and away we went. It was one of the most memorable two mile rides of my life. We had almost no snow yet, unusual in these parts, but evrything was covered with hoarfrost. About a quarter mile down the road the sun peeked thru the haze and bathed us in a sea of diamonds. Everything glistened, even the steam from the horse's nostrils... We talked about my Dad's stories of riding his horse to school daily, we talked about the "olden days", and the ride was far too short. Son was told to pick me up at 10 if need be. Unfortunately, embarassed Hubby was there to collect me and I did not get my moonlit ride with diamonds that night. __________________ ~God is good, but tiz best not to dance in a small boat~

09-23-2009, 09:13 AM
Red Gate Farm Started Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Alberta, Canada Posts: 2,732	Yes, I love it the way one story will generate memories of others. Please share! This is a pleasant read from the normal violence in the papers and assinine "reality shows" on the television. To me, this is the reality, and the beautiful memories shared. __________________ "Humans is sneaky" - Scotty

09-23-2009, 10:56 AM
Terry Long Yearling Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Central Illinois Posts: 1,322	When I was in high school I lived about 5 miles from town. On the last day of school my junior year (when you go in just to pick up your report card) my friend and I rode our horses the 5 miles to school to pick up our report cards. It was so much fun seeing everyones expressions when we rode up to the high school. What was even funnier was when my horse decided to leave a "gift" on the sidewalk outside the front doors to the school. A year or two later after I got done riding in a local parade I decided that I was thirsty and needed to go somewhere to get something to drink, so I rode my horse through town to the Hardees that I worked at at the time and rode her through the drive-through! The expressions on my co-workers faces when I showed up at the drive-through window on my horse was priceless! Keep the stories coming everyone. __________________ In loving memory of Roxy - 00-08. RIP my sweet girl. Proud Army Mom.

09-23-2009, 11:49 AM
singing tree Coming two Join Date: May 2009 Location: Hartville, Ohio Posts: 1,996	We rode our horses on the road alot when I was a kid. One memorable time was when we rode a couple miles to a subdivision, where a male friend of mine lived. I was on a huge gray appy named Chief, who was shod at the time. We trotted into the paved and sealed driveway, and immediately splatted on the ground when Chief lost his footing. What an entrance! He was not seriously hurt nor I, except of course for my pride!

09-23-2009, 12:07 PM
Mister's Mom Yearling Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Louisiana Posts: 674	What wonderful memories and stories! Please keep sharing, I am loving reading them. I am convinced I was born 200 years too late. I would love to ride my horse to work but I would have to start at 6 in the morning and dodge maniac drivers! We do have a lovely, grassy, enclosed "quad" that I could put him in once I got here though!

09-23-2009, 12:17 PM
ruffian Long Yearling Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Alberta Posts: 1,247	Two stories During Stampede week in the early 70's (everyone is drunk or insane then anyway) on a bet I rode the neighbors horse through the local indoor mall. The mall cop chased us out, but he couldn't catch us as we jogged past Safeway! A few years later I was in rural BC and went riding at a dude ranch. They didn't have a saddle that fit the mare I liked, so I rode bareback. During the group canter she started to buck a little. I held on and got her stopped. When they heard I was from Calgary they said "oh no wonder you ride so well, you must ride your horses to school still" yeah, and we live in igloos too! __________________ There is something about the outside of a Horse that\'s good for the inside of a man (Will Rogers)

09-23-2009, 12:49 PM
GV4 Halter broke Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: OH Posts: 131	When I was a kid, I used to ride my pony to ball practice. I would tie him to the backstop and let him graze. He really didn't like foul balls, though!

09-23-2009, 08:17 PM
minnowline Weanling Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Atikokan, Ontario Posts: 219	I ride my horse out to the highway to pick up the newspaper when I can...its about 3kms round trip. We even had our pics published in said paper for doing this.... As a kid I rode my horse all over town, took her to school for show and tell, rode her to my house and tied her to the clothes line to graze. This was not seen too often as it was pretty much a 2 or 3 horse town and that was it. Living here as an adult with horses again is a blast.....we ride all over town sometimes.....meeting dogs and bikes on walking trails is always interesting for all involved....makes me feel like that kid again.....fearless and free! .....next challange....the dounut shop drive thru

09-24-2009, 01:12 PM
snwflk Started Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Colorado Posts: 2,825	I agree w/ Mister's Mom- born to late.. I would have LOVED to ride my horse everywhere.. I know my mom did when she was little.. she even tells the time when her and her little bro were riding bareback back from her friends house when the horse decieded it had enough and layed down w/them in a dried out river bed.. Apparently horsey didnt like lil bro much and decieded he needed to be removed for the rest of the ride. __________________ Suzie Q

09-24-2009, 01:38 PM
Scouts Willows Ridge Halter broke Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Minnesota Posts: 85	Riding This summer my husband and I got permission from our church council ,which we are members of, to put a temporary corral in the lot across from the church. So on Sundays we would ride our horses to church service till the bugs got to bad. The children and adults loved to come and visit the horses after service even bringing them carrots and apples. It was quite a spectacle. We are a small congregation. The pastor made a comment to the congregation that if they hear a noise it is not his stomach growling but that we had ridden our horses to service and that we had new members outside to welcome. LS