How Should One Interpret This?
For me, it has always been important to have fun in whatever I do! It hasn’t always worked out, but it’s always worth trying, right?
When I had my North Swedish stallion, Kosack, I used to invite my friends to the stable during winter when there was snow. Nearby, there were some great hills—ironically, in a village called Slätten, which means “the plains.” It was the most hilly plain I had ever seen!
My idea was simple: I would ride Kosack and pull my friends, two at a time, up the hill while they stood on skis. Then they could ski down at full speed. We basically became a living ski lift! It was a big hit—my friends loved not having to hike up the hill themselves.
But what about me? I wanted to ski too! So one day, when I was alone at the stable, I decided to try skijoring with Kosack. The only problem was: how do you do that when you’re alone?
I didn’t want to risk pulling on his mouth, so I came up with a plan. I used towing lines and a swingle tree, then tied a rope from the swingle tree to a belt I wore. To be safe, I added a quick-release so I could detach myself if needed.
With everything set, we headed down to a field. It wasn’t easy getting there—leading a horse, carrying skis, and dragging a swingle tree all at once was quite the challenge! But I was determined to make it work. I only had an old pair of cross-country skis with tricky bindings, but that wasn’t going to stop me.
Once we arrived, I parked Kosack, got into position behind him, and started strapping in. I had just managed to put on one ski when Kosack got a little impatient and took a few steps forward. BAM! I went face-first into the snow since I was still attached to the swingle tree.
Trying to get up in deep snow, bundled in thick winter clothes while holding onto the reins, was no easy task. But being as stubborn as I was, I gave it another go. I got both skis on and was just about to stand up—when Kosack took another few steps. BAM! Face-first again!
As I looked up, he turned his head back toward me. I swear, I could see him laughing!
Three times I fell, but on the fourth try, I finally made it. I took off, wobbly but triumphant. However, maneuvering the long skis was harder than I had expected, so I fell once more. But I refused to give up. Eventually, I got the hang of it and even managed to ski all the way back up the hill to the stable.
Can you guess how exhausted I was after all that effort? But I did it, and it was fun while it lasted!
On the picture Kosack as a 3 years old stallion in 1981.
