I'm so nervous about riding my new horse tomorrow! Please calm my nerves!

I've been riding 11 years and my favorite horse currently is my 24 year old foxtrotter, Joe. He's amazing. I ride with gaited groups and even though he's older, he's always in the front. He keeps right up with the best of them. This year I reached out to the daughter of the guy I bought him from and said "If your dad ever decides to sell the horse he replaced Joe with, will you let me know please? This horse is amazing and I want another one just like him." Well.....huge coincidence......her parents are retiring and moving and getting out of horses! So - I bought him!

He's been ridden thousands of trail miles. He's faster than Joe, with a smoother gait, and only 14 so I think I'll probably be able to ride him until I stop riding (I'm 54). He's a Tennessee Walker. 16 hands! I'm only 5'4" so that will be interesting.

I'm very cautious, as I've had a bad accident and several of my friends have had accidents as well. A friend of a friend was actually killed a few months ago so I'm being more careful than most. Last weekend I just loaded him up and drove him out to my favorite trail to get a sense of what he's like. I led him all around, brought him up to the mounting block like I was going to mount him, then loaded him back up and brought him home. He was very calm and obedient. He sidled right up to the mounting block and stood still. Not the slightest bit spooky alone with a new owner in a new place. Friendliest horse I've ever had, too - absolutely in your pocket!

Tomorrow I'll wear my air vest and helmet and I'm going out with some of my gaited friends. IDK if all gaited people are this way, but every one I have ever met or ridden with has been pretty much "go go go." They won't be babying me LOL. It will be a little cold and muddy.

Send me some special thoughts/prayers, pretty please!