On the Monday after fair, the farrier came out and removed the shoes on his front hooves. Curly was pretty tender-footed all week long but he was able to keep up in "horse tag" last Saturday. The girls loved playing this game...I'm not sure if the horses did.
E. and Curly had their first post-fair lesson yesterday. She smiled the whole time - I'm sure partly because we let her go helmet-less for the first time. The lesson took place at the fairgrounds instead of our usual location and E. discovered as soon as we arrived that she had left her helmet back at Curly's stall. Rather than cancel, her trainer and I let her ride anyway - after a stern talking-to of course!
A happy pair...
The big event of the day, however, was that this was also little sister R.'s first riding lesson. She has been so excited all week, waiting for the big day to come. She was very serious when the moment arrived and paid close attention to all that her trainer told her. Like E., R. is starting out on Pyro, a 27 year old Arabian who is bullet-proof (and beginner-proof!). He is a great match for new riders - patient (most of the time), fairly slow and totally trained.
R. on Pyro - already looking like she was born there!I got up on Curly for the first time after the girls had finished their lesson. I was surprised to learn that I am nervous on him! Very nervous, in fact. I think it is because I don't completely trust him to not bolt, plus he felt like he was in constant motion, which can be very unsettling. I have decided that I, too, need to begin lessons on a horse like Pyro. I don't know how E. controls him - it wasn't an easy thing for me and all I tried to do was get him to walk in one direction for half the arena!
Curly on the run - but never in a straight line!We have the opportunity to lease another horse this year. He's an older trail horse living out at the horse barn - very similar to Pyro, in fact. Still thinking about it though. It might take some serious convincing to get M. to agree that another horse would be a welcome addition to our family.
After lessons, I had a conversation with the trainer about Curly's progress so far this summer. She is very impressed with the quickness and willingness to learn that he has demonstrated thus far. She is convinced that once we get his hoof problems under control and he no longer feels pain, he will be amazing. Should E. choose to put the time into it, Curly could become an amazing 4-H show horse. Curly is just entering the prime of his life and most likely, things are only going to get better!
