Fun on our own...

It turns out that Friday lessons will have to begin next Friday, so when we got out to the barn yesterday we had to decide if I was willing to haul horses out to the fairgrounds even though coach A. wasn't going to be joining us (she's still really sick!). Curly needs to get back into some routine, plus our friend L. was planning on meeting us to see a lesson....so that cinched it, and we loaded up the horses.

We've taken Curly out only one other time without A's supervision, when we traveled up to Dayton for my birthday fun. So I felt a little like a teenager getting to do something "grownup" for the first time - excited, but also a tiny bit apprehensive, realizing that I had to be the "responsible" one. Curly didn't help smooth the situation either - he was fidgety and breathing hard while just standing next to the trailer!

Since we only have one adult size saddle, we could tack up only one horse at a time. Curly was first...and did surprisingly well. E. was very nervous about riding him since he has been displaying so much spirit lately. But he listened to her cues, and by the end of her short ride (30 minutes) he had calmed down to a very respectable level.

Then we transferred the saddle and saddle pad over to Q. While E. had been riding, I had been instructing L. about how to lead a horse ("Remember, you're the one in control! You decide where you are going, not the horse!") and other safety details. She started out hesitant but was getting the hang of how to communicate what she wanted by the time E. was ready to put the saddle on. Since this was L's first time up on Q, and coach A. wasn't there, we decided to err on the side of safety and lead Q and L. around the arena. E. walked them around 3 times, then I took the lead and jogged them another time or two. I was breathing heavy by the time she got off, but it was worth it to see the big smile on L's face.

L. is hooked....her mom is wondering what they are getting into.....

New horse buddy...

Lessons last night were canceled. Coach A. has been terribly sick - yesterday was the first day she had spent any time outside the house and felt even remotely healthy in over a week.

We still spent some time out at the barn cleaning and grooming. And the best part is that we introduced a friend, L., to horses. Like many young girls, L has wanted a horse for many years. This past weekend her mom approached me about finding a way for L to begin riding and showing her what it takes to keep a horse happy and clean. So, we took L and her mom with us last night! They met Q and Curly, mucked out stalls with us, and brushed some of the mud off of Q. Unfortunately, the sun went down too quickly for L to take a short ride. We'll take her to a lesson on Friday and perhaps she'll be up in a saddle soon! The plan so far is that we'll share Q with her...until her parents get sucked in like we did and buy their own horse too. Bwaahahaaaa......oh, sorry for the evil laugh......

Curly was thoroughly naughty while I was cleaning his stall. He broke through the rope we string up to keep him out of the hay and grain area and was difficult to catch. I needed the help of A. and her husband to trap him. He's definitely become a "grain junkie" and will snatch a bite directly out of the grain bag whenever he can!