Feeding the Horse Craziness

We have done swimming lessons, we tried soccer, art lessons were a hit but now we’ve zeroed in on what the girls really want to do and you guessed it, it involves horses!  We started riding lessons this fall and we all couldn’t be happier with that decision.

The horse crazy has been going on for a while here.  And we talked on and off about getting them into lessons.  Their friends take lessons, talk about horses and play horse games on the playground at school.  They watch horse shows and movies and play horse in yard.  And then there’s the fact we have our sweet & sassy little Ebony. So they are in state of constant ‘horse’.  Lessons seemed like the logical next step, right?

When we met Lisa, the girls liked her right away and I was impressed with her knowledge and passion for horses.  Heidi and Michaela’s recommendation and affection for Lisa helped, too.  So we chatted and now we see Lisa weekly at the stable in River John.  Guys, it’s awesome.

I love seeing them ride.  And they love it, too.  They’re learning to control the horse, communicate with the horse via body language and cues.  But they are learning so much more.  They are learning to care for the horses through grooming, feeding and yes, even shovelling poop.  They tack their horses up { with a little help, those saddles are heavy and the horses are tall!! } after a good grooming.  Lena has managed to mount on her own.  It’s so much more than just how to ride a horse.

My favourite part is the hoof picking.  There is so much trust happening in that task.  The girls trust Lisa that they can do it.  The horses trust the girls that they won’t hurt them.  And the girls are trusting those horses that they will just stand there and offer their hooves.  It’s hard work, those legs are heavy and the girls are little.  But they just go at it, week after week, and each week, they find the task a little easier.

Over the course of the last month, we have seen the girls graduate from just walking the horses around, to trotting.  They couldn’t have been happier!  They love the speed and motion of a trot. It’s the cutest thing ever.  When Lisa told them they could trot, you’d think she offered them the moon.

When we go, I enjoy watching the girls.  But I’m not alone when I’m watching.  I usually have some four-legged company, whether it’s a cat or dog.  Luke, Flash, Petri or Midget might be by my side or on my lap.  There’s a couple other barn cats that tend to be a little more shy, so they won’t make an appearance here quite yet.

I’m quite content to spend some time each week watching the girls circle around the ring.  If it makes them happy, then it makes me happy, too.  I know this is a slippery slope, its starts off innocently enough and before you know we’ll have a couple of horses in the pasture and we’ll be looking at trailers, trucks and a show schedule.  But if this is their thing, that’s fine.  And if this horse craziness is just a fad, so be it…but for now, I’ll feed the crazy!

To be continued,

Lori