A Girl and Her Horse

Well, not really her horse, but the farm's horse.  But, Kaity doesn't know the difference.  It's actually probably Chip's horse.  He rides her during weaning season and can pop a cow whip from her back.  It's pretty amazing.  Anyways, back to Kaity.

All summer long, we've been riding the horse every Wednesday morning.  We've been trading services with Will's speech therapist.  Her daughter rides and Will gets speech therapy.  This means that Kaity has only gotten to ride for about 5 minutes every Wednesday and has really, really been wanting to ride more.  She's actually quite a natural on the horse and follows directions pretty well.  She's currently really into horses and is having all kinds of dreams about pink, purple and yellow ones.  So, this morning, we were laying in bed about 7:30 and I asked her if she wanted to ride the horse.  Of course, she said yes.  This was also really special for her because Will spent the night at a friend's house and she was getting one-on-one time with mom doing something really fun.  She rides in the kid saddle that we've borrowed from my mom.  Mom bought it almost 25 years ago to do pony parties.  It has served us well over the years.  I also adjusted the reins today so Kaity could actually hold them.  She had a hard time with this, but we just need to practice.  We're riding the mare, New Horse, and, yes, that's her name.  She's never been named even though she's lived on the farm about five years.  At the time she came, she was dubbed New Horse as in newest horse to live at the barn.  I'm taking name suggestions for her.  She's very sweet and a pretty red color.  Maybe Sally?  Or Sissy?  I think she needs a girly name rather than something like Red.  She's a very sweet horse and good with the kids.

Here I am leading New Horse and Kaity.  I mostly walk and lead the horse while she rides.  It was very, very wet this morning so we had to alter our normal path.  New Horse has fairly bad feet, so she doesn't like to walk on the lime road or in the muck.


Kaity and her ride for the morning.





When we go ride, Max and Tebow like to tag along.  Especially Tebow.  He has a problem of stopping to smell something right where the horse is walking.  He's good company.  Max usually gets bored with us and finds a shady tree to watch us from.



It took several tries, but she finally was able to pick the flowers from horseback!



After we'd been out for awhile, Aunt Lisa called.  Kaylie is at her house for the day and asked what we were doing.  When she heard that we were riding the horse, she rushed right over.  Kaylie's never been on a horse before, but she was a pro!  Even without shoes on, she kept her feet in the stirrups.



After a little while, I put both Kaity and Kaylie on the horse together.  New Horse didn't mind at all as long as she got to stop and eat grass every few steps.  You know the old saying "the grass is always greener on the other side."



After they were done, I rode for a few minutes.  I wasn't sure I could get on with that saddle (the stirrups are really high up for the little girls and it's not cinched very tight), so I mounted from a fence.  I haven't done that in a very long time.   After all that, Lisa worked on her feet some.  She's an amateur blacksmith, so we got New Horse's feet trimmed and filed and looking much better.  And, New Horse lifted every one of her feet in order without being asked!  What a good horse she is.

We're going to try to ride every three weeks or so.  That's probably as often as we can do it this fall.  I'd like for Will to be riding by himself this time next year and Kaity at least able to keep her feet in her stirrups.  Will didn't ride today, but he actually has a very nice seat on a horse.  I think he could ride by himself in a small pen.  I don't think I'd trust him just yet out in the pasture.

All in all it was a very good and active morning outside.  Just the way Saturdays should be.