After An Evening With Horses

(c) Free nature photos

There's nothing like driving home
after an evening with horses
Dusty, grimy, sticky
Feeling it through the teeth
Windows rolled down all the way
The radio playing country
While the smell of fresh cut hay
greets you like an old friend

Muddy Fun

Rode after lunch with the kids. Was already muddy ankle-deep when we arrived at our boarding stable. Thank goodness for mud boots. By ride's end an hour later, there was more water than we started. It was fun to take the horses out and have them basically do a lot of water obstacles. Most balked at the puddles.

I was riding Wixie, and she was halfway down a trench when she thought about turning around or jumping out. Fortunately, she just hesitated, then made it through. I am glad I rode her instead of having my youngest ride her because she acted loopy towards the end when I decided to keep her back instead of letting her go with her buddy Quincy.

Raising her head. Prancing. Spooking at sucky-holes. Even bucked once. But I stayed on! And didn't fall into the mud. A good thing, I must say.

My oldest said, "Next time, we shouldn't ride outside when it's muddy. (There's an indoor arena in the stable) But with the sun out, we just couldn't resist!

***
We've been riding pretty much weekly through the winter. But now it's time to start thinking of having the kids practice for 4-H.

If This Blog Were a Horse

[Photo of my daughter Sierra and her five-year old horse Raffiki at the state horse show yesterday]

If this blog were a horse, it'd be very sick by now.

Thankfully this blog which I have been neglecting of late is not a horse, just a repository of my horsey thoughts. Cancel the vet call!

***
This horse show season ended for our family yesterday. My oldest daughter, Sierra, who is 13, competed in the State 4-H Two-Handed show. (which is a funny name for a horse show. Shouldn't it be Two-Hoofed? But of course it is referring to the riders' hands. It's a 4-H competition for riders with horses 3-5 years of age.)

Can I just say, at the risk of sounding like a stage-mother fool, that my daughter is amazing?

This is why:

-She's trained this horse herself (granted, with lots of generous mentors) since she was ten. Three years ago, this horse didn't know its leads. Now he excels in trail and Western Pleasure.

-She placed first in her division in the written test (and got $100 for her efforts). And sixth overall in her division among 30 riders.

-She wasn't feeling very good all day and had a bad head cold. Despite this, she still carried on. She gives everything her best - whether it be piano, art, writing, horses - and is successful at whatever she does.

-Most importantly, she is a very spiritual person, diligent in her prayers and scripture study. Which manifests itself in how grounded she seems to be as successes and challenges come her way.

***
I can't help but reflect on my own life compared to where she is at in hers.

At her age, I loved art, music and literature. I had good parents who gave me opportunities, but we didn't have the money and it wasn't a priority for me to take art or piano lessons. Let alone own horses.

So I am thrilled to the core that my children have these opportunities early in their lives.

Sierra is a great example to me of someone who got handed a bountiful plate by Heavenly Father along with some personal challenges, and who has made the most of it!

***
I will have to admit, as much as this has been a fun ride this year...I am relieved that horse show season is over. Now for some R&R!

Last Wash

Last wash day for the season today. I am letting the kids sleep in a little before their big day tomorrow, the last regular horse show.

This has been a wonderful season.

Taia has come a long way. My oldest has done a great job with her. She used to toss her head and go prancy-crazy. Now she looks like the good horse her former owners touted her as.

My son's old horse is slowing down some, but still putting in good miles.

My youngest has had quite the turnaround story. Her mare had been a beast this past winter, but now, she is doing so well. I watched them yesterday, go in and out of the indoor arena, and I thought to myself, I am so glad that we have horses we can trust to take care of our kids.

Coz that is what it is all about, having horses you can count on to carry your precious treasures.

Practice Show

All three kids had their first 4-H practice show last Friday. Rain threatened, but didn't follow through, so it was actually quite a pleasant temperature.

We brought down our new horse, Taia, who is 15, even though our oldest didn't use her. She was quite antsy. For an "older" horse she still has so much energy. But I guess that is no surprise since she has some thoroughbred in her. I hope she settles down soon.

Taia, our new horse

For her first show, our youngest did mighty fine. Although Wixie gave her some trouble atwestern riding, she got through all of the judged events far better than the older two did at that age.

It was hard to have Wixie and Quincy together in the arena. Wixie tends to catch up with him and stick to him like a burr. So my son didn't do as well in Western pleasure. We will have to practice having our youngest pass him in the arena. But he and Quincy looked good, as usual, doing patterns. And, he actually stood still at halter, which was a shocker. He got a red instead of a blue because the judge said the horse was dirty (They weren't required to wash the horses, but when the judge put a hand on his back, dust flew.).


My son and Quincy, at halter

Our oldest did well on Raffiki. He is a 5 year old gelding, whom she has been working with the last three years. He got all his leads correctly, he lowered his head during western pleasure, he also backed beautifully. I think this may be the first time our oldest got a blue ribbon for western pleasure, and it was well-deserved. She practices at least once a week on him with the mentorship of an older girl from her 4-H club.

A wonderful practice show altogether. And when we were hauling the horses home, I thought again how grateful I was to be able to help the kids with this experience.

Horses and their riders

Last updated 6/30/11


Wixie, a flea-bitten gray quarter horse mare. Our first horse. She is in her early 20's. Still spry, sometimes stubborn, can be very sweet. Snuffles when happy. She is the first horse we all learned on, so she has a special place in my heart.

Our youngest - Sabrina (who was 9 in this photo)


Quincy, a chestnut Morgan cross (our best guess) gelding. Reliable, bomb-proof. Wish we could find more horses like him. 20-something like Wixie. For an old horse loves to go fast. Our son loved to do speed events on him. Now our 11 year old rides him.

Our son - Wesley (who was 11 in this photo)


Raffiki, a seven year old palomino paint whom our oldest "won" by writing a letter to the 4-H horse council. Our oldest trained him herself. She was bucked off and injured few weeks into it, but has gotten back on since and has done phenomenally well on him.

Our oldest - Sierra, horse crazy as they come, she got us all into horses (13 yrs old in this photo)


Taia (pronounced "Tie"), a 15 year old quarter horse mare with racehorse bloodlines. We initially bought her for our youngest, and was shown for one year. Now my husband's horse. Beautiful, sweet, with the energy of a young horse.


Lovey, 16 year old Arabian mare. Her owner died in a car accident and a mutual friend referred her to us to give her a new home. Petite and pretty. Descended from Russian bloodlines. Has been a wonderful "project" horse for Wesley. Jumps high and goes fast.

13 year old Wesley is riding her in this photo

Tears to Cheers

A horse reduced me to tears this week.

Over the past few weeks, our family has been trying out a friend's horse for our youngest to use in 4-H. Boo (the horse) is beautiful, with a sweet personality, but she is a hellion when it comes to being bridled.

Now I am not the kind of person to easily give up. And I was telling myself, I can do this, I can do this, even to the point of getting the bridle over one ear. We made do, my daughter got on for her riding lesson, and I was okay.

Until we had to take off the bridle. The horse wouldn't let me, just pulling her head back enough out of my reach. And that's when I lost it.

We've been through two horses in as many months, trying to get one for our youngest, and I was exhausted from the roller coaster ride, from having high hopes only to not have the horse work out. I cried as I told the silly horse that I wasn't going to hurt her, and couldn't she let me take off the bridle?

I told my husband I don't want a horse for our youngest just for the sake of having a horse. Unless it's a well-behaved horse.

Fortunately, after much discussion by phone with a seller and an evening of riding, we found a great horse for our youngest this past Friday. Her name is Taia (pronounced "tie"). I have high hopes.

Taia is a good reminder of how wonderful horses can be.