Kids

A couple I had invited over in hopes of it encouraging mine to want to ride. The others we were thrilled to have, but hadn’t invited with the same intent and didn’t know they were going to want to ride.

Rusty got saddled along with the mares the first day. Three horses, four kids. It worked because mine didn’t want to ride. My son refused to even come out and play, which also made life much easier. My daughter was fine not riding but helped manage horses and children, which made life much much easier! She was amazing. And did hop on and ride with the others.

They played monkey on the barrel, where you ride down and pick up someone off a barrel, ring on cone, ride down and drop a ring over a cone. I didn’t want to leave them long enough to go find a flag or a bucket. Instead I set up a pole pattern, with barrels, and barrel pattern.

They had fun practicing then I timed them. Lady was giving the most gorgeous slow collected trot for her inexperienced rider. Jerry introduced her rider to a love of gaiting. He wanted to do more and more of it. Rusty does not believe in going fast. He takes offense at being rushed. The more his rider encouraged him the slower he went.

The next day my daughter and her friend went out for a ride. They started around the buildings. Once I was sure they weren’t going to be run away with as soon as they turned towards home I said they could go farther if they wanted. Maybe down the driveway.

They disappeared. I wasn’t too worried but they were still gone. The other two kids had gone home but my son’s friend who had missed riding the day before was wondering when he would get his chance to ride. He looked very sad. I texted my daughter, where are you?!?!

She sent back a selfie. They were way off away from the house and truly making the most of being turned loose on their own. The poor boy would have to wait.

Then their parents called. They were going to be picked up shortly. One hadn’t ridden at all yet and was sad about it. The other had disappeared on a horse an hour ago and I didn’t really know where she was. Maybe don’t send kids to my house

I called my daughter asking again where in the world were they!! Once located I drove out to them to drop the brother off. The girls had decided what horse he got to ride and exactly how this was going to go. My daughter scooted behind the saddle and let him ride her horse home in front of her. They made it home at the exact same time a parent got there to pick them up.

At least I had found all the children.

It is so important to encourage children to love horses as much as we do! That next generation of horse riders needs to be brought along. Encouraging that made the stress and exhaustion of it all worthwhile. Getting my daughter out on a trail ride willingly alone was worth it. We need to make plans for the next time!