Friday, June 27, 2008

I Just Figured Out How To Add a Title...After It Has Been Posted!

Yesterday, I took the kids for our first ride without another adult, and I was actually riding with them...Yeahhhhh!!! We only rode for about 45 minutes, and we stayed off the trails, because I do not think that either of my kids are experienced enough, as riders, to expose them to the possible hazards that we encounter on the trails around here; mainly motorcycles, quads, and the occasional elk herd. I do not worry about Bo, as he is a seasoned trail horse, but Sienna has been a cart pony her whole life, and I really do not know how she would be in a tricky situation with a rider on her back. She is really good on trails though, because Amber has always ponied her out with the big boys. It was pretty warm yesterday afternoon, and while the horses were happy to see us, they also looked tired and sleepy form the sun. They were all hanging out around the water trough, and Bo seemed to be saying, "You have GOT to be kidding me!" as Eric walked toward him with the halter is his hand.Waska actually posed--somewhat!!--for the camera, and you can at least see his non-pissed off look here. Because they had not eaten since breakfast, the kids and I let everyone out to eat grass while we brushed them.Who's that little cowboy out there? Eric looks really tall in this picture, don't those of you who know him think? Or maybe Bo looks really small...I guess it could go either way:)Here is Waska looking happy again. Uh oh! He might give away his true persona if he keeps this up! Everyone will know what a big softy he is! By the way, those are NOT Waska's ribs in the picture. It must have been the way the sun was reflecting off of his coat. It looks like he has tiger stripes! Waska is really long and lean though...it's that Saddlebred coming out again! It looks weird to be taking pictures of Bo's hiney, as I am usually riding him and taking pictures of Waska's! Waska was unsure of the sound of the shutter on the camera---you can tell by his ears--and he actually stopped and turned around to look at me.
"Whatcha' doin' back there Mel?" Waska asked me. Honestly, he did!
Bo, being the piggy that he is, quickly took advantage of Waska's stand still, and drug Eric over to a big patch of grass...he knows he can get away with that when there is an eight year old on his back!
Thankfully, we arrived home in one piece, and I snapped a pic of Eric as he was removing his helmet. I still do not know how I feel about helmets, because I rode for over 20 years without one, but now that I am a mom, and my husband is a volunteer firefighter who has seen ALOT of trauma, and insists that we all wear them, I do. Eric wants to get into roping and reining, and my husband and I argue about wearing helmets in competition...although when I used to ride huntseat and dressage, I always wore a helmet. I don't know...the jury is still out on that one!I snapped this one of Bo, because I thought he looked cute. Poor Bo, he is NOT very photogenic, but neither am I, so I totally understand looking goofy in pictures! For those of you who have not seen Bo since Amber had him five years ago, can you believe how white and how flea-bitten he is? Look at his cute, fuzzy forelock too. Bo NEVER had a cute, fluffy forelock, or long, thick mane, before. It's probably because he was never groomed!! I love you anyway BO...I don't care if you are not the most beautiful Arab around!!! One day, I will have to share the story about how Amber leased Bo. I will also have to open up about my "soul mate" horse--Hi Pony Girl!--Shadest (pronounced Shuhdest). Well, I am off to help my husband set up the pool, and then Amber and I are going riding...Yeah!!!! Tomorrow is the big log show, so I will get some pics from that as well. Hope you all have a happy Friday:)

8 comments:

Pony Girl said...

Hi there!! ;)
Looks like you had a great ride w/the kids. I understand about the helmets, I never owned one as a kid. We trail rode, jumped bareback, galloped through meadows....never a problem. I even had a rearing pony and never wore a helmet. I guess I should count my blessings. I have never been thrown or fallen off of a horse! But I usually wear a helmet now on the trails. And today I rode My Boy home alone, and I wore one, just in case.
Anyway, you now have me curious about YOUR horsey soul mate! Starting workin' on the post, girl!

Melanie said...

Pony Girl-It sounds like we had very similar childhoods in regards to our horses and our siblings! I know that I should count my blessings too...I just do not like wearing that darned ole' helmet:) I will write about Shadest one day. He was my true equine soul mate. I doubt that I will ever have another relationship with a horse that compares to the one I had with him; mostly because I now have a family, and back then, he WAS my child/family.

Pony Girl said...

Me again...you have a good point. Right now, I do not have children of my own (including a husband, lol!) and my horse is my only animal. He is the one thing, besides myself, that I am truly responsible for in all ways. I am in charge of all his care, both financial and emotional. It puts it into perspective. It's a lot of work and the few times when My Boy was hurt I thought, can I handle this? Is loving something this much too hard? I think I said it in one of my posts about his headshaking mystery....how will I ever have a child?? Hee!

Melanie said...

Pony Girl-My Boy IS your child...just a really expensive one, although my kidlets cost me a buch of money as well (lol)!

Melanie said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Melanie said...

Bunch!!! The word "buch" in the above post, is supposed to say "bunch!"

Angie Penrose said...

Looks like you guys have been having fun! I love the picture of your little cowboy! Although he's probably as tall as me! :) We miss you guys! We'll have to get together this week.

jme said...

looks like a bunch of fun!

BO is adooooorable. i think he is very photogenic! :-)

i've got a big warmblood who insists on standing with each leg facing a different compass point every time i try to take a picture of him. his conformation isn't THAT bad, but in his pictures, he looks like a real dufus. but, i love him anyway ;-)