Each week at horse back riding lessons I find myself more and more comfortable around the horses. Today I almost prepared Cookie for her young riders all by myself. I went out to her little pen in the field and put on her harness and led her into the barn. I brushed her thoroughly, even walking behind her several times, and then went to the tack room to get her saddle. I set it carefully on her back facing the right direction and thought about buckling the girth under her belly. This is the part that still makes me nervous. . .

Kim walked by about this time and asked if I needed help. I watched very carefully to see exactly how she did it so that maybe, just maybe, I could do it all myself the next time. . . She put the bridle on for me, too, although I think I might actually have been able to figure that one out myself. Maybe. I've come a long way!

Gloria is doing really well, too. She's very comfortable on Buttons and grins the entire time she rides. . .

. . . Except when she's really concentrating. . .

When she was trotting today, Buttons sneezed and threw her head a little bit, but Gloria held on:


After the lesson, Gloria showed me the newborn baby lambs. They were born this morning and were very sweet to watch:

I'm pretty sure I need a baby lamb. . .