Horses. . .

I have deliberately buried the post about our recent frog dissection under this lovely group of horse photos and the hilarious Jib Jab video. If you'd really like to see frog guts, just scroll way down. If you'd rather not, just concentrate on the horses and try to forget the frog is lurking somewhere further along the page. .


One of the things that has been good and bad about horse lessons this year are the expectations that have been placed on me. When I (mostly) overcame my fear of these ponies last year, Kim, the instructor, decided that I'm really good with them and she has given me all kinds of responsibilities this year. The pressure is on!! When we arrived a little early on Thursday for lessons, Kim was going in the house to have her lunch and she casually told us to bring in Butterscotch and Cookie and get them saddled. Cookie, I can handle. But Butterscotch looks very similar to a bunch of other horses on the farm and I wasn't 100% sure I could even find him! Gloria went with me and distracted Cookie's corral mate while I put on her halter and led her to the barn. . .


I'm getting pretty good at saddling up little Cookie and she is pretty easy to handle. She is a biter because her back bothers her but she doesn't seem to care when I brush and saddle her up. I think we've bonded.

It's hard to see the subject of this next photo, but it's a strap that has to go around and under Cookie's tail before the saddle gets buckled on. If you'd asked me a year ago to stand next to a horse's behind and lift their tail in order to tuck a strap around it, I would have said you were crazy. I'm proud to say I can totally handle it now!

I still worry that I'm not cinching the girth right but so far, so good. . .

I even figured out which one was Butterscotch and groomed and saddled her up, too! Hard to believe Kim really thinks I can do this. . .

When Kim came back in, I helped bring in the last two horses and I groomed and saddled Buttons, too!! Besides being nervous about not doing something correctly, I'm really enjoying my new responsibilities!!

The next hour was spent out in the arena leading the ponies around with the students learning how to "talk" to the horse with their hands, seat, legs and voice. Gloria is riding just fine on her own. . .


After riding for awhile, the students have to take care of the bridles, cleaning and hanging them up . . .

. . . and then they clean up the stalls. It's good for them to learn that having a horse is a lot of work!

In fact, Gloria isn't 100% sure anymore that she even wants a horse. It's pretty weird that I think I want one, though. . .

While the kids scooped poop, I walked around and took pictures. This was a huge horse that I hadn't met before but he kept nudging me. He was beautiful. . .

Butterscotch seemed a little out of sorts. . .

He was pretty funny. . .

Cookie was very happy to be back in her pen. . .

Her little friend didn't seem all that happy to see her. . .

I think she was annoyed. . .

This is the one I'd like to maybe ride someday. . .

He posed so nicely for my camera. . .

Saddling and riding a horse this size would be a whole new set of fears to face . . .

. . . I think I just might be up for it. . .