Excursions

It's all glitz and glamor over here.  Yep, feeding horses and cleaning out the horse trailer after last nights excursion, in my pink heart pajama pants an oversized T-shirt, muck boots and no bra. Now try to get that image out if your head.  That is exactly what my husband is trying to do after he came out to the barn to say goodbye this morning in his suit and tie.  He's one lucky guy he is.  Last nights excursion that got us home much later than planned because SOMEONE apparently, though close, is NOT perfect.  He does not agree that getting on a trailer in the dark is something he should have to do.  I'll let you in on a secret.  That someone is Lego.  Thanks to my savior Monica! Because it appears that in my frustration all sense had left me on how to get a horse on a trailer.  After years of struggles with Steady over this you'd think I'd have it figured out.  How quickly one forgets.  Or maybe block it out of your memory.  Oh and Monica is now an official contributor to the, "why Amy's kids need therapy as adults" YAY!  See it is  not just me that shouts expletives and horses that are being expletives.  Thanks Mon, I really didn't want to be alone in this.  ;)  Kidding, you know I love you!  It has been a good long while, like years since I've had any issues with a horse loading.  All mine self load at this point.  But last night I got a refresher on what it is like to have a horse refuse to load.  Guess what we'll be working on for an undetermined amount of time.  Oh and if you were wondering what Lego's go to evasion tactic is.  It is exit stage right and drag any human along behind him if they don't agree.  Draft horse who decides to pull, well humans are on the losing end of that battle.  Unless a trusty lunge line and leverage is involved.  Whomp, whomp..Lego's plan was eventually foiled.  It was a good run though Dude while it lasted.  He did get free approximately 4 times in the process though.  I am SO glad that running is not his forte and stopping and eating every chance he gets is.  Makes it much easier to catch a loose horse in the pitch dark.

But aside from the trailer experience we had a great time.  We took all 4 kids, Steady, Lego and Penny to ride at M's barn.  Lily stayed home. We don't have enough saddles or trailer spots for everyone.  So the two youngest took turns on Penny.  Everyone got to jump and did great.  Elaina is figuring out what it is like to ride a horse that knows his job and all you have to do is sit up, ride straight, know where you're going and stay out of his way.  This is a whole new world to her.  An awesome one which she will come to learn but it is new to her.  She is so used to having to work really hard for everything.  It can be hard when it is so easy.  That seems like an oxymoron but it is true. Kelcie and Penny there are just no words.  They are the cutest things to watch jump around.  Even when the approach isn't perfect an Kelcie catches some good air. The K has some strange agreement with gravity and her laws. It only applies when she wants it too.  Because even in those 2 feet of air between her and the saddle moments she always seems to meet it again like nothing ever happened. Sorry riding, Momming and instructing does not a videographer make.  No media of the adorableness's.

All the things in this photo does a happy Mom make.  K is cooling out Lego after Elaina's ride.

 Macy even got to jump a few jumps.  She is still very green rider and new to jumping and Penny isn't the easiest to learn to jump on because she is a 'Hoppy' jumper.  And Macy is quite big for Penny so they only jumped a few X's.  But that was enough.  Next time we'll take Lily and they can have more fun.  Macy and Lily are really a matched pair.  They have the same personality and even built the same.  So I'll need to get some media of those two together.  One thing that was over looked on social media, not at home, is that through all of the new horse excitement we have another really excited little girl around here because now that Elaina has Lego.  Macy now has her very own Lily.

That's one excited M!

Even though we've had Lily for years it makes such a huge difference in an 11 year old's world when that pony finally become HERS! 

And last but not super exciting I did get to pop over a few jumps on Steady too!  I couldn't do too much because I was instructing kids and wanted Monica to have her time to jump too.  It's all fine though.  I got to jump a little and I am my horse is really out of shape anyways and we need to take it slow.  I mean this is our second ride in 4  months we didn't need to do a bunch.  I have much more time on my hands then the kids or Monica do so I was content letting them all get their ride time in.  He was actually really really good about everything I asked of him.  He is far too attached to the other horses and it doesn't help when he gets to be feral for so long but that is Steady.  Like or not it's his deal.