Summer and The Kids Are Riding

So, here we are in July. This summer has been weird so far. Lots of rain and cold (yep, heard that right) here in the high plains of Colorado. It finally stopped two days ago and switched to dry and HOT in a matter of hours. Meanwhile lots of horsey fun going on...

My daughter Keara attended her first horse show. She got all dressed up, which of course she loves--hair ribbons and all--and headed out to a 4-H Club event. The only classes for walk-trot were barrels and pole-keyhole.

This was the moment the light bulb went on for her. I could see she was putting it all together: skills learned from lessons, hanging out at the in-gate with friends, wearing the clothes, taking control of herself and her horse and basically showing her stuff.

She won fourth of four in barrels and second of two in pole-keyhole. But the pride on that kid's face as she hung her ribbons on her saddle horn. She's been a different rider since then. She's having fun.

Her horse--the leased one--was even being kind of a butthead. Whinnying and fidgeting because he came down with a case of separation anxiety from his stablemate. But Keara handled him like a pro. She just kept him busy and explained his deal to other kids, who joked "Your horse likes to talk alot."

After the show, I said to her, "you know Keara, if you can handle Prospect acting that way you can certainly handle Odie now." Odie, the horse she has been totally afraid to ride. She agreed, and has ridden a few times since then.

Today she rode Odie and my 6-year-old son rode the old trooper Chipper. My son, who doesn't really like horses, who has no interest in riding, except for when he decides he wants to, at which time the kid just gets on and goes. He totally does it by feel. Never had a lesson. Just goes.

We had a ball. I walked everyone down to the arena, then let them loose. First, some barrels practice. Keara almost trotted the whole thing, to impress the younger sibling, who had gone off trotting around with no fear. Then he trotted the barrel pattern too.

We played red-light, green-light. They loved it. Keara even let her little brother win a couple of times. Even though she is the more timid rider, she had the faster horse, not to mention the burning desire to keep the younger sibling in his place. But she let him win the last game. What a sweetie.