The Old Gray Mare

Yep, you know what they say about that old gray mare, right? Well, it's true. Oi! Am I getting too old for this or what?

Our girls are taking riding lessons from one of the wranglers and they've been working on posting and trotting. Posting is the movement a rider makes while the horse is trotting. The rider rises up and down in the saddle with the rhythm of the horse. It requires a lot of leg work. My older daughter has it down, but my nine year old needs to, well, grow a little. Her legs just aren't long enough to post while sitting on a big old horse who spends too much time at the feeding troff. The girls had been wanting a long ride where they could practices totting with more room than the field. Luckily for me and my nephew, they had planned that ride for the time when my parents would be here to stay with the little kids. And luckily for me, the wrangler didn't mind the extra riders.

I was on Trooper….

"Tonight the super Trouper

Lights are going to find me

But I wont feel Blu-u-ue,

Like I always do-o-o,

Cause somewhere in the crowed 

is yo-o-o-u…"

Yes, I have had Abba stuck in my head from the minute they said his name. 

Anyway! I was on Trooper, "the fat one," They said. As soon as that was announced my four year old, who was watching the saddling process with Grandpa, said, "Grandpa, your fat!" 

Thank you, Little Bear!  

Not to forget this is a lesson, the girls got quizzed on the tack. 

While Bean rescued a lady bug. 

No, we don't have issues with ADD! 

 Up and ready to go, while the girls go over "the rules" with their cousin behind me.

I just can't help it, even on a horse I try and take pictures of wildflowers. 

I think it stems form my flower shop days. This is bee's balm and Indian paint brush.  

 As much as I love to write, some things are just better said with pictures. We are climbing higher up the mountain. Past the burn areas of the fire in 2000. 

 And as we make the turn we have the view of the mountain. 

They are waiting for me, as my "fat one" has his own pace, a slow one. 

 At the top of the flats. 

 Onward! There is a fence further on that needs to be closed 

before we can let the horses out to pasture for the night. 

 Fence closed, we turn around and go back the way we came, 

instead of heading down through the trees. 

This way we can trot some more in the open fields. 

We even got the horses up to a lope. 

The kids are naturals. 

I, on the other hand, am feeling my knee. 

Which is telling me I am better suited for the cruise control in my truck. 

...Oh well... 

 I sure can't complain about the view! I love it up here.

Do we really have to go home? 

The view from behind. Just as amazing. It seems to go on forever.  

But all good things must come to an end. (Before my knee goes out!) 

The girls have to put their own tack away. 

Lulu had her's off before I was even off my horse! 

Bean here with Tank, is thinking it through.  

Now all good horses deserve a good brushing and a treat. 

Lulu said she was going to brush Spot (named for the spot on his rump) 

so good that he would just have to go role in the dirt! 

I believe he did!