Tevis One Day...Maybe?

I went with my friend today.  She picked up my horse with her trailer at my barn, and we went outside riding at Banner forest today.  It was fun!   Today was an interesting day because this is the first time my mare DID NOT SPOOK!  Not kidding.  First time there wasn't any funny business at all.  She rode hot.  She felt like an endurance horse that just wanted to go, go, go.  It isn't because she hasn't gotten out regularly either.  I had just worked her hard the day before, although she had 2 full days off before that.  And, before the 2 days off, I rode her 5 days in a row! 

Trying to decide what in the world to do with a horse, when you aren't sure if it has a purpose in your life.  I don't have an acreage to say..."Uh...this isn't working, I just throw you in a paddock and use you for when my kids get older..." that just isn't an option.  But I took her out of the place where I was conditioning, brought her to the barn with the arena.  Been riding every day I have had the chance and slowly, slowly she is taking to me.  I clean around her every day, feed her, groom her, ride her.  I am sure it was very hard on her being in a barn her whole life (12 years!) and then yanked out of her old life, thrown into a new one...it has taken some time to settle.  We were moving too fast.  I have just seen her personality start to come out, she now comes to me for scratches.  She used to run from me constantly, but now never does.  She is still a bit distant, but she is very slow to warm.  We are building a bond one day at a time.  Maybe a race in August, most likely not though, just playing and building trust.  Next year will be much better.  But after a ride like today, she could be a Tevis horse.

 

Also, when I was grooming her yesterday (her winter woolies are coming off in large clumps!) I noticed a brand appear on her left flank.  I saw that in her papers it said she had one, but I was confused because I didn't see one anywhere!  After all the shedding of winter fur, it is starting to show!  It looks like this:

When she is totally finished shedding out, I will take a picture and show you.
Kind of cool! 

It has been a GORGEOUS day!!!  You could see all the mountains today, everything was so clear.  The weather was perfect for riding!  Especially with all this rain we have been having.  It was so fun to ride with my friend!  We trotted down trails (which still freaks me out, so sure my mare will spook and dump me) But, my friend  (Colleen) is brave and just makes me do it!!  Cantered up hills, thought it was fun, did it again...:-)  Our horses had a good sweat going on when we were done. 

My mare gets new shoes tomorrow, it is the little things that make you feel relieved in life!  Weird I know, but her feet are getting long, I don't want to be a bad horse mom, once you get new shoes you breathe a sigh of relief and are happy to avoid it again for 8 weeks.

The girls did their school work today.  Once again, math was making one of my kids cry.  The older one this time.  It is difficult to understand new concepts.  Why, WHY must you know how to work a formula to figure out what 'n' is???  They are done with spring break, but the neighborhood kids just began theirs.  They were happy to get their work done and have been playing ALLLLLLL DAY!!!  Seriously, it is just now getting dark (I LOVE THIS TIME OF YEAR!!) and they are STILL outside!

It has been a great day!!  I love my life.  With spring happening, all the trees and blossoms blooming, kids beginning to finish up their school work for the year, just 2 more months to go!  A new season in my own life.  So good.  I am thankful!  I couldn't ask for a better life.