June 8, 2015

Sunday with K

K is my favorite of our teenagers at the barn.  She's not even in high school yet (despite being, oh, eight or so inches taller than me), but she's mature, focused, down-to-earth, and hungry to learn everything she can about both riding and caring for horses.

On Sunday, she shared her applesauce cup with Connor while I was pulling his mane, and he thought it was the best thing ever.

"HEAVENNNNNN!"



Then I asked if she had pulled a mane before and she had not, so I taught her how to do it and then couldn't get the comb back from her!  She said it was really relaxing, and she honestly did a good job.   I said I'd teach her braiding sometime too.

What better horse to learn to pull on than one that stands quietly, and that you can see over?  (I have to use a stool on him, but she didn't.)  Plus I think he would have done anything for her after that applesauce.

Finally, I schooled some Dressage while she tacked up her favorite horse, our retired Intermediate-Prelim guy, and then we went on a hack together:


I shouldn't have been worried about him getting left behind by the other guy, who has a solid 3 hands on Connor.  He was powerwalking on Sunday.

Oh to be 14 and taking lessons on this guy, with those long legs and that work ethic.



Happy Sunday!

20 comments:

  1. Ah, youth! I love teaching younger riders stuff like that... it's so fun to see them learn and grow!

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  2. Love seeing the commited younger girls at the barn. reminds me of myself at that age.

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    1. It's great to see. I wasn't able to do things like this at her age even though I wanted to, so it's nice to enable her and live vicariously through her.

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  3. She makes Connor look like a tiny little mini horse!

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    1. Totally! The horse she's riding is the biggest horse in the barn and she makes him look small too!

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  4. She loves to pull manes? Send her my way :) Having a mature, committed barn rat around is really nice. I love to see the serious, mature, hard-working kids!

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    1. Ha, I know, right? She just kept going and I was like "Our trainer is going to think I enslaved you for this."

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  5. <3
    She's always in a good mood and adorably enthusiastic. Meanwhile, it has taken over a year to coax a "hi" out of some of the others ;)

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    1. Haha yeah, a couple of the new ones are that way with me. The ones that have been around a while are pretty chatty. Sometimes I think about the fact that K is half my age and I freak out a little though. I am old.

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  6. Replies
    1. Definitely! Didn't plan it either, it just happened that way.

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  7. Aww that's awesome! I love working with these kinds of kids - they're seriously the best!

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  8. I love it! Your horse is freaking adorbs

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  9. i love hanging out with the resident barn rats - and isabel LOVES them! like, probably way more than she likes me haha

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  10. Miles loooooves one of the younger girls I lesson with. She's 12 and Miles is infatuated with her, lol

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