Full Circle Farm

Now I know why my mom would always cry when she saw my sister or I marching in the flag corp or band. The immense pride wells up and the tears along with it. I was beaming proud of my daughter yesterday for two reasons. She had her riding lesson on her horse for the first time and was quite excited. After getting him saddled and ready to go, her trainer had her walk him some. She took him down to the other end of the arena, and, like a pro, went directly through the "cowboy curtains". Cowboy curtains are a "wall" of fabric strips hanging from a frame that the horse has to walk through. This is basically every horse's worst nightmare until they learn there is nothing to be afraid of. Butterscotch walked right through like he'd done it a hundred times. Mollie was so pleased with him. She came back, got on and proceeded to spend the next 45 minutes riding. She walked, trotted, backed, went around cones and even rode through the cowboy curtains several times even though her trainer never told her to. The trainer the entire time telling her to turn right or left and her doing it. This is amazing to me that a 4 year old remembers her right from her left, I can't remember half the time! I was very proud of how she listened and how much she learned. The second reason I was so proud is her "no fear" attitude. This attitude really showed through toward the end of the lesson when Butterscotch decided to shake. He put his head down and Mollie flew forward, saddle up in the air and dropped the reins. Her paranoid mother quietly freaked out and started to run to her (I couldn't help it, she's my only offspring!) then the trainer ordered me to stay put and got her set back up and on her way. The amazing thing is she never said a word, it didn't even phase her! Well Butterscoth must have been itchy because no sooner she had got on her way he tried to lay down. The trainer averted it but 2 minutes later he did lay down. I saw my child's life pass before my eyes (actually her little tiny twig of a leg that was dangerously close to getting smashed) as I watched Butterscoth think about rolling. This time I stayed put, the trainer ran and made her stay in the saddle. She kind of whimpered and said "I don't like this, I want to get off". The trainer said no, had her stay put as he got the horse up. When they were up he had Mollie continue riding a little ways and then made him back up. My friend and I made encouraging comments to her and her scary moment was a thing of the past. I am so proud of her "buck up" attitude. She is a breath of fresh air. I know if it were me I'd have been outa there! She finished her lesson wanting to walk him through the cowboy curtains again and spent some time smooching and hugging on her pony, excuse me horse. She's quick to correct anyone that refers to him as a pony! "He's not a pony he's a horse!!!" To give you a little insight as to the temperment of this horse, the trainer said he wondered if he would stand on his hind legs. He picked up his front hooves and placed them on his shoulders. Butterscotch didn't care. Maybe he's a keeper, trying to roll and all!

Oh, by the way by the time we got him home and "put away" she had gone from, "I didn't like it when he laid down" to thanking Butterscotch for doing his "laying down" trick, "it was fun!"