Bailey's confidence in handling the horses has been slowly building over the last couple months. She stunned me a couple weeks ago when she "asked" to ride Sonny.
Things are progressing a lot faster now that she has done that.
On Friday, after I got home from work, she asked if she could go catch and brush Molson. I said okay...knowing that Molson likes attention.
About an hour later, she came back in and said "Molson wouldn't let me take him out of the pasture so I let him go and caught Sonny. I took him into the barn, tied him up and brushed him and cleaned his feet. He was a very good boy Mom". Needless to say I was speechless to start with. But then went "that's great!!!".
Saturday dawned with chores on the horizon so no horse stuff.
Sunday, Bailey's friend Tamara was coming over to ride. Bailey asked if she could go outside and I, of course, said "sure". So off she went. About 15 minutes later, I hear "MOM" from the front door. I look out and she has her own horse, Skeena. this mare normally runs from anyone lately to avoid being caught. I asked how she managed to catch her and she grinned and said "I had oats". LOL Priceless.
So she took her and brushed her up and then put her in a stall to await Tamara's arrival.
The two girls took turns riding for about 3 hrs. That is one patient horse cause the two girls can't reach the stirrup so they have to climb up pulling like crazy on the saddle in all sorts of different places. Guess Doyle will have to build a mounting block. LOL
they turned her loose and came in to warm up (we are into the bite of fall up here in canada).
I had people come and look at Sonny - and Bailey beat us all out to the pasture and had him caught and was bringing him into teh barn for us. They were impressed with that.
AFter they left, the two girls again caught Skeena and even tacked her up. I had to tighten the cinch and they rode for another hour.
I guess Bailey's fear is slowly going away. And alot of that is due to Tamara but I think also to Sonny for being such a good boy for her.
Home Sweet Home! by The Pioneer Woman
3 years ago
3 comments:
Well whatever works! I am so glad to hear that she is gaining confidence
It is great to see. She was always one to hang over the fence and just look - but now she is out there and trying - all on her own.
But I also have to relax a bit. I was after Melissa to watch them and she said "they aren't babies".
I then had to go back through my own experiences and into Melissa's and I don't recall my parents hanging around when I was riding Lucky after I first bought her and I didn't with Melissa either when she was in the arena we had.
So I guess you just get more cautious as you get older.
Am so glad to hear her "excitement" in your post -
congrats!
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