Although they don't pull their fare share around here to cover feed costs, the horses continue to be "grand-fathered in" when it comes time to buy hay every winter. In an attempt to make them earn their keep, and because we enjoyed our ride so much yesterday, the girls and I took our mighty beasts out to actually accomplish some farm work yesterday.
We have a great big Black Walnut tree in our yard that drops walnuts every year, and therefore, every spring I have a yard full of little Black Walnut trees shooting up amongst the grass. Micah had gathered up a bunch of them into a tub the other day (I think it was for ammunition for a walnut war with the cousins), so the girls and I got the brilliant idea to plant a "retirement" crop. Meaning, that at the time we would consider retiring, we could harvest the tree's and put the money in the bank. We loaded them up into the big saddle bag and took the horses out to plant them.
Except there was one little problem . . . since we rode bareback, neither Alexis or I could get back up on our horses if we dismounted. So, since Grace was the only one with a short enough horse to be able to get back on, she volunteered to throw/plant them for us. Lord willing, some of them will be spared by the squirrels and we will have some trees to fill in where a wind break is needed anyway.
Now comes the cheap horse part:
If Lightning didn't have a lifetime history, going back to my childhood, I would have shipped her off myself on the first trailer to come along. Crazy horse. You'd think she was two instead of twenty, or had never seen those trails before, or ever been third in line behind the same horse for the past umpteen years. It never fails, especially during the first rides after a winter break, that she has to play "Hi-Ho Silver" and rear~ with me on top of her. I didn't technically fall off, because I chose to slide off her rump rather than have a thousand pound horse land on top of me when the centrifugal force continued to lean my way rather than forward. I could have barbecued her for supper myself. And of course, the rest of the ride was spent holding tightly to the reins and working on backing and circling. As soon as she got the hackamore off, though, she expected her treat. I almost didn't give her one. Little black bugger; I should have taken the four-wheeler instead.
8 comments:
Yikes, Lightening is quite frisky for an older horse. At first, I thought I was looking at a bag of coconuts. Must be my stuck-in-the-tropics brain.
We are in the same boat! We have 8 horses and are planning to downsize because we don't ride them nearly enough.
It's great that at 20 yrs old she's feeling that spirited though! ;)
Nichole @ http://modernhomestead-nichole.blogspot.com/
I think she was just trying to help you get off to help plant those walnut trees - the image made me laugh, though...thanks for that...
Ha-ha-ha! That would be the reason I'm sending my 19 year old mare for a refresher! Ha-ha! Glad you weren't hurt, but laughing at your re-telling of it, maybe because I get it too much!
My very first horse was named Lightening. I bought him for $25 WITHOUT my mothers knowledge. I was 12. She let me keep him even though he was forever throwing me. Eventually I learned to ride and have never stopped loving horses since.
What a wonderful mommy you are to take your kids riding. They will never forget.
Horse DO earn their keep in the form of therapy! Horses have always done much more for me than those fancy docs w/ degrees hanging on their walls ;-) There is nothing like putting your face against the soft muzzle of a loved equine, feeling their warm breath on your face!
HAHA! Glad your all laughing "with" me, instead of "at" me:)))
I'll have to tell Rob that the next time he is hopping into the skidsteer to haul another round bale out to those horses, Beth:)) So true, so true!!
Thank you, Marcia:)) Your words and sweet thoughts have comforted me all week. Books will be heading down south to that precious family {Lord willing}. Terri
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