Back In the Saddle Together

It would be a long, long history, so I will be brief. In another life before kids, Grouchy and I had young horses at the same time.....several throughout the years, and we enjoyed working together getting them from the point of scruffy, unruly 2 and year olds to mature, riding horses. We loved it. We enjoyed our time together working these horses as much as we enjoyed the horses. But as is probably obvious to you from our three kiddos and the caboose being Garrett with his needs, the horse starting hobby went WAAAAAY to the wayside. Until now......

Last year Oscar was looking for a young horse prospect to be his "forever horse," and after many drives all over Idaho and Oregon seeing young horses, Grouchy found the ad for the horse you see him on in the photo, Smokey. He was inexpensive, Grouchy's FAVORITE color, dun or buckskin, AND he was HUUUUGE!!! Oh, and he was kind and smart and oh so lovable. And he was three and never ridden. Problem was that when we said to the couple selling that we would buy him, they threw in that they would not sell him without his little 2 year old paint half brother Dusty coming as well, at even a lower price than Smokey. So we agreed and brought home a 2 year old and a 3 year old who were both unridable. Hhhhhhmmmmm. I thought we were nuts and so did my parents!!! Grouchy and the girls and I worked the two geldings, Smokey and Dusty, in the round pen from the ground and even saddled them, but knew we didn't have time to devote to the very important first 30 days of riding/training. We were blessed to be put in touch with a father-son team of reining horse trainers about 6 miles from home, and we sent both of the babies to them for the first 30 rides. We got them home and I was skeptical, to say the least. I have NO BUSINESS on a two or three year old nutcase at this point in my life. The LAST thing we need is for Grouchy or me to be laid up and all broken in some hospital somewhere!!!! But I have been completely surprised. We have ridden the two brothers out of the round pen and down the lane, through fields and down the irrigation ditch roads with absolutely no trouble. Will they catch us off guard? Probably. Will they spook? Certainly! But I am just so happy with the sound minds they both have as saddle horses now!!!! So enjoy the photo above as a glimpse of Grouchy and me being blessed with the gift of returning to our favorite pastime, finally, and cherishing this time more than we ever could know we would!!!!!

Godspeed,

Clara-Leigh