A Horse with a Goose

I have been trying to provide the children new experiences, so for H week, I thought it would be fun to ride horses.  Aunt Alisa, aka Goose, teaches riding, so this week, I asked her if we could come ride.  She graciously agreed to meet us and help us out.  I talked to her last week, and all this week, Brandt has been saying to me, "I don't want to ride backwards."  I have assured him that the horse would only go forward, but yesterday realized what he has been concerned about.  When we have said we were going for a horse back ride, he thought we would be going back, not forward.  Once convinced that he would be fine, he got excited and even suggested we take carrots for the horses.

Goose has found that if a child helps prepare the horse to be ridden, the child is more likely to want to ride.  So, she had Brandt help get the horse they would be riding, Chester.  Brandt put his halter over his nose, then led him across the ring.  Brandt helped brush Chester, and held the halter while Goose saddled him.  And then Goose lifted him on, we fixed his feet in the stirrups, and Brandt rode!  He was brave.

Goose, Brandt, and Chester

Unlike Brandt, Blythe was not brave.  She would not touch the horse, she would not let me put her down, and she certainly would not get on the horse.  In fact, when we were telling Grandma and Grandpa B all about our horse riding, Blythe reported, "I screamed."  And then an equally short follow up, "I scared."  I did try to get her on Chester, but she really was screaming.  

We were able to get her to sit on Chester, but we absolutely could not move.

We went out into the field after riding.

Again, Blythe would not be put down.  In fact, at one point she said, 

"Mom, hold me in other arm, away from horses."

All in all, a great experience.

Thanks Aunt Goose!