Busy Week

I had a very nice thing happen to me this week. Well more than one really. But I was in the barn feeding the yearlings and waiting for them to finish their feed. I was standing by the gate going out of the barn. I saw the new filly and her mother walk away from the barn. I stood there for a little while and I saw a mare and foal standing by the gate. The weanling walked up to the gate and started sniffing my hand. I thought it was the colt because he always seeks me out to get a good scratching on his shoulders and back.

I started the scratching on the shoulders and worked down the weanling's back. Suddenly I realized that it was not Blaze. It was the little filly, Celine. I was so surprised. She is two months old now and she has never let me touch her except briefly with the dressage whip that I would rub lightly over her back. At that point she would walk around to the other side of her mother to get away from me. She stood there for some time obviously enjoying the attention and the scratching too. I suppose they had walked back around to the barn when I was putting the feed in the trough for the yearlings. It was such a thrill and pleasure to finally have this filly make up to me.

When she was born, I was in the hospital and didn't get to go into the stall with her as I did the colt. I was in the stall with him along with my daughter when he was only minutes old and he has never failed to come to me in the field or where ever he is. She on the other hand has been very standoffish. No one was here that would go in the stall with her and Wind Socks. I can't say that I blame them one bit. A new mother is not to be fooled with if you aren't comfortable around her and she is not comfortable around you. It is a sure fire way to get hurt.

When Blaze was born there were two of us. I knew when Magic Rhythm had enough of me in there with them and I got out. She gave me a warning and I hasted to obey her warning. For awhile she did not mind us being in the stall with them and she has never minded me around her baby since then. I have walked up to him in an open field. He comes up to me and she ignores me.

Today it was to the dentist again. This time for me, not the horses. Then I did something a lot of fun. My great granddaughter, Melissa ask me to come and go swimming with her today. She ask me for yesterday afternoon but I told her no that I would come after my dental appointment today. She was excited all day that I would be coming to swim with her and Granny today. We had a lot of fun in the pool. She thinks I was a little chicken because I don't just jump right in like she does. I have to ease into the pool. The water was not real warm but nice once my body adjusted to it.. Melissa had no trouble. She is 6 and she is almost like a little fish. She had to be coached to put her head under water the first time but not any more. By summer's end she will be a pretty good swimmer.

Tomorrow, we are going to Van Bert's Farm. Melissa will get to ride for the second time this week. I ask her today which she would rather do, swim or ride and she quickly answered both.
She rode as part of her regular lesson yesterday. She doesn't ride a gaited horse for her lesson so she has learned to post. I watched her ride and she doesn't have any fear even though she fell off on the trail ride last week.

Last Monday she got to go on her very first trail ride. She was so excited. She called her granny, my daughter, Mary Beth and said, "Granny, Granny, Granny" Then she went on to tell her about the trail ride she had been on. She didn't really understand how to position herself in the saddle going down a steep slope and she leaned forward instead of back and fell off of the pony. She admitted she cried a little but she did get back on. She loved it and was ready to go again. She also told her granny that if she had fallen on her head the helmet would have protected her. As it was she fell on her little fanny and had a couple of small scratches that her mother put peroxide on. So everything was alright when mom put something on it. Moms are so good and wise when accidents happen.

Next week is the Summer Celebration at the Winchester Equine Center. I am really looking forward to that show. I missed the last show. I am hoping this will be the time that I actually get to show my yearling filly, Flair for Fury myself. I have replaced the show hat I somehow lost even though I haven't worn it at all this year. My show clothes are ready to go. My boots are polished. I am getting excited at the thought of showing her now.

I will give a report on how it goes tomorrow with Melissa's lesson on a gaited horse. Maybe I will get to practice with Flair for Fury some before we come home.

I am looking forward to looking in on Wilda to see for myself how she is doing. I hope to find her much better tomorrow. It has been several weeks now since her accident and hopefully she is in less pain now.

Please remember Larry Patterson and his family in your prayers. His mother is very sick and it is a hard time for the family with what she is going through.

Later everyone. God bless and keep you in his loving care.

Mary

Thought for the day:

Careful attention to details is often the difference between mediocre and magnificent.