Riding lessons!!!

We started horseback riding lessons today! The lady from the farm that we get our milk and eggs at is a licensed riding instructor, so we've decided to try riding lessons instead of gymnastics this fall. (We allow the kids to take one class at a time.) We weren't sure if all three girls would get up on the horse as they tend to be a bit scared of large animals such as chihuahuas. Most horses are quite a bit larger than chihuahuas, but the horse didn't jump on them, or run around them in circles wanting to play. They started their lesson by brushing the horse so they could get used to being near it. They kept walking behind it, making Rob and I very nervous, but this horse is fortunately one of the most laid back horses I've ever seen and never minded. I think it's the perfect horse to start them off on and to get them used to following the basic rules of riding and being around horses.

Meg was the first to actually have her brush touch the horse. Beth didn't seem nervous at all though and was right after her. I had to pick Kylie up and help her get started before she would get anywhere near it. Meg was not interested in actually getting up ON the horse though. I asked who wanted to go first and Meg backed up shaking her head. Beth was more than willing to jump up onto the saddle, but Kylie surprised us and volunteered as well. I was afraid if we let Kylie stop and think about it, she would get scared again, so we stuck Kylie up on the horse before she could have any second thoughts. She didn't smile at all the whole time, but by the end of her first ride, she seemed more comfortable with it :)

Beth was next and she seemed right at home from the moment we put her up there. She smiled and was talking to Miss Sarah (the instructor) and pointing out interesting things to her as they walked around the field. She immediately started swaying her body with the horse as it walked and although Sarah started Beth's ride holding onto Beth's foot, she let go after just a minute or two as it was obvious that Beth was doing great :) Interesting as Beth is the one of the girls that gets scared on carnival rides.


After both Kylie and Beth had gone, Megan finally agreed to take a turn. She was still more than a bit nervous, but managed to give me a smile as I snapped a picture of her :) It took her a bit to loosen up, but by the end of the second ride (each girl rode twice for about 10 mins each ride as the lesson was an hour), she was doing really well and was learning the sounds that the horse responds to. Sarah said that at the next lesson, she'll have Megan start using reins!


Between turns, the girls played with two goats, a farm dog (that was in the pen with the goats so the girls wouldn't be afraid of her), a rabbit, and the chickens that we get our eggs from. Jack gnawed on the carrots that the girls brought to feed the horse after their lesson and had a lot of fun running around and playing in the dirt and grass. Megan really liked the goats and one of the three carrots got fed to the goats before the end of the lesson. I think we'll have to bring some extras next time :)

The kids had a lot of fun and we were very lucky that Rob didn't have to work today and was able to go with us! I have a sneaking suspicion that the girls may be entering a "horse" phase. Kylie currently has Jack sitting on the dump truck that he got for his birthday and has the strap from Jack high chair attached to the steering wheel. She's pulling him around the kitchen and pretending that she's taking him on a horse ride.