When finally the riding day comes (these pictures were taken of me on Dancer when this was only the second time I got on him), riding is easy--relatively. It's communication, cooperation, and trust. He was willing (accepting is the more appropriate word) partner to the whole idea.
Dancer is confident and calm. He's moving through the trail-horse development process rapidly. Buddy, the other 3 year old, needs to go just a bit more slowly. Still, the process is the same.
It's a miracle that it works. Horses just have the correct combination personality and physical size to make it all practical. Imagine if our ancestors had instead domesticated Hippopotamuses. The photographs we take would not be as majestic to be sure. I would also be afraid to take those great rides past the Kenner Ranch ponds.
A successful trail-horse development day. At the end, everyone likes to enter the ring to debrief on the effort--even our three-legged goat, Patches. Patches is always jumping in to participate. Do you think it's goat-horse control thing. Hmm. N-a-a-a-a.
