While my good intentions to keep on writing about trail riding my daughter has began her riding experience and joined a 4-H club. She is riding my mare Ami who is a lot of horse for a nine year old. She began taking lessons in November in 2008 riding western (because of the horn) on a lung line. I was petrified. One spook and I could see her on the ground. Ami is not a big horse, but at 15 hands its a long way to fall for a little girl that weighs under 60 pounds! In the Spring the 4-H group starting group rides and at first my daughter borrowed a school horse to participate. I was afraid my horse would be too much for her to handle around other horses. After consistently riding and taking a lesson once a week she finally was able to handle her off the lung line, Yeah! Then we worked up to trotting, and before I knew it she was cantering. While she keeps improving every day I never thought we get to the day where she rode both English and Western and competed in the county fair - but she did it! It was the first fair for both her and Ami and there were times she and I wanted to give up - but we did it. She actually kept her under control and placed well (for a first timer). Now I look back on those days in the beginning and see how far we have come and I am soo proud of her. She stuck out the good and the bad times and now her and Ami are really a team. I love to see them galloping together across the pasture totally relaxed and having fun. Now that the 4-H year has died down we are out trail riding together. And now, I get to write more about the places we go and the fun we have until we start our quest to get ready for next years fair.
