Being a Cowgirl & Riding a Skid Steer

I'm pretty sure that yesterday was one of the best days ever for Julia and Brendan. We went to see our wonderful friends, Leslie & Dave, who have a beautiful farm out past Waterford. Their house is on what I believe is 33 gently rolling acres with several run in sheds (built by Dave in his spare time) and the original barn. In addition they have added a top of the line outdoor riding ring, as Leslie's a horse trainer and a known commodity in the area and around the country for helping horse owners tackle the toughest challenges that their horses present.

So out we went. It was pretty cold, say 25-30 degrees but we dressed for it and had such an adventure. After catching up with Leslie and Dave for a while, we headed out to the "mule" which is a combination 4-wheeler/golf cart which I also tend to call the "ass." :-) Though not in front of the kids.

We rode out with Leslie to catch the ever easy-going and tolerant "Greta" whose name Julia realized can also be spelled "Great", and we know why. After brushing her and tacking up, Julia was hoisted up by Leslie and sat proudly up in the child sized saddle. Never scared and with a huge smile on her face she listened to every word that Leslie said, just as I did that first time I remember getting atop a horse. She was in heaven. Leslie held the lead rope but taught Julia all of the basics of riding. How to ask the horse to go forward, how to steer, how to stop, and turn, and how to check the mail from the mailbox, from on the horse's back. They went on a mini-trail ride and she just had a blast. It wasn't long before she wanted to go faster, never showing apprehension about anything. Between a genetically inherited love of horses and Leslie's easygoing way I was thrilled while trying to figure out on the way home how to get this child a pony someday.

Meanwhile, Brendan was all about Dave. Where is Dave, what is Dave doing, will I get to ride the skid steer? He had little to no interest in the horses. All the focus was on Dave. Dave took him on a ride on the 4-wheeler, and then afterward we walked out to see if the skid steer would start. Dave ended up having to jump it but that just made Brendan more interested. How would he start it and, oh, what's that giant green tractor doing there around the corner? For so long Brendan has had a giant interest in all things construction. You can't drive down the road without getting a full count of all things construction, skid steer, bulldozer, excavator, what's moving and what isn't. He's hooked. So, to actually ride a skid steer was as exciting to him as Julia getting to ride Greta the Great.

Here are a few photos and movies from our big adventure. For me the best parts were seeing them so excited, happy and having the completely new experiences that they loved just as much as I did as a child.

After it was all over we released Greta back with the horses in the field and watched her roll. The others rolled too.

We can't thank Leslie and Dave enough for such a fun and memorable day. You guys are the best!