School was in session

Yesterday was quite an educational day. I went trail riding with some friends. Our job was to provide buddies for a young horse who had never crossed a creek or hacked in an open field. It had just thunderstormed here about an hour before we started riding and the creek was fairly high and swift. With a little encouragement the two seasoned horses plodded through the creek splashing and having a hayday. After A LOT of encouragement the young horse timidly entered the creek after his rider was wet up to her knees. However, she mounted in the middle of the creek and her horse made his own way across. Impressive young steed, really.

If you've never been on a horse in a swift creek, it is quite an experience. Both horses and riders experience vertigo. It's always best to let your horse look at the water and figure out its own footing but I always look down too and get dizzy. Watching this young horse experience this for the first time really made me chuckle. He was stepping all over the place like he'd had a fifth of bourbon prior to our ride. So for him, school was in session.

Kodie also went on ride. Several years ago when she was young and dumb, she literally ran and belly flopped in the middle of a pond going completely under water...for several seconds. For about 10 seconds or so all I could see was bubbles surfacing and I got pretty concerned. Finally, with a panicked look on her face she surfaced and swam to shore. She's never went more than knee deep in water again. She'll go to the edge of a river and lay down but that's it.

Well, yesterday she didn't have a choice. I was on the other side of the creek and she desperately wanted to get to me. So finally after several meek attempts she braved the water, which was easily up to the horses' knees and in some places higher. Although she was able to walk most of the way, she did have to swim some. After the initial crossing she decided swimming in the creek was fun and it then became a pasttime as we waited for the young horse. So for her, school was in session.

On the way back the young horse cautiously entered the creek, knowing the barn was on the other side encouraged him, and he eventually crossed the creek on his own. Impressive.

Upon returning to the barn, one of the buddy horses had never been into the wash stall to have a bath, in spite of the fact that he has lived there for many years. One of my friends decided the mission was to shower him in the wash stall. With much patience, encouragement, and trembling he had his first shower in the wash stall. As for him, you guessed it...school was in session.