Getting Through The Firsts

I went to the tack auction a few months ago without Lido. It was the first time that I had ever been there without Lido. I had some of my little riders with me so it was not too bad.

The Isle of Wight Fair is coming up in about 10 days. This will be the first fair they have had since they started having them again several years ago in which Lido will not be competing in the 4-H livestock contests. I will be doing a series of horse taming clinics at the fair but I will have a lot of my little riders with me so I expect that it will not be too bad.

The Virginia State Fair will follow the county fair. This will be the first state fair in a decade in which Lido has not shown prize winning milk goats. I will not be at the state fair so I expect that it will not be too bad.

Today was the first day of school. It was raining and over cast. When I went to feed up I approached Lido's bus stop at the same time the bus did. For a fraction of a moment, the driver slowed down, but there was no one there to be picked up. I was alone in my vehicle and had no little riders with me. Because school had started, they could no longer come out for the 7:00 am conditioning rides. I was alone and it was bad, very bad.

I do not want a horse that will win me ribbons. I do not want a horse that will make me money. I want a horse that understands that sometimes we need to ride deep, deep in the woods, deeper than we have ever been. I want a horse that I can count on to be with me. Because sometime being alone is so bad, so very bad.

(This is Lido when he was about 10 with a mustang filly, Stardust. Within minutes of the first time she ever had a saddle or hackamore on her she carried Lido into the woods without hesitating. He smiled and said, "Done busted me another mustang.")