And She Saw Wonderous Things

We had a guest come down over the weekend. She had read about us in the newspaper story about Ashley and Peter that received such wide dispersal over the inter net. With one exception she saw a rather normal weekend at our horse lot. She seemed struck by how much healthier our horses are than are those living in stables and fed sugar. Like everyone else she noted how gentle our horses are.

1. She met some of the rarest American horses in existence--Colonial Spanish Horses of several strains, Bankers from Corolla and Shackleford,-- El Rosio, a Bacca Stallion,-- Joey and Twister, our Choctaws and several Spanish Mustangs mostly of Karma Farms lines.

2. She met three new fillies just arrived from Texas and in a short time she watched as patients from the Veterans Hospital handled the young mustangs and brushed out their winter coats. Then she watched several of those visitors enter the round pen with Twister, a three year old Choctaw, and work him around the round pen until he would hook on and follow.

3. She watched Attila as he had his first day training Twister. She saw him work the monsters and eventually saddle up and ride him in the round pen. In short order, Abigail brought up Rico, a formerly wild Corolla that she has gentled and trained to saddle. She watched as Abigail did a little Jeffry work and then saddled and mounted up.

4. In  the interim she met the hogs, the dogs, the chickens and the goats.

5. The next morning she mounted Porter, a chestnut Corolla and joined me and Ashley as her horse, Peter Maxwell, was ridden outside the round pen for the first time. That is always a very special event and I am delighted that our guest was there to join in.

6. In the afternoon she joined in with us for the long ride. But it was a twisting ride through the woods for a mounted Easter Egg Hunt. Terry put a lot of work and planning in the Easter Egg Hunt. The kids loved splashing through swampy woods riding for Easter Eggs.

7. The next morning opened with Josh riding Edward Teach, a Corolla stallion, me on another Corolla stallion, Manteo and our guest, Emily, on Samson, a wonderful Corolla.  We rode for over two hours. She saw what these horses could do in water, mud, cut over, and woods with no trails at all. She saw the power and energy of these horses,

8.  After lunch the newer adult riders moved on down to the well house pasture and we worked on beginning to canter.

9.  We wrapped up the day with the hard ride, with more emphasis on speed.

She saw how we worked. She saw how we worked together. She saw how well horses respond to natural horsemanship, natural horse care and natural hoof care. She saw why I think the Coroalls are perfect family horses. She saw the ease with which  these little horses carried a 220 pound rider (me, not her). She saw lives being enriched. She saw happy, stress free healthy horses. She saw children learn how to tame wild horses.

But most of all she saw why all the hard work is worth it.