This is Susie and my 12yo son.
This is my 12yo son, Kurt, playing w/Susie in the yard this past week (Dec. 2006).
He wouldn't let me take the time to fix the stirrups and he wouldn't put his riding boots on.
He has been riding for close to 3 years and rode w/our 4H drill team last year.
He is a somewhat accomplished rider but is still a little boy - and he doesn't always pay attention to his horse. Susie took very good care of him. :-)
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Kurt getting Susie from the pen.
There was a small ditch and,
as most 12yo boys are want to do,
Kurt jumped it... ...scaring Susie. Who walked off
a few steps. Then she stopped
and let him put the rope halter on. |
In this series of pictures you can see
that Susie's made a step to leave... :-)
But she never did. She stayed just like
that the entire time he was throwing that
blanket around (and this represents the
SECOND time he attempted to get it up on her.
First time it landed backwards). She never
moved while I was saddling her either -
she was just like this, w/one front leg in that
'cheat a step' position. |
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Kurt getting on.
Susie stood still for Kurt to get on,
although she did take another one
of those 'cheat' steps. It wasn't
anything Kurt couldn't handle
himself though. |
Kurt taking Susie between the bucket and the tire.
She didn't want to, and moved off to her left to avoid it
(probably trying to go back to the house which
is around on the other side of the blue trailer).
Kurt adjusted her course... and she went right through.
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Kurt and Susie going over a fallen tree.
This picture shows Kurt taking Susie
over this fallen tree in our yard. It's
been set up specially to take the horses
over and Susie will either jump it or step
over - depending on her gait - trot/canter
for a jump or walk for a step-over.
Kurt must have been having a bit of
difficulty there at the start 'cause her
head is high in the first pic or two... ...but she settles down and steps over,
w/only a small 'hitch jump' w/the back end. He said, "I TOLD you she'd jump!" |
Kurt is backing Susie in this picture. He lacks the skill to give her real impulsion to do a two-beat 'march' but she is moving, slowly but surely, backwards. :)
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