Saddle Up

I'm not sure why we always pick the coldest days to go riding but the boys were home and they were excited to go and Jer and I had to practice for our big rodeo debut the next weekend (yes, you are reading that correctly). So we met at my dad's after Thanksgiving and saddled up.

 

O was all smiles for his ride.

  Riding back to pick up Lando who was having a slight melt down because he wanted to be with his mama.

No worries buddy.

Jamie was too chicken to get on and stayed safely on the ground. One day we will coax him to cowboy up.

 After the boys were done it was our turn.

Our horses suited us perfectly; Smarty for Jer and Belle for me.

 He could not get his horse to move so he had to follow me. Kick and squeeze.

Showing Jer what he should not look like when he finally gets up the courage to let his horse start loping.  

We took off into a trot and all I hear is "Whoa, Whoa". I look back and he is just flopping up and down up and down. I start laughing hysterically. I try telling him running is so much easier and better on the male parts. He was not having it. So I did what I had to do and just started running knowing that his horse would follow suit. Now, I will say, I tried this technique with my dad's friend's wife when I was a kid and her horse passed me out but she was not on it. I did not learn my lesson. I'm horrible, I know.

But...turns out I was right and he enjoyed it so much more. Sometimes you have to take people out of their comfort zones, forcefully.

 We ended our day toasting our frozen limbs inside with some hot cocoa.