Our Rodeo over Memorial Weekend

My little family and I ventured down to my mom and dads over Memorial Day weekend. We decided to bring a little friend of Taylors along to help keep her company. They have been BFF's forever, and don't get to play often enough. Her name is Jaislyn. She is a cute, little spit fire blondie.

Taylor knew that Grandpa had recently bought a new "kid" horse, Pepper, so she wanted to go ride horses. She just loves horses! But she hasn't really been on too many--kind of a love affair from afar. We have been talking about horses lately and how to react to them, how to be safe, how to take care of them, and such things.

We saddled up Pepper for the girls to ride. I got dibs on Biscuit and Jared got Katie. I warned him that she is a bitchy horse and to watch out. He said he was ok. I never doubted his riding/horse abilities because he grew up with horses, but Katie is a royal snot of a horse. I think that he understood what I meant, when before we even left the corrals--he was having a little rodeo.

Katie was being a snot and decided she didn't like Jared, or something. Because she was crow hopping and rolled over to try to get rid of him. It did scare me a bit, cause his foot was caught in the stirrup and I didn't want him to get a broken or dislocated ankle. He was able to get free and got back on. She may have won that battle, but he wasn't going to let her win the war.

Here are the girls on Pepper, so excited for their little ride!

Jared was going to lead them around, but Katie didn't like that idea. Pepper is the new horse on the block and Katie and Biscuit haven't quite decided if she can be part of the group; they are not quite friends yet. The girls were in charge of Pepper themselves. Taylor was nervous at first, but then she got the hang of it and got a bit more comfortable.

This was my view. Biscuit is pretty easy going. On the way out, 'away from home', he continually turns his head to go back and goes slower. On the way back home, he picks up his speed a bit and heads for it.

We went around the farm, riding away. Katie was still being a bitch to Jared, and they were having their occasion set-to's. Taylor and Jaislyn were becoming more and more comfortable with Pepper. Biscuit and I were having a great time, it has been too long since I have been in a saddle.

It was Jared, then me in the middle, and the girls following me. Suddenly, I heard a ruckus behind me. I looked back and Pepper was throwing a bit of a tizzy, the girls's eyes were big as saucers, Taylor was yelling, "Whoa! Whoa Pepper!" I said to Jared, "we are about to have a rodeo!" He thought that I meant him and Katie, because they were starting a little come to Jesus meeting with each other.

Next thing I know, Pepper comes crow-hopping passed me, she bucked about 2 times, and the girls flew off into the air.

Time sure does go into slow motion in those moments.

At one time, I remember seeing Jaislyns butt about 1 1/2 feet off the horse, but I think she had a death grip around Taylor. Jaislyn finally flew off, then Taylor kinda plopped off. I thought Pepper was going to step on Taylor cause she was still bucking.

Meanwhile, that got Katie a little stirred up and she started going off. Luckily, I was on sweet, docile, dontreallygiveacrapwhatsgoingonaroundme Biscuit! I have never gotten off a horse so fast in my life!! I got over to the girls to assess the damages.

Where we were riding there was lots of big rocks, really big, hard rocks, and cactus, really really pokey cactus. Somehow the girls were lucky enough the land in a giant, dormant ant pile, so neither was injured. They were both scared beyond belief and screaming, but no blood, or pokeys.

I got them calmed down, and Jared fetched Pepper. Then I had to do the cowboy thing.

I told the girls that they were getting back on the horse.

Right now.

No questions.

We compromised and they got on Biscuit while I led them around. They came to the conclusion that Pepper and Katie are mean horses and Biscuit is a wonderful horse.

This next picture was after the rodeo. Notice that their smiles aren't quite so big anymore and I think that they are white-knuckling that saddle!

I am not sure what set Pepper off, if we were too close to the road (I doubt it), if she hasn't rode doubles very much (possibly), or if the girls got a little too comfortable and some feet got back into the flank area (sounds more reasonable). Regardless, the girls got a great lesson, first hand, that horses are very big and strong, you have to be responsible and need to know what you are doing.

To top things off, a tourist happened to be driving by and saw the whole thing! They flipped around and came back to make sure everything was ok. I hope that they go home to their big city friends and family and tell them that they saw some little cowgirls get bucked off a horse!