The first ride...

Zydo arrived here at The Ranch, after a busy morning of finishing up last minute preparations for him. I hear that women who are about to have babies go through a period of nesting, bringing little outfits and incomprehensible numbers of baby wipes into the house. I suppose that this is how I spent my morning, only instead of working with things that are cute and nice-smelling, I spent my morning encased in spider webs and filling feedbags full of the debris that has collected in the alley way in the barn over the last four years. The horse arrived and trotted off his trailer and into the barn to meet his roommate. I have to apologize to Zydo now because it seems he got the short end of the stick in the roommate department. When he stuck his head out to say hello, she nipped him on the end of the nose and turned away. If my new roommate had greeted me like this, I would have turned quietly into the corner of my stall and wept until dawn. Zydo is much unlike me in this way, because he simply rolled his eyes at her and turned to his hay. Apparently food is enough to mend a broken heart belonging to a male even in the equine world.

Tia is my Dad's horse, and an interesting character she is. She is what you would call "Spirited" or "Energetic" or "Dancy" or "Pumped up on Speed" or something of the like. She came from a herd of over twenty horses to our farm, where she has been a singleton since January. We thought that Zydo would do wonders for her, in making her a little less flighty and more calm. We're not sure if we were planning on him slipping her some sedatives when we weren't looking, or if he was to woo her with gifts of fine clover or what, but she would have none of his wooing. And so, like a typical male, he said "Hey, LOOK! Grass! FOr me to EAT! OVER THERE!" and he trotted away and commenced munching.

My father was in the pasture at this point, just talking between the two of them and trying to get Tia to follow him over to say hello to Zydo. She may be flighty, or energetic, or any number of things, but she is certainly not stupid. She knew exactly what he was doing and insisted that he is HER person, and HER person must not have any contact with THAT BOY HORSE who moved in next door to her. Every time my dad got within proximity to Zydo, Tia charged over and stood between them so that he could advance no further.

We rode today as well, after six o'clock when they both had time to be out in the pasture and meet each other. I must say that my heart is entirely made up of sunshine, beaming out with rays of golden glory that only the sun could create. I rode walk-trot on the flat, and will stay there for several weeks until I have my skills re-honed and some muscle tone built up.

He did everything I asked him to do; he kept his head down and was looking for me to guide him in certain areas so that he could get some support from the bit. He performed changes of rein, did his ten metre circles, serpentined, walked down centre line on command. I had no struggles in any way with him today, except he does have a desire to trot. He wants more speed, more action, something less boring than waiting for me to get my shit together at the walk. But he was patient with me, stood while I mounted and stood again while I dismounted.

I just went down and gave him hay and water and his grain for the night. While I filled the water bucket he stood beside me, drinking lazily and munching on some hay. I rubbed his neck, scratched his ears, talked quietly to him, and kissed his nose before I left the stall for the last time for the day, and I thought ... this is it. This is how my horse is supposed to be.

[Equestrian, Perfect Horse, Walk Trot, Turn-out for Multiple Horses, Moving a Horse, Riding]