Use Your Accent

Me: “Do you two want to go horseback riding again on our next holiday?”

T2: “Yes, I do!”

Me: “Cool! We are going to play some games with ponies!”

T1: “Games? How can you even play games with a horse?”

Me: (laughing, wondering what he was exactly picturing in his mind) “You’ll see. It will be fun.” I told them stories of how my sister was actually a competitive games player with T1’s favorite pony, Cherry, who was the speediest steed in town!

Curiosity was piqued.

So…on a hot, beautiful NI day, we headed to the barn laden with bags of carrots and apples. The owner told us there would be loads of animals to feed and plenty of new babies on the property! We started with a tour of the farm, which included crazy goats, crazy dogs, a calf that was literally 5 minutes old, tractors for T3, and LOTS of horses. There seemed to be horses coming out of every corner. Apparently the was over 100 horses at the barn, but no one really seemed to know an accurate headcount!

Next, the kids met their mounts and began to prep them for the day. I was grateful that they were involved in the stable management aspect of riding, instead of just climbing on. And they did great!

Then, they had a short lesson. Some stopping and starting, some balancing exercises, and the first stages in learning to post! And then…let the games began! T1 didn’t want anyone to see, but his competitiveness came out and he thoroughly enjoyed winning the first game of Red Light, Green Light! They also learned how to do an around-the-world!

Here’s where I was offered a horse and asked if I wanted to join the games! With a resounding ‘yes!’ I tacked up and we moved outside to “jump” over some ground poles. And more games! We weaved around obstacles, tossed bean bags, and even used “swords” to hit targets (T1’s favorite!).

Before taking the horses out to the grass for a quick snack, I was instructed to take a victory canter lap around the ring. Kids weren’t impressed. Can’t win ‘em all, I guess.

Finally, we untacked and feed out the treats we brought. T1 got to smash all the apples with his heels!

The kids did a great job! This experience lasted twice as long as I anticipated and they spent a lot of time in the saddle on a very warm day. So, we packed up and headed out for ice cream! AND, what comes naturally after ice cream? An impromptu trip to the beach!! Spontaneity with three young kids can be hard, but who needs a plan?! We had nothing: no beach toys, no towels, no flip flops. But that didn’t stop us. A very kind mom lent us a ball and our dad…well…he took one for the team and guzzled a beer so his beloved children could have a cup to dig with. What a hero.

It was a wonderful finish to a fun day!

One of my favorite moments was when T2 turned to me and said, “I’m getting sand on my riding pants!” with a delighted giggle. I just loved everything about that sentence! And I knew my dad would be proud to see the riding pants he bought, so many moons ago, covered in pony hair and sand!