March went out with a cold, windy bang but April has brought some beautiful sunny and warm days that are perfect for riding the beach or trails. In the summer the greenhead flies are so bad in the woods that we rarely ride the trails. During the summer we hit the beach where the ocean breeze cools off the horses and keeps the flies away. We’ve been hitting the trails lately and enjoying the 60 and 70 degree temps before the hot, humid summer begins.
Much to my surprise, my 13 year old daughter has started riding. This is the child I have begged to ride for years. She never had an interest. She has been on horses since she could sit up, and knows quite a bit about care and handling from spending her childhood at various barns. Now that she has a friend who rides at our barn, she’s decided she enjoys it. She rides Aaron, the little saint of a paint who is a near perfect trail horse. Aaron likes to poke along the trails, and is steady as they come. He is perfect for her, and I’m so grateful to his owner for letting my daughter ride him.
King and Bourbon got their teeth done when the vet came last month. Bourbon is gaining weight beautifully and looking more fit and shiny every day. He has a sassier personality than King, but he is sweet and loves his people. He does not love arena work, but is calm and steady on the trails.
King is continuing to gain weight. He has been a hard rehab for the simple fact that he has taken a long time to pack on the pounds, despite eating massive amounts of high quality food. I can see dapples under his winter coat, and I can’t wait for him to shed out so we can see what a winter of good nutrition has done for him. My favorite color of horse is anything with dapples, so this is very rewarding for me!
I don’t want to jinx it, but King seems to have found a sugar mama who is interested in taking over his foster care. She has been coming out to the barn and riding and learning about the horses. She wants something big and slow, and King fits the bill. If it does work out, I will most likely go back to the rescue and pick up another one to foster. This time I want something smaller, around 15 hands, because they’re cheaper to feed!
I’m looking forward to a summer of riding with friends and watching these rescue horses reach their potential!
Simple Southern 