Tug Boat

Today we are on the subject of "kid-horses".  It can be a complicated topic, a topic one wouldn't fully understand until they have their own children.  

You think about that precious, little life and wanting to keep them safe.  Of course it doesn't affect the "non-helicopter" moms quite as forcefully as it does some of us.  I can't help it.  

If my child/children are sissies it's because of me.  

Lazuddie FFA put on a few playdays in August.  We went to watch the first one.  At that moment we didn't have a good horse for Scout.  We had tried her out on Wrinkle.  She did well, but the verdict is an unseasoned 5 year on Daddy's finished heel/calf horse just doesn't work that well.  Her little body was giving all these cues and poor Wrinkle wasn't sure if he should stop, go, or run sideways.  

I mentioned to a Lazbuddie man that we were kid-horse poor.  His reply is that one of our mutual friends in Clovis has a horse he is wanting to pass on.  I immediately text Riley and say "call Ryan Figg about a kid horse".  Normally Riley would wait, talk to me, get all the facts, then call the guy.  Luckily this time he just called him right then.  By the time we got home that Tuesday night, we had a plan to pick the horse up on Thursday.  

The rest is history.  It is difficult to put into words how much we love Tug Boat.  His name is kind of funny, since we already have a dog named Tug.  When you see this guy, you understand why he is Tug Boat.  Actually he looks more like a ship!  

Scout's first ride on him around Ryan's arena.  

This guy isn't perfect.  He's a little boogery, but still has lots of personality.  You can just tell that he knows he is packing around my precious 5 year-old.  He also knows exactly what to do on the barrels, poles, etc.

We came home and started practicing the barrel pattern.  I figured we might as well spend our time at home learning it.  She had it down in about 2 seconds.  Of course I found about 4,000 sheets of paper like this one.  

We made it to the last two playdays.  Scout was the only 5 and under unassisted rider.  We asked that they only call her for a prize in two out of the four events she participated in. (Sorry, we are mean parents like that.  There is no reason for her to think that she won every time she rode into the arena.  She had no competition for goodness sakes.)

  

Maybe Scout's hand-on-hip thing comes from Dad.  lol  Either way here she is super proud of the new turquoise halter she won.

Gigi and Papaw were as far as Amarillo on that Tuesday and just couldn't resist Scout's first playday. 

Brother participated in lead-line with Rose.  I'm not too big on lead-line, but he did since they do it continuously (where you have all the little ones going one right after the other and not taking time to call each individual into the arena to do each event).    

He looked like a little bobble head doll out there.  Videos coming soon.  The first time it was windy and when he let go of the saddle horn to grab his hat he almost fell off.  He told Gigi that he "fell on my horses hair".  I guess he was all the way up on her mane.  

He loves Tug Boat too.  Who wouldn't???