School Starts, and a new Equine Chapter begins!

The sun is rising in great swirls of pink, and my babies are off once again to school.

 Middlest heads off to her Senior Year with all it's fun and responsibilities. She is already working on her college applications, which is, again, bittersweet. She stands atop the podium as Head Drum Major of the Golden Sound of the Vikings- working on her 4th year with a State of Ohio Superior Rating, and she finishes high school taking advantage of all the academic possibilities offered. She begins her first College Course in English at Ohio Christian University, and has already poured with glee over the text book. This summer she has worked at learning German and Spanish as well as continuing her French. She is also working on her Dutch alongside her father. Methinks the beauty likes language. 

 And, Youngest, and his big paws, are off to Freshman Year! The Chinese may consider this The Year of the Horse (to my "Hurrahs!") but for Youngest this is The Year of the Student. This year he will get engaged in learning in new ways, n'est pas? His new French teacher is French, he is a marching trumpet in our elite band (under the direction of his sister....) he has his first real science lab "With Bunsen burners and beakers, Mom!" and this year it all counts.

 Can you tell they live outside? This is why air conditioning is useless at Cowfeathers, and we haven't turned it on since our arrival as caretakers of our homeplace. From dawn to dark we are outside, in God's Air Conditioning.

 This weekend, was one of my favorite kinds- a horse weekend. Saturday morning we three (myself and the kiddos) loaded our equine partners on the trailer and headed off to a Hunter Pace. These are one of my favorite horse activities. You arrive when you arrive, you head off on course when you're ready. You ride as a team of two or three, and pick which "pace" you are going to try to match, slow, medium, fast or "Huntsman" which is supersonic. You head off not knowing how long the course is, through fields and woods, streams and banks. You have to watch and follow ribbons so you don't get lost or go off course, and there are jumps along the way. Each Hunter Pace is as different as the organizers wish to make it, and the terrain offers. This one turned out to be about 6 miles long and had 39 jump efforts. My team of Middlest on Nelle, Youngest on Cheez-It and Chaser and I set off declaring ourselves a "medium" paced team, approximately 6 miles an hour. We walked for a while waiting for the next team to set off to catch up to us, as they are great friends, and we went in a pack of 5. Incidentally, there were 120 riders on the pace, the lion-share riding "medium", and our pack of 5 placed 2nd and 3rd. Surprise ribbons are the best!
This was the last ride together for Youngest and Cheez, as after our Pace, we were returning her to her owner.

 I said to someone this week, "Life is a series of wonderful, bittersweet moments." And this is another of those. We have so loved this mare, this Mother Hen. She is a joy, and a pleasure, and a great pony for a young rider. Her next charge will be blessed. She was easy going and always willing to stop and smell the flowers. Youngest was brave and sad to move on. 
 

 But, move on, he has done. Due to the wonderful advent of "College", sometimes great stars are put in our path. Zac is a planet. His owner has headed off to higher learning, and has allowed us to be his caretakers and students for a bit. Zac is a special boy, sweet to the core, smart, willing and his partner has done such a great job of supporting him and learning with him that he is rather accomplished on top of his winning personality. (He's a looker, too. Check out the flying blonde mane!)

 So, Welcome to Cowfeathers, Zac! Youngest is in love already, and I'm excited to watch him learn from this new boy, both in the saddle and out. They came together on Sunday for their first ride as partners, and already starting clicking. There is so much to work on and learn! But, work, they will, in the best way possible- the exhilarating soul-lifting Horsey Way!