"Harses, Harses, Harses, Harses"

My nephew enjoying a ride.

What could be more Wyoming than horseback riding??  When I was growing up, my Grandpa Bradshaw always had horses and ponies for we grandkids to ride whenever we came out.  So even though we were a bunch of city slicker easterners, we could still hold our own on a horse.  It did not even begin to occur to me that not everyone knew how to ride horses until the year I took Todd horse back riding.  It became quickly obvious to everyone watching that riding is actually something learned and people don't just know how to do it.  (Although, he can beautifully navigate through every major city's mass transit system with zero problems.  We all have our strengths.)  

Warren's first time on a horse.

Nathaniel and Benjamin trying to remember how to do this.  It's been a few years.  "But Mom, WHY do I need to put my feet in the stirrups??"

Anyway, my parents have failed their grandkids in providing horses to teach them these valuable life lessons, but fortunately they know people who can help.  Some cousin of mine (second-ish, I think) was absurdly nice and loaded up a bunch of horses and a pony and drove all the way from LoneTree to the rodeo grounds in Lyman just because my Dad asked her if she could help out his poor deprived city slicker grandkids.  Some of whom have Never Even Been On A Horse!  

"Horses are stinky!"

The summer that I was 16, I went out to Wyoming to live with my grandparents for the summer.  Every morning my cousin Cassie and I would go down the dugway to where my Grandpa kept his horses.  Apparently, I pleased him that summer, because shortly before he died, he mentioned what a "fine horsewoman" I had become.  (For a city girl.)"

Anyway, it was fun to share some of my love of horses with my children.  I'm grateful that they, too, have Wyoming Grandparents and that they can see and experience some of my favorite things from my childhood.

Aunt Rachel decided that the pony was more her size.  ;)

Caleb, on the other hand wanted the big horse.  He actually trotted for a little bit.  (Not on purpose, and it spooked him a little bit.  But he did get back in the saddle one more time after that.)  Good boy!

C'est moi!

Lilyanna and HER Grandpa Bradshaw teaching her about horses.