Kelsey tried out a bigger horse this weekend.

[Jenni]

This is Shadow, she is a clydesdale that belongs to my friend that owns the riding stable. I worked at the stable on Sunday and Kelsey tagged along. She was hoping to take out trail rides with me all day but I ended up running the barn so I was only able to sneak her out for a short ride at the end of the day. She decided she wanted to ride a draft and picked out Shadow. I think she's about 17.2 hands and late teens/early 20s. Of course she decided that mom had to ride a draft too... so I was on an even bigger clydesdale named Tally.






And since I am posting pics I don't think I posted any of Kelsey in the kiddie parade in my home town. It's the "Cheese Fest" so the sign I carried said "Little Miss Muffet, riding her pony, eating her cheese curds and shake..." - notice the spider on Sofia's butt...

[Mary Ann]

Ha! Little Miss Muffet indeed. She looks adorable! And what a sweet little pony to carry her through the commotion of a parade!

I love the idea that she's getting experience on all kinds of horses. She's going to have a wide range of experiences long before she settles into a single discipline. How old is she now? She's looking so darned grown up!

[Jenni]

Kelsey is 7 now. In the parade pics she is wearing a dress that I wore in my brother's wedding back in 1983 - I was 9 when I wore it. I must have been REALLY scrawny because it fits her in the body almost perfectly but is quite a few inches too long.

2 weeks ago we were also at the stable for the weekend - we "camped" there and rode the trails with a couple other friends. We brought our own horses. In the morning she rode her pony but when we were going back out in the afternoon she wanted to ride a different horse so my friend put her on Dusty - a 20 something year old 15.2 hand former barrel horse - and we went out for an hour and a half with a short canter. She occasionally rides my big horses which are all over 15 hands.

I always tell people that even though I had horses for 20 years before I worked at my friend's stable I learned more in those couple years than all the years previous mainly because I got to ride and be around so many different horses.

[Idaho Linda]

Thanks for the great pics and stories.

[ride4fun]

Love the pink hoof for the parade You are blessed with having Kelsey share your love of riding.

[Yip]

Those are too precious! That giant spider really threw me, though!

I agree it's great to ride lots of horses. That's a big part of my insecurity. I didn't have any opps. to ride horses other than my own. I think it's awesome that Kelsey is actually asking to ride outside her comfort zone, esp. with a Clydesdale!

[Frostym]

I love it that her helmet matched her costume. Too cute. You are giving that child a fairy tale life with her horses, but we all know she's doing the work of riding well and staying safe. Really lovely and giving her such a strong basis for a successful adult life.

I can remember riding when I was her age. Even though I came off a time or two, it inspired me that I could do it- control an animal so much larger than I so that we both hsd so much fun. Thanks for bringing back fun memories and thanks to my parents, who like you help Kelsey, they helped me ride as best they could.

[Marci]

Adorable pictures. I always wanted a pony of my own growing up. Got the wrong horse at 13, (green + green = stitches) took my until I was 16 to get back on a horse. Then Mom and my boyfriend bought me the right horse and there has been no looking back. I've had a horse in my life since. Well except for a 6 month stint. I imagine someday she will be an amazing horsewoman.