Slight Detour: Horses Go Cosmopolitan

Three countries represented, three kids and two horses.

Lefty and Lily had curious expressions yesterday after I saddled them up and then waited.

They seemed to take it in their stride, though, and stood quietly at the fence until a car rolled into the driveway with occupants representing four countries.

The driver Debbie is American, and she had brought some of her friends from the foreign exchange community at Sandpoint High School to ride horses.

Debbie had told me earlier about Jose from Bolivia, and, of course, last Saturday I met Duna from Catalonia for the first time. And, finally, Miss Emma from Germany has been a member of our extended family since August.

I kinda figured Emma would do okay riding Lily because she's been riding horses (jumpers and cross country) all her life.

We did run into one snag when the saddle I'd pulled out from hibernation still had stirrups too long, even after I'd changed the settings twice.

I told Emma she needs to stretch her legs.

Long stirrups didn't make much difference, though, to Emma who looked within 30 seconds like she'd been riding Lily all her life.

Seems we've drawn the lucky number with both family foreign exchange students, cuz it was exactly the same for Laura aka Swiss Miss.

So, Emma stuck to Lily, and I must say it was very satisfying to see that big mare looking pretty spiffy with her German rider.

Now, Lefty is the "bomb proof" horse of the two, or so I thought. This year he's generally very well behaved with his soul mate Terra, who's been riding him for two years.

Turns out, however, that "sweet" Lefty cues in very quickly to the experience level of the rider on board.

On Jose's (who rode last when he was 4) first ride, Lefty knew right away that Jose hadn't quite figured out how use the brakes (contact with horse's mouth) so Lefty just trotted off from where I was standing with me yelling "Whoa" and Jose yelling "Whoa."

Lefty would hear none of that. Fortunately, a fence slowed him down, but I could tell Lefty was purposefully having fun at Jose's expense.

Undaunted though, Jose, learned quickly about the brakes and even learned about leg pressure to make Lefty turn whatever direction Jose wanted to go.

So, I must say our Bolivian visitor was a quick study.

Duna, I learned yesterday, actually had taken some riding lessons in the past.

And, what she had learned in those lessons quickly came back to her. For some reason, Lefty tuned in when Duna told me she'd had riding lessons, so no impish tricks with her.

It was a fun time for the horses and the kids. Afterward, everybody enjoyed what everyone always enjoys after a good ride: grain for the horses and cookies for the kids.

More kid(s) today----maybe if we have trick or treaters. And, they'll just get candy---no tricks from Lefty.

Happy Halloween.

And, thanks, Emma, Duna, Jose and Debbie for a fun and truly cosmopolitan time with the horses.