Horses, horses, horses

I love this picture of Vaughan running by the horses. Her excitement is bursting - her eyes all lit up. Needless to say, the girls were beyond excited to go horseback riding.

We went out to Burge Plantation for a night. It was a chance to get away, go horseback riding, fishing, grill out, make smores, make memories.

But, you know, horses are really big and that means that horseback riding can be a bit scary. Vaughan was tentative and it took some coaxing to get her up on Abigail.

However, Miss Linda is an excellent horse instructor and she got Vaughan up on that horse and had her riding hands free!

Ellery felt more confident from the start. She hopped up on that horse with a smile on her face. She was riding without hands, then backwards and then - lo and hold - our sweet child was standing on that horse!

Suddenly, Ellery was riding the horse without any help from Linda. This little thing was out on her own (and not in a ring, mind you.)

Apparently, she is a real natural when it comes to these horses. Linda asked if we had any riders in our family. Alan and I both looked at each other quizzically. Should I recount my horseback riding story from camp where my horse bit the tail of the horse in front and that horse bucked and my horse went running off through the woods? It didn't end well, I emerged from the woods with scratched arms, tears streaming down my face, and a real fear of horses. Does it make me a rider?

P.S. Happy Birthday Ellery! (more on that later)