Moooo-ving right along

Cows, we have conquered you. Go ahead and moo as we walk by, go ahead and run at us in your crazy drunken gait. Go ahead and stick your tongues up your noses because we just don't care.

Yes, it's true, Gabe has very nearly conquered his fear of the bovine kind. Three times during our Sunday ride the cows were present and he kept himself together. The first time the cows, a youngish herd full of bucks and moos, ran at the fence at us (what is it with cows being so fascinated by passing horses? I don't understand.) and followed along as we went up the road. And Gabe kept it together, I could feel him trembling beneath me, I could feel that big muscular body knot up in preparation to leave town, but he didn't. One slight balk from him, a few encouraging words and nudges from me and onward we marched. To add to the level of terror, the cows were above us on a ridge that runs along the road. So, not only were they loud AND following us, they were towering above us.

So proud of my big, brave guy. Lately it seems like a switch got flipped in his brain. He went from cautious, spooky, terrified baby to stoic, face-your-fears, give everything a try grown up. Such a delightful change. On-the-buckle trail rides have become the norm rather than the exception and the little things (like wind in the corn or a quail flying out of the grass near him) no longer send him into fits of white-eyed terror.

But, is it maturity, or simply the fact that we've been going out a lot more since Jaquie moved Teddy out to my farm and we now have someone to ride with? Maybe a combination of both. I don't know the answer, but I sure love the results!

And, he has discovered how much fun jumping can be. I have a small course set up, about 2' jumps and he gets so excited...ears prick forward and it seems like he really looks forward to a couple of times around the course. He doesn't get crazy excited or overly fast, but he certainly does seem like he enjoys it...a lot! And so far, he's gone over everything I've pointed him at, even the scary barrels. Next...I'm building a scary liverpool and a super scary brush box stuffed with the most hideous fake flowers I can find.

Life is good!