A great day for a drive!

Pardon me for the HUGE lapse in posting - I will try and catch up in the next few days.

So, I will start with today, and work backwards for awhile.......

A beautiful, sunny, crisp day here in South Texas - the only thing missing is some rain! Boy do we need RAIN! Everything is dead or dying, with no relief in sight.......we just continue to pray that some will come along soon......

A few months back - I took a driving (HORSE) lesson from Francine Dismukes of Luling, Tx.

Since I am not familiar with all the horsey folks, I soon found out that she is one of the MASTERS of training and teaching this wonderful sport. She is a world renowned judge for driving and dressage. and her barn is full of beautiful National Champion Andalusians and Andalusian Crosses.

I am learning this sport, so in the not too distant future, I will be driving Neeko, the larger one of my minis. He will be starting his ground driving soon, and hopefully will be ready to go to Francine's in the Spring for a couple of months. for his formal training with the cart.

So as not to leave Steve out of this adventure........I asked him to come along today, so he can see what he is getting into. :) :) After I did my lesson, Francine invited him to take the reins. Mind you, Steve is NOT a horse person. He will stand just out of reach from them, and I have never seen him on one - ever. Not that he doesn't like them (HE LOVES OUR MINIS) - they are just BIG animals, and he is not comfortable around them. They are not dogs - for sure!

I must say that when he took the reins, under Francine's kind instruction, he looked like a natural. I think he had a great advantage to not knowing anything about riding horses, etc, as it gave him a clean slate to begin with. Francine told me I knew just enough to get into trouble with! Boy - is that ever right!

I am so proud of his success at his first lesson! He doesn't know it yet - but we are doing the same thing next weekend! Weather permitting!

I just had to put up a couple of pictures of Francine and Steve and the wonderful, ever patient Doll, her 5 year old Andalusian. Bless her heart - she was a real trooper having to put up with 2 novices!