Victoria and boys came back over to help move another bunch of cattle… We had six grandkids mounted and five adults. We do tend to take a while getting ready with that many horses to saddle! We were off and hauling up the mountain.
Victoria’s boys haven’t spent that much time in the saddle, so I started playing two games with them since it was Twosday! The first game was ”perpendicular”. Notice how trees always grow perpendicular to the center of the earth, they don’t grow straight out of the ground on a side hill, they grow up! Same way you set on a horse. Your horse might be climbing a hill, but your body has to stay perpendicular.
Not a really fun game, but pointing out how trees are growing and how they were sitting in the saddle helped.
For the next game, we had a word of the day… courage was what Waylon proposed and I went with it. The kids had to copy me, whatever I was doing, then say ”Courage”! I’d reach forward or back or touch my toe or the horse’s mane. They’d copy me and say, ”courage!”. It freed them up a bit, relaxing, and seeing who could echo my action.
We did have to stop as we rode through the trees on the steep hill, preferring to pay attention to what they should be doing. We had to hold up for a while, and someone proposed everyone should take their hat off and sing the national anthem. I have to say, I had a bit of a chill when five little voices tried their best to sing the anthem.
On top of the hill, we split up and went different ways, and by the time we were all reunited hours later… there seemed no need for the games. Miles under our belt and hours in the saddle do wonders…
Great ideas, all around!
Oh how precious to hear them sing the the National Anthem. Despite being so close the France, at High school we actually learnt The Star Spangled Banner.
Excellent teacher, Grandma!