horse-crazy

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By the time we got home from Thailand, Remy was officially, in every way, horse-crazy.

It had been brewing for a long while, but Thailand really cinched the deal, since we went on a few different excursions that involved horses or ponies. (The zoo in Chiang Mai had pony rides and then we did a horse drawn carriage ride tour of some of the older wats in the countryside.)

I remember being horse-crazy myself at that age, but more for horse stories (Misty of Chincoteague, Black Beauty). Remy's horse-craziness is more immediate and visceral, he wants to be around horses and he wants to ride!

Well, thanks to his awesome grandmas, he is getting a chance to learn. Horse back riding lessons are their Hanukkah present to him.

What a generous and thoughtful gift.

He was able to have his first lesson this weekend. And it was also a lesson in patience: before you can learn to sit (on a horse), you need to learn to care for and lead your horse.

He did not have a single problem with that concept. He completely loves the idea of taking care of his horse.

Although digging out hooves is much harder than it appears. (Wow, that's a lot of sawdust!)

I'm so excited for this relationship to bloom and develop. For him to keep developing the gentle-assurance that he is being taught. May his horse-craziness not abate. May he always have this overwhelming love of animals that extends to compassion for all living beings.

And much, much gratitude to his grandma S and G-J. So much gratitude.

(G-J was a champion rider in her day! So she understands the horse-craziness, too.)