Ebony

We did go and try our little black 12.2 hand mare Ebony bitless on Sunday...I rode her first while my two youngest waited with their helmets and boots on. I'd forgotten that I have a pair of reins with snaps on the end, so we just connected those to the sides of the halter. We had a western saddle on. Scott was around so he stayed for most of the riding, but he didn't ride.

Ebony seemed just fine! She stopped just as well, turns were fine, etc. The temp was 52' in the sun but the slight wind had it to about upper 30's. The mountains just one range above us are thickly dusted with snow. It's slowly moving its way toward us...in fact we've had ice falling from the sky all day today. (The kids sledded for hours, in the ice storm. Kids are amazing. I stayed inside and played business woman with the accounts and the phone and fed the woodstove fire. That's how to get old and miss your kids' growing up real quickly. Lazy me today!)

So-- then our youngest son Noah had a lesson on Ebony. He and Ebony are one year apart, 10 and 11 respectively. It was great knowing that Ebony did not have a beginning rider on her mouth. And she was so good for Noah. Another convenience was ripping out hand fulls of grass between riders to feed to Ebony, and not breaking the "no grazing in a bit" rule. Ebony was also fine for Aislinn. I think that girl is becoming Ebony's favorite rider. She seems to say, "Let's go have an adventure!" whenever Aislinn gets on her. Girl love...

After those two short lessons I got back on Ebony to take her out a little further, down the hill to the lower field and to circle the arena. She was happy to be out but spooky at the same time. I had to go between the woods on one side and an apple tree and the arena on the other, when a grouse flying up near her in the woods made Ebony jump/bolt toward the arena fence. All I could think was, "Don't damage the fence!" (It was a gift.) But she regained her sensibilities quickly. And I kept my seat in front of my husband.

Before that, when I was between the arena and the road, which has about 35 feet of grass lane before the hill-drainage ditch-road itself, a car coming up behind Ebony spooked her slightly as it crossed into her line of vision. 

I don't think having a bit would have made any difference in Ebony 'un'spooking any sooner.

She was my sweet little lady (I need to remember this, next spring, if/when she tries to take my head off again) and after riding, how wonderful it was to stop in the front yard on the hill by the gardens and loosen the girth and let her have the reward of grazing.

May 2006

Here is our shaggy girl giving Aislinn a ride 4 1/2 years ago; 

Aislinn is not quite 4, and Ebony is 7. 

(My husband was still learning horse safety, 
and I made him wear a helmet at all times...)

Ebony, 1728.

-from Flying Childers (s) and Old Eony (d),

at the breed's foundation: 1714 and 1715.