To celebrate, we filled the day with one of the things Zoey loves most: horses.
This morning we started by going to the Farm Show and kicking the day off with a famous Farm Show milkshake. Note Zoey's "Crazy Eyes", that's what happens when you drink half a chocolate shake in about 20 seconds:
Face of excitement petting the big horse:
Pap Pap & Finn on the carousel:
Zoey's favorite part of course was the horses but she also liked petting the sheep, cows, and goats. She liked "the chicken room" too, but it completely freaked me out. There were roosters and beaks and squawking everywhere, not to mention those weird red dangly dewlap things that hang off the rooster's beak. Yeah they're weird. And they're called wattles, I learned that today. Eww.
Anyway the kids had a good time seeing the animals, riding the carousel, and just wandering around. I was in carb heaven with potato donuts and baked potatoes. It was a great morning.
Then Finn went with Granny & Pap Pap and Meme dropped Zoey and I off at home so that Zoey could get some rest before her big afternoon. As a special birthday treat I took Zoey out to Prairie Fire Farms where she had a one hour private session with a little horse named Whinny.
Zoey was in BLISS. If you know Zoey well at all, you know that she adores all things horses. She has about 100 little horse figurines, multiple play barns and stables, stuffed horses, horse earrings, you name it. So going out to a farm where she could splash around in the mud with her big boots and get a horse all to herself was the perfect gift.
Meeting Whinny for the first time:
A girl named Tessa was Zoey's teacher. After we got to know Whinny a bit, the next thing Tessa did was show Zoey how to brush a horse with several different types of brushes. Zoey really liked that part and spent a lot of time brushing Whinny. Ironically, she can't stand to brush her own hair and would walk around all day with a giant dreadlock if I would let her.
After Whinny was brushed down, Zoey helped put on all her tack. She learned all about the saddle and the harness and the stirrups and the bridle. Then she was fitted for a helmet for riding. Safety first, says the ER nurse!
Tessa put a little step stool next to Whinny so that she could teach Zoey how to climb up and mount her, however before she could get a word out Zoey had already scrambled up onto Whinny's back and was ready to go. She was very natural and totally at ease on the horse's back, she has been that way ever since she first rode a horse at 19 months old:
The hardest part was getting Zoey used to holding and controlling the reins. But Tessa taught Zoey how to use the reins to lead the horse left or right, how to say "whoa" and stop, how to cluck and use your legs to get the horse to go. By the end of the riding session Zoey was leading figure 8s and Tessa let Whinny trot with Zoey. Tessa said she was really impressed with Zoey, she kept saying that kids that young often are a bit reluctant or scared and aren't so intent on learning. As a rule they don't let horses trot with youngsters that little on their first time out, so it was cool that she was comfortable enough with Zoey to let her do a bit more.
Practicing "whoa":
Horsie hugs:
Helping take off the saddle:
Friends:
Apparently horses love candy canes, Tessa gave Zoey one to feed to Whinny as a treat:
After the session, Tessa let us walk out in the field to meet a couple other horses. One of Zoey's favorites was a 23-year old mini horse that Zoey immediately proceeded to hug:
Clearly there is only one choice: fulfill my life goal of moving out into the country. Because I don't think a horse can fit in our current backyard and I'm going to be compelled to buy one after all this!
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