Buster and Star

When Knut was in high school, his dad got some horses for them to enjoy.  Then came college, graduation parties and lots of family weddings.  By the time we moved back to the farm, his parents simply didn’t have the time to enjoy the horses, who were leisurely living their life in the pasture.  When we bought the house, they asked if we wanted to keep them on the property.  We (mostly me, I think) said no, we couldn’t possibly have time to take care of horses properly, and encouraged them to find a new home for Buster and Star.

A family from our church offered to take them, and the horses live in luxury there.  They are combed, fed, ridden all the time by the parents and teenage/young adults in the family who care for them.  As a perk, we get to come and visit whenever we like.  Although sadly, this was our first time for such a visit.

 

Back to the horses.

David got to go on Buster first, and was a bit nervous.  Any sudden movement that the horse made caused David to jump, and there were a few times David screamed, but Buster was nice and gentle with him.  Knut ran alongside them getting him to trot and David just squealed with delight.

 This little lady got to ride on Star, and she waited patiently until Star was saddled, even though David and Knut were already doing laps around the yard.  Silje told me in the van as we were driving there, “Mommy, this is one of my dreams coming true!”

 When Silje got on Star, she was completely relaxed.  As always, she was a natural with the animal.  Seriously, this girl has a touch with any animal she comes in contact with.  She loves them, and I’ve yet to meet one that doesn’t like her.  She’s always polite and asks owners before petting dogs, and all of that.  Still, it’s like she gets them on a level I don’t even get, but I completely see.

 Silje put up with being lead around, but what she really wanted was to take the reigns herself and go for a trot.  She asked me if she could have riding lessons officially 4 times while she was on the horse, and that was not counting the times she asked on the way to, and way back from this trip.  I really need to find a way to get her to visit Buster and Star more often, I guess.  I know nothing about horses, and would know even less about teaching her how to ride.  I’m afraid to even look into the cost of riding lessons, so for now maybe visiting these guys more might make do for awhile…I hope.

 Elias had to wait his turn, and he was sad about that.  He kept trying to follow the riding posse, but they were just walking too fast and he couldn’t keep up.  Solveig slept most of the time, and I don’t think she cared much.

At last, Knut put him up with David, which David did not like one bit.  He didn’t like not being able to hold onto the horn of the saddle.  (Is that what it’s called, that little nubby thing?  Like I said, I am ignorant in this area.)

So Knut moved him onto the horse with Silje instead, and although I didn’t get a good picture of that, she did well with him there.  Elias on the other hand, who had put up with this all during his usual nap time was done, and we decided to hit the road at that point.

It was a beautiful day.  I don’t remember seeing so many people outside in so long!  I think everyone in the state was outside.  It’s on days like today, when I’m so so thankful that we live on one of the few farms that still take Sundays off…even during busy planting season.  If they did not, our family would have missed this whole day.  I feel so unbelievably blessed.