Lil' Sis And The Cowgirl

She's just a lucky cowgirl. She grew up and gets to do her passion, riding horses. It's a little more than that, of course, but the kid basically as a hunter-jumper trainer teaches other riders who want to learn to ride or improve their riding and trains the horses by riding the horses herself also.

Sarahjoy bred her mare and a perfect little foal was born, which she of course named Perfect C. She always nicknames her horses, so Perfect C, is really called 'Sis' or 'Lil' Sis'.

Foals learn 80% of what they need to survive in the first few hours and days after birth, so newborn Sis through a process called imprinting was taught to lay comfortably in Sarahjoy's lap, wear a baby horse halter and form a bond. Because of the imprinting, they've developed a relationship where Sis never really had to be 'broken,' to be ridden the first time. Sarahjoy was always the trusted herd leader and grown up Sis today literally responds to just the touch of a finger.

Recently Sis came back from being out at pasture, recovering from an injury and the horse and trainer were overjoyed.

Little Sis had matured, developing more muscle and strength, and Sarahjoy had gone from an assistant training position to 'head honcho' at a significant training facility where she was riding bigger and more talented horses six days a week.

She tells me the story days later, she says she's sore all over, that she'd worn a white sweater and light colored breeches (that she never wears, reminding me, 'you know that,' and I mentally agree with her). Sis had been gone for six months and she got excited, the two were out together. I'm seeing muddy clothes in my mind when she tells me the weather was unusual, the grounds were mucky because a storm had recently pounded the area.

Sis was so happy, coming out of her skin she was so excited when she saw the jumps but was told, 'No, you can't jump today.'

At 5-1/2 years, she's actually not a huge size horse, so Sarahjoy, my 28-year old daughter, totally took her for granted, they were just gonna' walk her around, but Sis started getting a little crazy, she started a lil' buck, did a crow hop and a couple small bucks, wanting to go 'bucking bronco'. Sarahjoy's thinking, 'yeah, yeah,' all at walk.

She did a couple jump-off-the-ground spin-deal spheels and still Sarahjoys thinking, 'ha ha ha, that was funny,' Sis' excitement growing and then BAM! she was off! At one point Sarahjoy realized, 'she's gonna buck me off,' because she was getting quicker and she was figuring out what wasn't working and getting cattier. She said she didn't climb off, should have, didn't. Two pupils were watching from different directions, one kid saying later, 'she tried to buck you off; when it didn't work, she decided to try the rear-spin buck thing.'

The other kid said, 'yeah, its really hard when they do that.'

Because Sarahjoy had broken the young horse when she was young Sis had a hard time with balance sometimes because she 'gave everything' at such a young age. Sis learned that day that she is bigger and she's stronger. It's so easy to do things now 'with balance,' it's easy and Sis feels empowered.

So she continues to tell me, 'Mom, my lil mare grew muscles she didn't knew she had and knocked me in the mud,' and she added that she was banned from text messaging while riding, which she'd also been doing, and had broken the outside screen on her flip phone.

That is my kid, the little cowgirl.

For more information on imprinting, click here Dr. Miller & Imprint Training Of The Newborn Foal