Jake falls in love

Relax.

It was with a horse. Well, two horses actually.

Meet Drake and Amigo. The "BEST horses in the world!" according to Jake and Lander, after we got a few kinks worked out. The biggest kink being that Amigo didn't like to be tied up. And when we say didn't like, that is probably an understatement.

We unloaded the horses from the trailers at the trailhead and tied them to the trailer for saddling. Amigo had other ideas in mind. He kicked. He flailed. He rolled around. He snorted. He jumped. He even busted open his lip. 

Blood was everywhere. 

Amigo was shaking.

Jake and Dixie were shaking because we knew that he was our mount.

Really?

Can't we just change horses?

Apparently the answer was no.

Lander with Drake and Amigo, soothing a terrified horse and building a young man's confidence. We realized that Amigo did not know how to be hard-tied, but was really a good-natured little beast. 

"Easy boy. Easy boy. It will be okay." That includes you too, Amigo.

Jake wanted to earn his Horsemanship Merit Badge for Scouts. This meant that he had to learn how to handle a horse. Grandpa and Mom taught him how to catch the horse, saddle it and then how to safely ride through the meadow. The boys caught both Drake and Amigo every day to practice their new-found skills.

It wasn't hard. They truly are the nicest horses (as long as we didn't attempt to tie Amigo) and would come when called. The boys fell in absolute love with Amigo.

"Amigo is the BEST horse in the world!"

Thank you, Grandpa, for finding such sweet horses for the boys to learn on. Thank you, Amigo and Drake, for being the wonderful creatures that you are. You were an answer to a (worried) mom's prayers!

Lander on Drake. Jake on Amigo. 

 Lander and Jake practice their riding skills