What is your 'pure joy'?

OneFineAcre said:

Healthy baby goats make me happy.

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That's a good one OFA! Happy, bouncy baby goats could make anyone happy! They are so cute jumping all over the place!

I knew exactly what that first picture was - congrats! It's such a wonderful feeling, isn't it? I've done the same thing with one of mine, although I wasn't brave enough to actually get on without a saddle. You should be very proud of yourself

Some of my pure joys? Walking back in the pasture and thinking 'these are my woods' . Being with the sheep as they graze and browse - a nibble here, a nibble there, and seeing them hurry over when I bend down a branch for them to eat the leaves. Looking out my kitchen window and seeing my ponies and sheep in my own backyard. The one morning this past summer, when I milked and actually got enough milk that it 'sloshed' in the bucket as I walked back to the house .

Lol, seems like my old mare needs some ground lessons for respect!
She will stand very nicely and perfectly still while I tack her up, try to get on only to come back off and adjust this n that. Accidentally kicked her hip, she's so dang tall, she doesn't mind. But go where I want at the speed I want, nope!
She has a funny way of getting me to get off her, which is, to me, far safer than how others tell you to piss off. She will walk quickly to a building or a low hanging branch, to brush me off. I, of course not wanting to be decapitated or stabbed in the eye, grab onto the building or branch and off I go. She instantly stops and stands perfectly still, waiting for me to get off my lazy butt! Must say, it's a much nicer fall off/refusal than her bolting or bucking me off!
Did some long line lunging and then lead trotting w/sudden stops and turns. Will keep up with those things before getting back on and with my crop next time! Hopefully, the trees don't mind the pruning! =0

Of course, my gelding had to show off that he was the better horse after all! I'm still not telling him where to go and when to go, since he may revolt and buck/bolt. I'm keeping it to just sitting on him, wobbling, clapping, petting him all over, swinging my legs around, generally acting a fool, etc. And he calmly eats his bit of grass, occasionally flicking an ear my way or lifting his head over to me to see what the flying monkeys I'm doing. He's definitely acting more polite with the other horses while I'm up there. We walked around the yard for a good while, I'm still learning how to keep my position on such a wide steed.

Wish it was Spring so I could go take some refresher lessons!

This is her waiting after I took the branch with me onto the ground. How nice of her to not spook, step on my head after I hit my head against her rear leg and that she waited for me to stop fooling around like a worm.... =/
"What? You fell, you say? Now, how'd that happen?? Surely couldn't of been MY fault!"
Smug little prick! lol



Someone is a bit of a wide load!


Being nice and letting the mare steal from him


This is a saddle fit pic, after the ride and the mini work out, thus why the girth isn't on. Have ones with it tightened, but her deceivingly innocent face isn't in the pic. She also waits nicely for you to remove all the tack. Then she doesn't even run off, she'll wait for you to send her off.



My butt print and some hand prints from where I was patting him. Filthy, wet horses! been raining here. Hand turns grey when I pat the grey horse, fun how that works.



As you can possibly tell, I don't take things too seriously or personally. If I did, I wouldn't get anywhere and there would be no joy from it.

I look like a crazy person dressed like this in Winter, but ah well, got a pic of me on him.
DH took the pics and he had flash on! =0 Luckily, gelding only spooked in place and looked up at him.


Also, DH bought me a new channeled saddle pad and then a bareback pad to go on top. They'll be here in 2-3wks.

Nice shot. Awesome Christmas present!

Red pad came in, blue is still MIA.

At my age------being on top of the grass instead of under it--