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 percent 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.