Filling The Water Trough
The weather was beautiful. It’s almost time for school to start again. I really wanted to get the kids out on the horses!
There wasn’t time or energy to invite friend over for them to ride with. They get along great most of the time. Why couldn’t both children go ride together? Who says they have to have some different friend here to ride with?
So I ordered them outside. One of their morning jobs is to fill the water tank for the cattle. This isn’t a turn on the faucet and wait sort of a tank. It’s on the other side of the pivot and is filled out of the same pipe that supplies water to the pivot. It pumps a LOT of water. The tank is filled in a minute or so. It’s a big and very important job. If somehow the tank doesn’t get shut off thousands of gallons of water will be flooding the field. On the bright side, it would be pretty hard to miss noticing the thunder of water being spewed forth while it runs. Not something you can walk away from.Β If it doesn’t get done the cows will die of thirst. Of course they’ll probably complain to us loudly before that happens. But still. It’s a very big job for two kids.
Why not send them out to do the second filling in the afternoon? Even better, why not send them out on horses!
It’s not a long ride out there. Not quite a full mile out and back. But it is a ride with purpose. Having a good reason to do something always makes it more fun. But I didn’t want them rushing out and back. It would be nice if they could do more riding than just out and back. Extra rule; no computers for two hours from the time they get on the horses. There. Now they should want to hang out andΒ enjoy the ride
My daughter went happily. She would never admit to wanting to go for a ride, but she did seem enthusiastic.
My son did not want to go. He had a whole list of things he would rather do. Not that he had been doing. He had been sitting in front of a computer. A terrible waste of a day like this. He pouted and whined and refused to go.
My daughter, being her usual snarky, sarcastic, brilliant self, said “get his leadrope. If he doesn’t want to go I’ll just pony him.” Of course there was more to it than just that. There were the thoughts of things she could make him do if she was in charge. Where and at what speed she could lead his horse. While he was the helpless passenger.
So I got her the rope. Off they went. Not with ease or speed. She’s never ponied a horse before. Luckily her mare has spent most of her life roping. She was fine with ropes under her tail. We had a talk about never tying the rope anywhere and the wrecks that could cause. It took them many minutes to get out of the yard. Horses going opposite directions. Everyone spinning in circles. Careful and willful malicious compliance on my sons part made life very difficult. He was not going to help himself be lead. He was enjoying the mayhem.
Finally they were off down the driveway. Or somewhere. A large part of them learning about horses this way is me staying out of it. Letting them figure out for themselves how to solve problems and convince the horses to work with them.
Not quite an hour later I stepped out the front door, making sure no loose horses had come back and were standing at the fence line. Nothing there. But through the trees next to the house I spied horses with riders. They were just standing. Talking. Grazing. They had made it back They would want help unsaddling shortly. I wen back inside and got ready. Still no children. I went back out to look again. Now they were sitting on the horses next to the trailer. Not moving. Just sitting there staring into space.
Why, children, why do you sit here doing nothing?
Did I mean that they could get off the horses before the two hours were up?!?! They hadn’t realized that. They thought they had to be on horses for two hours.
Yes, the tank got filled. Yes, they went for a nice ride by themselves. NO, they are not as brilliant as they sometimes think they are. Oh well, it still worked and we’ll have to try it again tomorrow.












































