Sima is enjoying a slower, rural lifestyle. He no longer is part of a show barn life, or spending his weekends doing eventing. He has fully embraced this muddier, lazier way of living.
The boys adore him. He's a gentleman for their rides. They are practicing the basics right now, like trying to learn how to post to the trot.
And I enjoy him, too! I've been taking him on trail rides, and sometimes do a little jumping. Last week I showed Pierce how to use the good camera, and he worked on getting action shots. I took three fences, and Pierce caught two of them just right.
It's been a long time since I've jumped much, or worked with a trainer. It's good for me to see the pictures to pick out my flaws. I got a tad left behind on this one.
Compared to Francie, he's an easy going, straightforward ride. He's very sensitive to cues - like changing diagonals or asking for leads.
Riding him makes me feel like a teenager again. It's such a treat to ride a more finished horse.
But this is the best part of it - he's gentle with the boys, trustworthy. And here's my photographer. Didn't he do a wonderful job?
We all look forward to more rides with Sima. Once the boys are more balanced, I'm hoping we can even do some trail rides on our land.