Oh sweet lady, I needed today’s triumph! Our biggest step together yet was the absolute highlight of my day. I snuck away from work early with less than an hour’s worth of daylight left but I wasn’t going to waste it!

I was lucky that it was close enough to dinner time, so when I walked down to the field and called her name the entire herd came running, saving me walking the length of the giant pasture. I got her tacked up and her boots on in record time with Kade’s help, sucked up all my bravery and hopped on Tarma… outside the arena. For our first ever “it’s a big world out there” ride together.

We did a few loops around the outside of the barn and while we were both a tad tense and uncertain, I decided to just let her go and pointed her to the loop around the orchard we’ve been doing in hand the past few weeks. Sometimes the best thing for nerves is to just move forward…and sing Hamilton songs!

Tarma was foot perfect, no spookiness or silliness, just marching on ahead. She did call once to the herd in the “I’m over here guys!” way, not in the “I need to be with them!” way. It was the perfect end to a stressful day and I’m totally in love with my beautiful, smart, fast little mare!