All of the gentle mounts already had beginners on them, though most of the riders didn't really know much more than to get on and sit there. We had some teenagers to help by leading the smaller kids. After a few minutes of teaching them the basics of "whoa" as well as steering and brakes, I was about to get on my horse when I realized that my nephew, who has been visiting me for riding lessons, did not have a horse to ride. I thought about the predicament a minute, then put him on my horse. I ran him through the basics one more time, reminding him that the horses we were riding were not allowed to sniff noses or butts with other horses. That wasn't really a new request, since I have taught him that throughout his lessons, but this time he had to watch more closely than ever, as I was not going to be beside him every minute. I saddled one of the really green horses, and started the ride praying that I wouldn't be tossed.
We ended up riding for about two hours with my nephew leading the way through the trails, and I rode back and forth from the first horse to the last, helping anyone having trouble. We would circle back to the feeding area to change riders, sometimes putting teenagers on the horses, other times putting little ones on with someone assigned to lead them, then heading out again. We never had any trouble from the horses, and my nephew seemed to be handling himself and his mount pretty well. My nephew even helped by showing one little boy how to hold the reins so his horse was comfortable.
Since then I have made lots of rides with my horses carrying my dad's grandkids and great-grandkids. I have no doubt that I can trust my nephew and my horse to be a great team. This may all sound pretty normal to the reader: people and children riding a group of mares which are familiar with most of the trails they are on; but let me add a few facts now that you know the story. My nephew is only eight years old and he has had only had a few riding lessons. The horse he was riding was my three year old stallion, "Cajun" (also known as Northern Song, AIHR # O-2727).
This story was presented to the American Indian Horse Registry for use in their publication AIHR Indian Horse News. The AIHR is a world-wide registry which scans the globe, reporting on the American Indian Horse Breed and it's versatility.
