Meins goes to school!

Meins and I had the opportunity to go along with Ann-Marie to a school for Career Day. Meins, along with pasture mate, Hunter, myself and Hunter's owner, Mike, went to Yale Elementary school in Yale, Michigan yesterday. I arrived at her farm at 7Am to get Meins ready, it rained all day Monday, so we could be on the road by 8. It takes about an hour to get to Yale, so by 9 we were pulling into the parking lot and one of the teachers came out to let us know how many classrooms were participating and the kids came out in 20 to 30 minute interals. The first group out were in Kindergarden and first grade and their questions to Ann-Marie about her career choice as a horse trainer and about the horses themselves left me quite impressed!

Meins proved to be very entertaining to the kids, especially the boys, as he just HAD to pee and poop for the masses, antagonize Hunter by constantly backing into him and just being a "little" bit bad for Ann-Marie but then she was able to show the kids what training was all about. I think Meins staged the whole thing because he usually will just go to sleep and ignore what's going on.

By 11 we were done, loaded up the horses, cleaned up the parking lot and we were on our way home. Literally! We dropped Hunter off first at his home and then brought Meins home here at our place. Then I went back to the farm to pick up the rest of my stuff and my truck.

Yesterday was also farrier day for the boys so I met Darrin and his wife Carrie at the farm and he did Paha's feet. Paha was so relaxed that he went down in front while Darrin was doing his front left hoof! Darrin looked as if he lowered him down then Paha kind of jumped up like "What happened?" By the time we got back here to do Meins he was a bit cranky and really did not want to cooperate. But Darrin and his wife make a really great team and understood that he'd had a long day and was hungry and just plain tired. These are the kind of folks I want working with my horses. They are totally horse knowledgeable and recognized that Meins was just not having it today. There was no fussing, yelling, yanking just lots of scratches, rubs and love.

Thank you to all for one of the most enjoyable, yet exhausting, days with my boys.