Horse Tales

Remember when I said this blog wasn't all about homeschooling? Like my life, it's still just a teeny tiny bit about me (at least every once in a while). Well, this is one of those times.

Yesterday, we made a trip to the tack shop to buy the kids a riding helmet. You see, our recent unit study on horses has really stirred up something in all of us. For the kids, it has sparked an interest in riding lessons. For me, it's brought back memories of my childhood and given me the desire to help my kids to find something they are passionate about - whether it turns out to be horses or something else.

I rode competitively growing up and always thought that riding and teaching would be my career. Turns out, the fun went out of it once it became a job. So after riding 3-8 hours a day for the better part of 10 years, I walked away and never looked back. Until now.

Today, we went to "test ride" a horse available for partial lease. I'd really like to teach the kids myself, but at the same time, I wonder if I'm rushing things. Would it be better to do lessons for a few months and see if the interest sticks? Of course, at the same time I'm online searching real estate listings for horse-friendly houses, so compared to that, a partial lease sounds almost rational. I'm very curious to see where this will lead, and only time will tell.