I Don't Mean to Brag...

...and if you believe that, I have a nice bridge in NYC to sell you: cheap.

I would just like to take a minute to pat myself for the back on being among the coolest Dads on Earth. No, really, I'm actually quite amazing in the fatherhood department.

Just ask my kid!

Seriously, though, I'm pretty stoked. The Little Girl has been in horseback riding lessons now for a couple of months. The ranch where she takes her lessons is fantastic. Some ranches offer 30-minute lessons, and the horse is ready to go when you get there. You ride for a half hour, then get off the horse and leave.

Fail.

The ranch we go to makes you earn it. When you show up, your horse is either outside in a turn-out or, if it's been on a recent lesson, in a stall in the barn. Either way, the horse isn't wearing a thing. The young rider must - under supervision, of course - get her horse, halter it, bring it to the prep area, and tie it off. She's gotta brush it down, blanket it, and saddle it up. All said, the rider's working on the horse for a good 10 or 15 minutes before they ever leave the barn. Then they go out to learn to ride. And y'all, this learning thing happens at an approximate rate of Damned Fast. Get a kid that's passionate about something and you will truly know their capacity and rate for learning.

I've got to admit: I really look forward to Saturday mornings at the ranch as much as The Little Girl does. I adore being around the horses, the people are the poster children of Texas-friendly, and watching that kid work an animal that outweighs her by a factor of around 12-15 is a sight to behold. She does not fear the horses. She respects them, and above all else she truly, truly loves them. It really makes me proud to see her so effortlessly dedicated to this.

And did I mention the horses? Holy crap! You'd be hard-pressed to find a better looking, better maintained, working group of horses on earth. Very few show horses out there; these are riders to the core. Personality runs aplenty. And there's one of my personal favorites: Hercules. Hercules is a massive, bearded black Clydesdale. This horse is seriously friggin big. And every morning when I come in, he's always there to greet me. He's a touch under 6 feet at the shoulder, but when he puts his head up I can walk under his chin without ducking (and I'm 6' 3"). He's my buddy;)

See how exited I get? I wasn't kidding when I said I look forward to going out there. It's just a helluva place to be. Been there for years, too, so they're really well established and run a great business.

Well, don't tell her, but I've already told The Wifey and the staff at the ranch that, if The Little Girl sticks with riding, after a couple years we're gonna buy a horse and keep it there at the ranch.

See? I am the coolest Dad EVAR. Now I need a Harley...



tweaker