Sunday in the Country

Last weekend was a beautiful spring-like weekend, with temps around 70 degrees. Perfect for a drive to the country, so we went out to see my hubby's sister, Sunni, who is a real life horse-woman. She is working on getting her own business going with boarding, training, riding lessons and trail rides and is working with a local small cattle rancher by renting his barn. She has two beautiful Tennesee Walking horses and it was a fun afternoon. She was grooming them when we arrived and I snapped lots of pics while she was working. She's a natural with horses and got this love from their mother, who had many horses of her own over the years. This is her newest horse, who she calls Little Roan and she is a young thing, 3 years old.

She was fairly patient while Sunni worked her over with electric clippers and brushes. She did not like getting her ears clipped though and couldn't wait to get out of there.
I walked around taking pics of the barn. It was very clean and newly outfitted with beadboard. I love this rocking chair. Sunni gets up close and personal with her horses and this little one gives kisses on demand.
Meet Savannah, Sunni's older horse who I got to ride. She's a sweet and gentle horse. Note the Rebel flag blowing in the breeze. After all, we are in Alabama.
The Tackroom

Horse books
She has put a lot of effort into getting this place all spiffed up. It's a really pretty barn & folks should be glad to have their horses boarded here.
Love this sign. Isn't this peaceful? That black rocking chair belonged to their other grandfather, who they called Big Daddy. He's been gone many years, but Sunni got his old rocking chair.

Savannah in the corral.
You can see what a beautiful day it was.
Little one waiting patiently to be set free.
Savannah going to get saddled up. Don't I look like a natural?? NOT! I did have fun riding her around the corral. She's a great horse, very gentle and easy to control. She did a fast walk, which is the natural gait for a Tennesee Walker, I hear. I grew up riding horses some at my uncle's place in Florida, so I have been around horses some. But, I'm far from comfortable with horses. My worst horse story was when one of my uncle's quarter horses ran away with me way back when I was in my late teens and had taken some of my girlfriends over there to ride. Now that was scary! I should have known better than to get on a horse named Trouble.
Uncle Pete with his niece, Shannon. She's a sweet girl.
Here come the girls late afternoon when it's time to get in the stall for the night and eat oats and apples.
And some baby calves on the way out. Aren't they cute?

There's nothing better than a drive out to the country to really make you appreciate spring and nature and I have an open invitation to go ride horses whenever I want to. I will definitely be going back!