photography by Dave Russell (http://daverussellphotography.com/)

My mom is the reason my horse dreams come true. She was there to remind me breathing is a really good thing to do when show jumping at my first show ever, and she was there, in the pouring rain, to cheer me on in the first event I ever won with Noah. She was there when I fell in love with that chestnut trouble maker, and she was there to hug me while I cried in sheer frustration after the worst clinic with him in the history of riding. I don’t know how my mom did it, but I sure hope I can figure it out. She was the reason that I can look back with a grin on that summer bike ride so many years ago, when I fed a horse along the trail a carrot and told her some day I’d have a horse of my own. She made that day dream a reality.

In honor of mother’s day, here are some ideas of fun mother-daughter horsey activities. I’ve included some every-day ones, as well as some great places to visit around the US, just in case you’re traveling and need a quick horse fix. This list is just a few I thought up–please feel free to add to it!!

1. Read “Black Beauty” together. Some of my fondest memories of childhood are the stories my mom would read to me, our cat curled up on her lap as she painted pictures with words. “Black Beauty” is one of the classic horse stories, up there with “My Friend Flicka,” and far easier to read. There is a picture-book version and the full chapter book. Don’t forget a few tissues for poor Ginger’s chapter… Read more on A mother’s day…