Wunderbar

I’m a dummy!!  But it all worked out, and I’m a dummy who just had the most incredible first experience – yesterday I sat on my horse Wunder.  It was his first time ever being ridden, and it was my first time being the first person to sit on a horse.  Totally.  Awesome.   But let me back up and properly introduce you to my little Wunder:

Wunder is only 3 1/2 years old.  He has been “my” horse since, well, the day he was conceived!  He was a gift to me from my Mom.  I was about 10 years old when my Mom bought her horse Diantha.  Diantha was the nicest horse we’d ever owned, with a pedigree more shining than my resume.  So when Mom bought her, she promised me that one day she’d breed Di, and that I could have her first foal.  Well, that day didn’t come until almost 15 years later!  But once the time was right, Mom and I picked out a suitable stallion (AGA “baby daddy”) together and then a name for the foal (Mom really named him – Wunderbar – loosely translated to Wonderful) and together we watched Diantha’s belly grow, and then watched our little man’s first years unfold.

April 12, 2007 - Happy Birthday, Wunderbar!

So you know, saying he’s special to me is pretty much the understatement of the year.

Day 2 - Becki and Wunder Meet!

5 months after Wunder was born, I got married.  We stopped by the barn on the way back home from our honeymoon.  Mom was still able to ride at that time:

Wunder at 6 Months: with a wild-haired Becki, and chasing Mom n Diantha

After a very minor deliberation, Mom and I decided the course that Wunder’s life would (not) take:

15 Month old Wunder, minutes away from the Big Snip

Wunder has seen me through some major life changes of my own:

Wunder at 18 months old, Becki at 25 weeks preggo for the first time.

and been a sweet baby with my baby:

Sweet boy!

I’ve never trained a horse from the ground up before, but I’ve been learning as I go with Wunder, and have done everything with him myself.

First time being "fully clothed" - he'd worn the pad and surcingle a few times before, but this was the first time with the bit and bridle! Oh, and yes, I was 6 months preggo, thanks for noticing.

Which brings us to yesterday, and my stupidity.  Me, my brother and David have all been taking turns working with getting Wunder used to carrying a saddle, and have been pulling on the saddle and flapping the stirrups and generally trying to get him ready for his ultimate job: lugging me around.  Yesterday my brother and I got Wunder saddled up, and were getting him used to the idea of someone standing on a mounting block (basically a step stool for getting on a horse more easily) next to him.  I didn’t really intend to get on him yesterday, and in fact I was fairly certain that it would be David or my brother who finally did sit on him for the first time.  So, I was not wearing a helmet OR boots.  Two MAJOR NO-NO’S.  Do NOT be like me!!  This could have ended really, REALLY tragically.

Buuut it didn’t, and guess what I did yesterday!!!

My brother led me around the ring a couple of times like this, leaning over Wunder's back...

and then:

and then he led me around a couple of times fully astride. Wunder was AWESOME!!

Yep, I’ve been counting my blessings and walking on sunshine since yesterday!!  Don’t worry, I will definitely be wearing a helmet from now on – I like my brains unscrambled, thank you very much.

I can’t help but think how thrilled my Mom would have been to see us yesterday, though: my brother, who grew up really kind of hating horses, helping me ride my Wunder boy for the first time.  I know Mom would have been beaming from ear to ear seeing that sight!

SO HAPPY!

-Becki

Tagged as: Hanoverian, horses, Saddle breaking, Warmblood