Update from Emily on Sophie

Hi Judy,
I took Sophie on a ride last night and she did awesome. I love her wonderfully smooth gaits. We went across the highway and she didn't act scared of the cars at all, of course the pasture goes up pretty close to it so she has been well exposed to the fast moving cars. We didn't make it across on the first try because she had to stop and check out the yellow lines and then wouldn't go across them so we had to turn around because a car was coming. The second time she marched right over them. Our neighbors were having a singing so then we had to go down the road with a line of cars on each side. She snorted at them a little bit and then decided that they weren't very scary and went right through. She loves to do her fast running walk and I love it too. We cantered a little bit too. When we got home she was all hot and sweaty so I took her for a dip in the pond to cool off. Then she was in such high spirits she was running in circles around me on the way back to the pasture. I wished I had a camera with me when I let her loose. She was so beautiful running with her tail held high and neck arched with the very red sunset in the background. Oh well, it was probably to dark for a good picture anyways. Then she would tear right up to me and put on the breaks and stop right in front of me, hold her head up really high and snort very loudly as if saying "Look at me... yes, I know I'm gorgeous!!" Her ground manners are very good and she is very respectful while being led. She totally impresses me every day how much we've bonded since she calmed down. As far as the spookiness, that is almost gone. I think she must have been pretty far out of her comfort zone when she first got here not having been away from other horses or around goats or cows. She is catching on to riding very quickly; she turns a lot easier than the first couple of times and goes, speeds up and stops right on command. Thanks so much for letting me have her for the summer. I'm going to see if Laura can take pictures of me riding her today if she has time.
Emily

Thanks for the wonderful update on Sophie Emily, We can't WAIT to see pictures!