HAPPY BIRTHDAY RIO!

I can't believe it but today is Rio's FIRST BIRTHDAY!! A year ago today Rio was born on a chilly April morning. She turned out not to be what I expected but what a gift I have received. She's has learned so much over the last year, as have I. As I look back over the last year some common cliches come to mind... "Good things come in small packages", "Watch what you wish for", "Good things come to those who wait", I could go on and on. It has been fun and some days challenging working with Rio and preparing her to be a well-behaved and useful mount. Even after she does something that frustrates me she looks at me with those big brown eyes as if to say "What'd I do?". Of course then I just sigh and kiss her on the nose and we move on or try again. She will never be her mama but I've come to love the things that make her unique. I'm looking forward to seeing how she matures over the next few years and to see what I will end up doing with her. Will she follow in her mother's footsteps and be an accomplished show horse or will she be a trusty trail mount? Only time will tell. But until then I plan on enjoying training her and appreciate the fact that I can even have a horse, let alone two in this day and age.

In celebration of her birthday we threw her a little party at the barn. Of course her "grandma" and "grandpa", and even her "great-grandma" were on hand for the festivities. I even tried to make her a "cake" out of carrots, oats, and molasses. She seemed to enjoy herself and her barnmates snacked on "party favors" just for them. While "guests" helped Rio celebrate a video of Rio's birth played and pictures of her mama as a newborn foal and weanling were on display.