# What is your 'pure joy'?



## secuono (Dec 19, 2014)

What moments or activities do you find bring you pure happiness?

_My newest joy is this-_



 *Curious first picture, huh?

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If anyone is wondering, no, it's not ~just~ horseback riding...
This happens to be my Hippo, nervous, spooky, sensitive gelding.
He's constantly growing into a far better horse than he was when I first got him a few years ago.

Recently, I've been flinging myself up over his back and just laying there. Like the first picture shows.

Today, I decided to push my luck and sit on him! I lead him in to the dog yard, where there is just a hint of grass left.

Up I went, trying not to shake like a leaf! He ignored me, kept eating his wee bit of grass, slowly taking a few steps here and there for some new grass.

*squeeaa!!!* Boy am I as giddy as a schoolgirl! So happy!  

He is a lot more calm and confidence when he's got a lead on and even upgraded to spooking in his spot and not actually moving an inch! Even when not caught, if he's with me, he will only spook in his skin and not fly off like a chicken.

If only you guys could of seen what he was like before! I don't think I ever really believed I'd ever be able to sit on him, with really no way to control him or not fall off. _(((note, there's no saddle...or bit in his mouth)))_

After about 8 minutes, I slid off, got the camera, hopped back on and took the pics. Then I slid off again, put the camera away and then hopped on for a few more minutes of awesome! I'm sure there was a giant, stupid grin on my face, too. Maybe I posted that before as well, few months ago, that he would of ran away if he had seen or heard the camera! But I worked with him some about it and now he doesn't mind the flash, weird noises it makes or that it's very shiny.

I'll eventually be asking DH to lead him while I'm up there, in my helmet and protective vest, praying he doesn't buck and if he does, that it's small, a one time thing and that I don't fall off! But for now, I'll keep hopping up there just to sit and enjoy him not bolting, bucking or whatever else a nervous horse might spring up on you!

*So that would be my new bit of pure joy and happiness. What is yours?*


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## Southern by choice (Dec 19, 2014)

That just made me grin from ear to ear!
I can see you you smiling and wanting to squeal with joy but dare not!
What an accomplishment!    

I don't train horses but I do train dogs. I would say that would be mine. Not  a whole lot of training with LGD's so not quite like what I use to do. I am tempted to breed my GSD just so I can have some dogs to work with. Alas I am getting old and don't have the stamina.
Next... my goats! Especially Cici, Kelly and Ruby!


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## Devonviolet (Dec 19, 2014)

What an awesome story!   I can see why you find so much joy in riding - well, sitting on your dear gelding.   How patient you are!!! 

I had a pure joy moment earlier this week.  We closed on our five acres last Friday.  DH and I went to feed the poultry after we finished with closing.  It had rained earlier, and was dreary and chilly when we got there. So, it was a bit anti-climactical, to say the least

But THEN . . . . Monday morning dawned - a bright sunny day! We drove the 1-3/4 hours to the farm, and sat on the front porch with a cup of coffee listening to the rooster crow!  As I sat there, looking at the beautiful woods, with sun shining through the tree branches, I got tears in my eyes, and gratitude in my heart, for where God has brought me from . . . To THIS!  Yes, that is pure JOY!!!


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## frustratedearthmother (Dec 19, 2014)

Love these stories!

My "pure joy" is easy - my grandkids! 

There are plenty of other things that bring me joy also...watching a little goat take it's first breath, freshly hatched chicks, the first row of pea sprouts popping up in the spring...

The list could go on and on...I'm easily pleased, lol!


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## secuono (Dec 19, 2014)

Simple things regularly bring me happiness. When I was a kid, just 6yrs ago, these things wanted to do just that, but the teen spirit said "no".
I love when a doe has her kits and all grow well and are fed.
I love when my sheep have their lambs and I want to hug the moms, but they give me the stink eye, lol.
Love when my planted seeds start to grow.
Love when I have time in spring/summer to just lay in pasture, staring at the clouds and the sheep and horses graze calmly around me.
It's just wonderful!

More people need to let the simple things in life warm their hearts and fill their dreams!


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## GLENMAR (Dec 19, 2014)

I love goat babies. I love watching my turkey hen hatch and raise her babies. Actually I love all babies.
I love walking around the farm and snapping photos of the animals just hanging out and relaxing. I also love that first cup of coffee in the morning before going out to feed everyone.


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## OneFineAcre (Dec 20, 2014)

Healthy baby goats make me happy.


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## FarmersDigest (Dec 20, 2014)

Spending time with my animals. I can have the worst day ever, and just watching them, petting them, or yes even talking to them helps me out so much!


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## Goat Whisperer (Dec 20, 2014)

I would have to say my goats and dogs And pretty udders (goats)


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## Devonviolet (Dec 20, 2014)

Goat Whisperer said:


> I would have to say my goats and dogs And pretty udders (goats)





  "pretty utters". What a stitch!


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## Devonviolet (Dec 20, 2014)

OneFineAcre said:


> Healthy baby goats make me happy.



That's a good one OFA! Happy, bouncy baby goats could make anyone happy!  They are so cute jumping all over the place!


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## norseofcourse (Dec 23, 2014)

I knew exactly what that first picture was - congrats!  It's such a wonderful feeling, isn't it?  I've done the same thing with one of mine, although I wasn't brave enough to actually get on without a saddle.  You should be very proud of yourself  

Some of my pure joys?  Walking back in the pasture and thinking 'these are my woods'  .  Being with the sheep as they graze and browse - a nibble here, a nibble there, and seeing them hurry over when I bend down a branch for them to eat the leaves.  Looking out my kitchen window and seeing my ponies and sheep in my own backyard.  The one morning this past summer, when I milked and actually got enough milk that it 'sloshed' in the bucket as I walked back to the house  .


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## secuono (Dec 23, 2014)

Lol, seems like my old mare needs some ground lessons for respect! 
She will stand very nicely and perfectly still while I tack her up, try to get on only to come back off and adjust this n that. Accidentally kicked her hip, she's so dang tall, she doesn't mind. But go where I want at the speed I want, nope! 
She has a funny way of getting me to get off her, which is, to me, far safer than how others tell you to piss off. She will walk quickly to a building or a low hanging branch, to brush me off. I, of course not wanting to be decapitated or stabbed in the eye, grab onto the building or branch and off I go. She instantly stops and stands perfectly still, waiting for me to get off my lazy butt!  Must say, it's a much nicer fall off/refusal than her bolting or bucking me off! 
Did some long line lunging and then lead trotting w/sudden stops and turns. Will keep up with those things before getting back on and with my crop next time! Hopefully, the trees don't mind the pruning! =0  

Of course, my gelding had to show off that he was the better horse after all! I'm still not telling him where to go and when to go, since he may revolt and buck/bolt. I'm keeping it to just sitting on him, wobbling, clapping, petting him all over, swinging my legs around, generally acting a fool, etc. And he calmly eats his bit of grass, occasionally flicking an ear my way or lifting his head over to me to see what the flying monkeys I'm doing.    He's definitely acting more polite with the other horses while I'm up there. We walked around the yard for a good while, I'm still learning how to keep my position on such a wide steed. 

Wish it was Spring so I could go take some refresher lessons! 

This is her waiting after I took the branch with me onto the ground. How nice of her to not spook, step on my head after I hit my head against her rear leg and that she waited for me to stop fooling around like a worm....  =/ 
_"What? You fell, you say? Now, how'd that happen?? Surely couldn't of been MY fault!" _
Smug little prick! lol



 


Someone is a bit of a wide load! 


 

Being nice and letting the mare steal from him


 

This is a saddle fit pic, after the ride and the mini work out, thus why the girth isn't on. Have ones with it tightened, but her deceivingly innocent face isn't in the pic. She also waits nicely for you to remove all the tack. Then she doesn't even run off, she'll wait for you to send her off. 


 


My butt print and some hand prints from where I was patting him. Filthy, wet horses! been raining here. Hand turns grey when I pat the grey horse, fun how that works. 


 


As you can possibly tell, I don't take things too seriously or personally. If I did, I wouldn't get anywhere and there would be no joy from it.


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## secuono (Dec 25, 2014)

I look like a crazy person dressed like this in Winter, but ah well, got a pic of me on him. 
DH took the pics and he had flash on! =0 Luckily, gelding only spooked in place and looked up at him.   


 

Also, DH bought me a new channeled saddle pad and then a bareback pad to go on top. They'll be here in 2-3wks.


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## Devonviolet (Dec 25, 2014)

Nice shot. Awesome Christmas present!


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## secuono (Jan 22, 2015)

Red pad came in, blue is still MIA.


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## greybeard (Jan 24, 2015)

At my age------being on top of the grass instead of under it--


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## frustratedearthmother (Jan 24, 2015)




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