Our newest, biggest family member

Ever since I can remember I dreamed of having my own horse. Well, that dream has come true! The owners of the horse I've been riding since March asked me if I wanted to buy him. Mo is the kind of horse I have always dreamed of - so, we did! And, to my surprise, I didn't even have to do much convincing with Neil. Mo is an older, seasoned  American Quarter Horse gelding in great shape, with excellent training, sensitive and honest, and very reliable. For Mogli, nothing much changes as he stays where he is, except now he often has two little kids loving on him and spoiling him with carrots. And sometimes they are sitting on him while I supervise. Eventually they will get to ride him, too.

We think Mogli is absolutely beautiful, inside and out, and thus it came as a shock when I learned what his registered name is. :)  His grandsire is the famous Hollywood Dun It, a legendary stallion whose "offspring are renowned for their attractive looks and extreme trainability" (that's a quote from the website that I linked to; just click on the name above). Mo's breeder certainly didn't think so when it came to the first, because he named this beautiful horse, wait for it, UGLY DUN IT. His former owner refused to ever call him that, and so he became a Mogli.

Mo has won many ribbons in the sport of reining, (you can click on the link to learn more) true to his heritage. This is him during a competition in 2012, his last show season. Now he is retired from the show ring, but he is still just as fit and willing to work.  

Here he is doing a sliding stop.

And here is his new owner, happy as a clam. :)

And the whole family (Neil behind the camera)

All right, darling, we'll make a cowboy of you yet, but please, not on my horse. Judging by how Mo is swishing his tail, he seems to agree with me.

And this is how real lil' cowgirls climb up on their horse. A leg up from Mama? Pah! 

In other news, the other furry family members are all doing well also.

Lily's bunny sure has some relaxed attitude going on. Timmy is much more "flighty" and doesn't like to be carried around so much.

The kids won't be out of school until July 31st here, but weather permitting, we're having some summer fun anyway. At Jana's house

or on our patio. (Or we go to the big pool or a pond for a swim.)

Blue, our natural born chiller, doing what he does best.

And here is Timmy, still looking at bit surprised. I had taken him to the vet that morning and picked him back up that afternoon. Snip snip. Two bunnies are enough. Tomorrow I'll take him back to get the stitches out. Such is life. :)