Granddaughter Overnight

We had the granddaughters for an overnight! Is always such fun and we feel very priviledged that their parents let them stay frequently. The taller one, Meredith, is eight and has always enjoyed my fiber pursuits and being in the barn with me. After we finished walking alpacas, she and I cleaned up her mom's old mare, Abbey. We scrubbed and curried and brushed until Abbey was shining. Of course, Meredith had to braid up her mane. Then we washed all the horses brushes, combs, and currys plus their carry totes and left them on the picnic table to dry. Meredith is learning how to lunge Ivan. For you nonhorsey folks, lunging a horse is standing in the center of a circle with a long line attached to the horse. The horse moves around while obeying walk, trot, canter commands. Meredith is amazed that she can ask this HUGE animal to do something - and he does it.
Five year old Elizabeth who wants to be a vet thinks that the barn is a little smelly. She is quite the comedian and has us smiling and laughing constantly. She did have a mishap yesterday. She wanted to lead Orion (above alpaca). We had told her to hold him tight in case he started acting silly. Well, he did! and pulled her down. Elizabeth held tight and got dragged about ten feet before she let go. Bad Grandma should have realized a 44 pound little girl is no match for a 90 pound little alpaca.