Maria is getting to know Chloe, an independent-minded pony who is coming to our farm sometime in May. She and her friend Eli Anita-Norman spent Tuesday afternoon grooming Chloe, figuring out how to clean tails and hooves,  how to put a saddle on her. Maria is as excited about the pony as I have seen her, this is not something I could imagine her doing five years ago.

What a privilege to see her grow in strength and creativity and confidence. She plans to ride Chloe on the trails and in the woods behind our farm, there are lots of both. She’s beginning riding lessons next week. Chloe is steady and grounded, she likes attention, but is also quite independent. We will have to figure out  how to carefully acclimate her with the donkeys.