What is it about a horse ride that makes the world a better place?

Yesterday was just one of those days. It was one of those day's that make me wonder why on earth did I ever think I could teach my children at home. And why on earth would I even want too?
There are days that I think it would be easier to teach a pet coon how to do reading, writing and arithmetic, then youngest DS. That kid is cute as a button, smart as a whip and stubborn as a mule, and has the attention span of said pet coon. He spends more time trying to get out of his work then doing his work. It took an hour just to get through two pages of math. Now you may be saying two pages is alot. Well not really. There wasn't that many problems on the page.
I have him sitting a the table, I turn my back, poof...he has disappeared. I find him. Here we go again. I have to go put another load in the washer. Poof...he is gone again. I find him...again. This time I threaten him with the paddle. And I set the timer, he hates the timer. The timer is not his friend. I hear Mamaaaaaaa Pleaseeeeeee don't set the timerrrrrrrrr. I will do my work, I promise. Please don't set the timerrrrrrrrr. He gets one more chance. I go out to feed the dogs. I come back in. He is sitting in the chair staring out into space waving a small American flag. Why is he doing that? I have no idea. I guess it is his tribute to Presidents day. Me being the mean mom that I am, snatch his flat away roll it up and put it up on the icebox. I know, I have probably in someway quenched his freedom of expression, or his creativeness, or...who knows. I am sure the child rearing experts could have a field day with my child rearing abilities.
Anyway, now that his, "just one more chance", is over, I set the timer. He has to been done in 15 minutes with his page, and if he isn't...well lets just say, it won't be pretty. We snivel, we whine, we cry, we sit and say,"stupid timer". During all this we are not doing our math. With only 2 or 3 problems being completed ding, it goes off. Oh boy...now he has to suffer the consequences of his actions, and then we get to start all over again. This goes on for an hour, and possibly more. I just quit looking at the clock. Finally we are through. Now on the reading. Now he does not mind reading all that much, so we read about gallflyes. Yes gallflyes. Yuck. By now I am mentally pooped. He is like a caged animal. Go clean your room, I say." But mamaaaaaa it is clean, thats all Taylors stuff." I just look at him. Finally off he goes. I go and check and he is sitting in front of the heater looking at a book. " Why aren't you cleaning?" " I am thinking about it." " Well think harder....do you want me to set the timer"?
And so it went the rest of the morning. By noon I needed a valuim. Which I don't take, by the way. But if I did take them, I would have taken 2.
Dinner came. He didn't like what we were having. Made him eat it anyway. Now is time to feed the dogs, and take the scraps to the chickens. More whining, more dilly dallying. I feel as if my head will explode. Now that would get his attention.
His daddy tells him that his horse is out in the pen, and he is going to go ride him. But daddy, I can't catch himmmmmmm. Wrong thing to say because older brother then proceeds to call him a girl.
Finally he gets saddled up. With various dogs trailing behind off he and Rocky go, blazing a new trail through the horse pasture. Finding adventure around every corner and behind every bush. Making up new songs. He sings when he rides. He says that Rocky enjoys music.
After about an hour and a half, I hear him coming. Just talking away to Rocky and the dogs. He pulls up to the yard fence and tells me how far he went, and all about his ride. Then he proceeds to get off, pull his saddle, feed his horse and with a chipper attitude comes and helps me water down my flower beds. Is this the same kid that just hours ago I was considering selling him off to a band of gypsies?
The evening comes to a close. He helps me set the table for supper. Gets his bath. And after a chapter of Hank the Cowdog, goes to bed without a peep.
The day over, I sit in the quietness and thanked the good Lord for the wonderful creature He created, I think mostly for naughty little boys, the horse.

God Bless and Happy trails
Ranch wife.

PS Forgive my spelling and type o's. For some reason my spell check is not working.

remember coming up...An Ode to Sourdough
But not today, it is just to pretty to stay inside.

A Quote by Nathan....." Mama who invented school?" me, " I don't know."
Nathan....." Whoever did ,sure must have been bored."