This little girl is growing up entirely too quickly, if you ask her mother. 

This weekend at our branding, she rode all by herself. Granted, her Dad led her horse for most of the ride, but she sat in the saddle by herself. This is a huge milestone! She was so excited; it's all she could talk about for the rest of the weekend.

She was a little concerned that morning when she discovered she wouldn't be riding her beloved horse, Tinker. However, by the end of the ride she had decided that she had a new favorite horse: Jack. (whom we affectionately referred to as Fat Jack most of the weekend, for obvious reasons). She helped gather the cows and calves, then bring them to the branding corral. It was a relatively short ride, which was perfect for her solo debut.

She got a few lessons from her Dad. How to keep her feet in the stirrups, hold on to the reins, and sit in the middle of the saddle.

Not only did she have a great time, so did her Dad. He told anyone who would listen what a great job she did and is envisioning her roping in a couple of years. Love that he is so proud of his daughter.

Of course the weather was less than ideal: cold and rainy. Didn't bother her though, she was excited for the opportunity to wear her pink monkey raincoat!

Don't all aspiring cowgirls need a pink monkey raincoat?