Change of Shoes

I get asked all the time.  Why do you want to be a cowgirl?  How did this happen?  When did this happen?   Seriously... why?  

I didn't grow up with or even near horses.  I knew nothing of farm life, raising livestock or the real color of fresh chicken eggs.  My husband did.  He had a horse, woke up in the wee hours of the morning to do chores and even showed pigs at the fair (go ahead -- I laughed).  Then he grew up and left the farm to move to the big city.  Poor thing.  He thought he got away from all that.

Almost 5 years ago, we moved to Cache Valley and what can I say, I got a glimpse of rural life.  The pace suits me.  I soon saw that the life I wanted was very different from the life I had. My transformation started in 2008, mostly in part to Brielle.  She's a lover of all things animal, that girl.  Chris and I talked about how great it would be for her to have a horse of her own.  Enter equine #1...

Cocoa-Ca-Cho

Brielle picked out this little guy, and 6 months later (when he was ready to leave his mama) we loaded him up and brought him home to love and enjoy.  And we have.  

Enter pup #1...

Izz-the-Friz

Then I sorta tricked Chris into equine #2...

Dandy-Man

I've learned many lessons as a pet owner, most of which, I've documented on my family blog.  Some lessons were painful and some really stunk (literally), but I love these animals.  They changed my life, and introduced to me to a lifestyle I hope never to lose.

So... I'm trading in my shoes. 

These.......                                                               For These.

I'm not a horse expert, but I hope to become one.  I enjoy grooming, feeding and riding. I don't mind the chores -- in fact, it's my favorite time of day.  One day I'll have a ranch of my own with 3 horses (one for each of us), maybe a cow and some chickens just for fun.  My name is Emily Merkley, and I'm a wanna-be-cowgirl.