Vidalia — When The Dart landed on Mimosa Street on Sunday, Crystal McManus and her daughter, Shelbi, were getting ready to hit the trails.

“We ride a lot,” Crystal said.

And all the riding the mother-daughter duo does takes place across the county on their horses, Doc and Rowdy.

Crystal said she was heavily involved in riding during high school, but her interest, and time, faded with the birth of her daughter.

But in the past few years her interest was renewed — and she’s using it to teach Shelbi some valuable life lessons.

Crystal said in caring for and training Rowdy, Shelbi’s horse, her daughter has learned responsibility and the meaning of hard work.

“I want her to be a hard worker,” Crystal said. “I want her to know you have to work for things. And this takes a lot of hard work.”

And while Shelbi, 8, is very shy and less vocal about her love of horses than her mother, Crystal said it’s something her daughter absolutely loves.

Shelbi also does barrel racing in local rodeos.

While Shelbi sat in the street next to her mother’s truck, Crystal recounted a recent race in which Shelbi compete.

“Her eyes were that big,” she motioned with her fingers. “She held her hand over her heart and she said ‘Mama, that was so much fun.’ She loved it.”

When Shelbi talks about her horse, it’s brief and to the point.

“I love the way he lopes,” she said of the way Rowdy strides.

And Rowdy’s lope, one of the speeds before a gallop, is one of the reasons Shelbi said she loves her horse the most.

Her last horse, Baby, was 24 and just couldn’t keep up with Shelbi.

“Plus she was going blind,” she said.

And when Shelbi took Rowdy out of the trailer her face quickly brightened.

She tries to jump on his back, but she can’t. So she walks across the yard, then runs full speed to Rowdy and still can’t quite make it.

He mother helps her up and she’s off.

Riding bareback, she and Rowdy stroll across the neighbor’s lawn.

“This is pretty common on our street,” Crystal said as Rowdy heads for the driveway.