Are you all sick of me yet?
When Horsey Teen was 12 I went to the auction and bought her a horse. The enormity of this mistake cannot be communicated. It was the very worst horse I could have bought for our fledgling rider who had experienced only well trained lesson ponies, then her first 'real' horse who was 34 years old when we bought him and 34 years old less than a year later when he died. Then I bought a horse whom we shall refer to as Satan. Satan was a professional rodeo horse with a job to do and no patience for small children who wanted to plod around on trails and have a happy, leisurely time. There were many, many bitter tears cried over the years. Many curses of an early and painful death heaped on that horse's head. We had people come evaluate horse and all said she was a push button horse, for the rodeo circuit, but not for a kid plodding around the trails.
I could have bought another horse, but refused. We were reluctant horse parents, in this against our will, this was the last horse I was ever going to buy so she either worked it out, or didn't, but no other horse was going to arrive. Suck it up. And she did. There are other more experienced horse people Horsey Teen would ride with and none of them would even get on Satan. SHe had a reputation a mile wide. But Horsey Teen rode that horse until horse was 27 years old! (19 when I purchased her)It was this horse, Satan, who never made one single thing easy, who never let one riding infraction slip without taking advantage of it, who gave that kid a fight every step of the way. That horse taught my kid more than the previous 4 years of lesson ponies. Now, the kid will ride anything.
This leads to story...Horsey Teen and I are driving down our road. Two vehicles are stopped on shoulder. One is a neighbour and he is waving us to stop. He introduces us to a lady, new neighbour, we had noticed two horses in a formerly empty field. She says. "we just moved in and bought these two horses for our 12 year old daughter. SHe has waited her whole life to have her own horses. She's taken years of lessons. BUt I don't know what to do with these horses. We usually can't get near them and when we do, we can't get a bridle on them. The one knocks me down almost every feeding time. If you try to lead one away from the other, they both freak out. Everyone told us to talk to Horsey Teen, you have to call Horsey Teen, she will tell you what to do." Numbers were exchanged and we drove away.
Horsey Teen groaned. She said, "I remember being so excited as a 12 year old to get my own horse, I remember exactly how I imagined our rides were going to be. I remember how I cried when Satan bolted and dumped me and then I couldn't catch her. I feel so sorry for this kid."
As a horsey mom, I know this heart break and admire this new neighbour for reaching out and tryng to find help for her daughter, who is up against a large hurdle. I only hope the girl has the will and drive and grit to stick it out, because if these horses are like I suspect, it's going to be along, hard struggle. But if she hangs on, if she sticks it out, one day she will be a confident young woman, strong, secure, knowing her own power. And when some fiesty young man attempts to push her into anything that she is not happy with, he'll have the spurs laid to him and be lunged in circles until his attitude is adjusted and he doesn't put a step out of line. Tough horses make our daughters safe. I think. I pray so, anyway.
When Horsey Teen was 12 I went to the auction and bought her a horse. The enormity of this mistake cannot be communicated. It was the very worst horse I could have bought for our fledgling rider who had experienced only well trained lesson ponies, then her first 'real' horse who was 34 years old when we bought him and 34 years old less than a year later when he died. Then I bought a horse whom we shall refer to as Satan. Satan was a professional rodeo horse with a job to do and no patience for small children who wanted to plod around on trails and have a happy, leisurely time. There were many, many bitter tears cried over the years. Many curses of an early and painful death heaped on that horse's head. We had people come evaluate horse and all said she was a push button horse, for the rodeo circuit, but not for a kid plodding around the trails.
I could have bought another horse, but refused. We were reluctant horse parents, in this against our will, this was the last horse I was ever going to buy so she either worked it out, or didn't, but no other horse was going to arrive. Suck it up. And she did. There are other more experienced horse people Horsey Teen would ride with and none of them would even get on Satan. SHe had a reputation a mile wide. But Horsey Teen rode that horse until horse was 27 years old! (19 when I purchased her)It was this horse, Satan, who never made one single thing easy, who never let one riding infraction slip without taking advantage of it, who gave that kid a fight every step of the way. That horse taught my kid more than the previous 4 years of lesson ponies. Now, the kid will ride anything.
This leads to story...Horsey Teen and I are driving down our road. Two vehicles are stopped on shoulder. One is a neighbour and he is waving us to stop. He introduces us to a lady, new neighbour, we had noticed two horses in a formerly empty field. She says. "we just moved in and bought these two horses for our 12 year old daughter. SHe has waited her whole life to have her own horses. She's taken years of lessons. BUt I don't know what to do with these horses. We usually can't get near them and when we do, we can't get a bridle on them. The one knocks me down almost every feeding time. If you try to lead one away from the other, they both freak out. Everyone told us to talk to Horsey Teen, you have to call Horsey Teen, she will tell you what to do." Numbers were exchanged and we drove away.
Horsey Teen groaned. She said, "I remember being so excited as a 12 year old to get my own horse, I remember exactly how I imagined our rides were going to be. I remember how I cried when Satan bolted and dumped me and then I couldn't catch her. I feel so sorry for this kid."
As a horsey mom, I know this heart break and admire this new neighbour for reaching out and tryng to find help for her daughter, who is up against a large hurdle. I only hope the girl has the will and drive and grit to stick it out, because if these horses are like I suspect, it's going to be along, hard struggle. But if she hangs on, if she sticks it out, one day she will be a confident young woman, strong, secure, knowing her own power. And when some fiesty young man attempts to push her into anything that she is not happy with, he'll have the spurs laid to him and be lunged in circles until his attitude is adjusted and he doesn't put a step out of line. Tough horses make our daughters safe. I think. I pray so, anyway.
Older sister gave me wise advice to kick her in the guts when she does it. Well next time she did it was when we lined up at a show. I halled off and kicked her in the guts much to the amusement of the whole crowd.
