Riding is a challenge. A challenge of thought, function, and personality are readily displayed before your very eyes every time you set foot in the barn. If you’ve ever wondered about a person’s character put them in, on, or near a horse and the truth comes out. I’ve tested this first hand. As a teen I was the horse-crazy girl you read about in The Saddle Club series. Others didn’t know how to take it so they challenged me daily that “anything to do with horses isn’t a SPORT, that doesn’t take talent.” I find it funny that through my adult life I have heard much of the same connotation- only not verbally but by facial expression during conversations with non-horsey folk. I’m sure you’ve been there too at some point….
To me the words “that doesn’t take talent” was a challenge to be reconciled above all others. This individual, whom was a football player, didn’t have a clue how wrong he was. His demeanor was quite high-and-mighty when he laughed before accepting my challenge to ride a horse. “Friday night, I’ll meet you in town and take you to the farm. I’ll prove to you we don’t just SIT THERE” I told him. He wouldn’t dare back down in front of his teammates and so the challenge was on. Now, I’m not the one to push people to a breaking point when it comes to a challenge but this guy had it coming.
Friday night rolled around and there I was patiently waiting for victory. The victim showed up on time and off to the farm we went. The demeanor in the car was not as brilliant as it had been in the cafeteria earlier that week. In fact, my passenger was quite pale prior to arriving for his horsey debut. Pulling into the drive I felt the mood shift and the cocky football player I had challenged returned the minute he stepped out of the vehicle. I thought to myself this is going to be good. Walking into the barn, football player in tow, I grabbed a lead and handed it to him. “Better go get your horse” was all I said. The look was mortified, the paleness returned, and I had victory before even starting.
Looking back on this entire event I understand more clearly what horses do to those who believe they are above others. Horses have a way of bringing out a person’s honesty, integrity, and true personality. There is a reason that some riders can handle some horses, while others just can’t seem to get along with them. In the same manner there are some riders who never advance simply because they have the wrong intentions – and the horse knows it. The football player did ride the horse that night – at a walk, white knuckled, shaking with every step while being led. The horse was 15.2 hands high and that was big in his mind. He no longer boasted that horses weren’t a sport. Instead he moved to the side politely and said hello when we passed in the halls. The respect level between us was much greater and he became more humble when others challenged him. The horse helped him realize his limits, his personality, and how to be humble no matter the situation. He was never really the tough guy he presented to the world and after this experience he learned maybe this horse-crazy girl wasn’t really crazy at all - Maybe she did have a talent.
To me the words “that doesn’t take talent” was a challenge to be reconciled above all others. This individual, whom was a football player, didn’t have a clue how wrong he was. His demeanor was quite high-and-mighty when he laughed before accepting my challenge to ride a horse. “Friday night, I’ll meet you in town and take you to the farm. I’ll prove to you we don’t just SIT THERE” I told him. He wouldn’t dare back down in front of his teammates and so the challenge was on. Now, I’m not the one to push people to a breaking point when it comes to a challenge but this guy had it coming.
Friday night rolled around and there I was patiently waiting for victory. The victim showed up on time and off to the farm we went. The demeanor in the car was not as brilliant as it had been in the cafeteria earlier that week. In fact, my passenger was quite pale prior to arriving for his horsey debut. Pulling into the drive I felt the mood shift and the cocky football player I had challenged returned the minute he stepped out of the vehicle. I thought to myself this is going to be good. Walking into the barn, football player in tow, I grabbed a lead and handed it to him. “Better go get your horse” was all I said. The look was mortified, the paleness returned, and I had victory before even starting.
Looking back on this entire event I understand more clearly what horses do to those who believe they are above others. Horses have a way of bringing out a person’s honesty, integrity, and true personality. There is a reason that some riders can handle some horses, while others just can’t seem to get along with them. In the same manner there are some riders who never advance simply because they have the wrong intentions – and the horse knows it. The football player did ride the horse that night – at a walk, white knuckled, shaking with every step while being led. The horse was 15.2 hands high and that was big in his mind. He no longer boasted that horses weren’t a sport. Instead he moved to the side politely and said hello when we passed in the halls. The respect level between us was much greater and he became more humble when others challenged him. The horse helped him realize his limits, his personality, and how to be humble no matter the situation. He was never really the tough guy he presented to the world and after this experience he learned maybe this horse-crazy girl wasn’t really crazy at all - Maybe she did have a talent.
