My lessons from the horse
Patience and Humor
Below are pictures of my teachers and a brief description of their lessons for me.
Penny
Foundation Builder
Penny was a Shetland pony who taught my sister and I many firsts. Such as:
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Don't wear shorts if I want any skin left after Penny's saddle bronc riding lesson.
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When tying any animal up, a collapsible sheep stand is not an approved hitching post. It does however excel in endurance training.
Sasha and Sassy
Professional and Personalized
​Sasha was my sister's first horse. She taught me that gentle and willing horses do exist and natural smooth gaits are blessings.
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Sassy was my first horse who taught me how to ride a crossfire lope after a strength training leg workout.
Cleo
My 1st Love Connection
No one forgets their first love. Cleo taught me how to be soft and control a horse who likes to jig and who could spin on a dime. She sure was fast, and where my legs got a workout on previous horses, my arms got a workout on Cleo. I had many firsts on her including coming off and breaking my ankle. I had to thank her for that, because that was how I met my husband!
Yellowstone Horses
Just Go With It
I feel the Yellowstone horses are as diverse as the tourist. I came off one every year until my last year. I learned to just go with the flow, one never truly knows what will happen next. Bison, Bears and Elk... Oh My!
Nickie
It's About The Quality Of Time,
Not The Quantity
Nickie taught me patience. I may have only had her for a year, but working through all her anxiety and re-training, I fell in love. We were soul bound, I've never had a connection with any other horse like I had with her. No one seemed to understand why and that was okay. If I was able to afford her needs, we never would have parted. Maybe we will get a long life together in our next life.
Dogs Nosed Their Way In
The Watchman & The Dragon
There is too much to say about Koda (aka The Watchman) and Tilly (aka The Red Dragon). If I do anything horse related without them, I never hear the end of it... literally. So, I always bring my sidekicks along when riding. They sure know how to have a good time and keep a smile on my face!
Lessons from Zephyr
No Ordinary Moments
I pretended to halter break Zephyr when he was 6 months. I say pretended because from our first moments together, he gave me his complete trust and followed me everywhere. When he was a year, we chose to journey through life together, so I bought him. He is my best bud. To sum our relationship up quickly, we are a lot like Toothless and Hiccup in 'How to Train A Dragon' movie. He even stayed with me when I came off him avoiding some bison and broke my ankle for the second time in my life. Luckily, the doctors fixed it up better than the first time I broke it 10 years prior! We have been many places together and I truly believe he found me all those years ago because he knew I needed him. He has taught me too many lessons to name but I think patience, steadiness, and to stay calm are some of his greatest traits that continue to rub off on me every time I need another lesson in them! Lastly, if I'm going to throw in some squeals and heel kicks, it's only when I feel like it.
