Alright, so just about every horse person has an idol or two that they admire. An idol that not only rides with such gusto, but also has an unsurpassed communication with horses. As best said, “Horses messages are soft but clear, as if spoken in a whisper.” My top two favorite horse idols have not only put natural horsemanship training on a whole other level, but have forever made their mark in the horse world. They are Stacy Westfall and Charmayne James.
Stacy Westfall: What makes Stacy Westfall so great is not only was she the first and only woman to have ever won the national colt starting competition, but she also was the first to win a national title bareback and bridleless. For those who don’t know, bareback is with no saddle and bridleless is with no reins or bit to steer the horse, only leg pressure. Her method of training not only better opens up the communication between human and horse, but she also shows us how to feel the magic of being with horses. How horses not only light up your life, but also take you on this magical journey that you will never want to leave. What’s interesting about her is that when she was developing her method in her teen and college years, she did not use any influence from other top name trainers. In fact someone asked her at a competition once if she used the Parelli (another famous trainer.) method of training to train her horse. Her honest answer was “Parelli? Who’s that?” However the ride that she would be forever known for is one that is very dear to her heart. The ride for her dad. Posted on youtube.com by
BlueRoanMustang94, shows not only where good communation and practice can take you, but also heart. As best said by the announcer, “Thanks for teaching me to keep trying new things.”
Charmayne James: If there is one person that can truly prove that the underdogs are just as good, it is Charmayne James. Charmayne and her horse Gills Bay Boy, AKA Scamper, took the rodeo world by storm in the late 70’s to late 90’s. The most amazing part about this dynamic duo is when they first started Charmayne was only fourteen and she found then “wild” Scamper in a feedlot being prepared for slaughter. She didn’t care how much people told her how wild he was. She just knew that he was great. Scamper was the first horse that Charmayne broke herself. They entered their first barrel racing jackpot (name for lower grade competitions in the rodeo world.) in the late 70’s. This was just the start of their winning streak that would take them to win their first Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association world title. Her earnings throughout her career totaled over one million dollars, making her the first and only million dollar cowgirl. With all theses winnings, she is now one of the most sought after barrel racing trainers in the world. However, with every great idol, there is one thing that will always make them great. Charmayne’s was when Scamper lost his head stall and bit during a race. Posted on youtube.com by giogonsa, this video shows just how amazing this run was.
All in all, we all have idols that we view as great. Some as big as Charmayne and Stacy and others as small as a parent. The one thing that I think unifies all idols is that they teach us to reach for our dreams and to never quit trying. I can only hope that I become just as great as my idols someday.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Horses and kids: How young is too young?
Today’s blog topic will be kind of a double hitter of sorts. It will be on my views of training horses ages 2-4, under saddle and when I think is the right time to start teaching kids to ride. They are more alike than you think!
To start, I think that people should start under saddle training when the horse is either four or older. This can apply for all disciplines of riding. I did some pretty extensive research on this topic and some of the results even surprised me. One of the reasons is that they may still be growing. The growth plates in their legs have not fully grown and matured enough to support a full grown person. Basically the weight of the person would kind of make the bones at the knee grind and wear against each other. One thing that I would advise about this is periodically get your horses legs/knees checked to see how developed they are. Always keep in mind that all horses develop at different speeds. For some they may not be completely physically ready by age four. Take Arabian horses for instance, they don’t fully mature until they are about six years of age. Also to add to the physical aspect, starting this early can lead a horse well on his or her way to a fairly uncomfortable disorder called sway-back, which is the equine form of lordosis. For those who don’t know, lordosis is where the middle part of the thoracic region of the spine begins to curve inward. This can be quite painful and there can be many complications for horses with this disorder. Things like saddle fit and more. Not only is there physical growing, but also mental. Colts and fillies undergo a lot of stress in those few short years and it may be too much for them to undergo that much mental pressure. It would be too much for their brain to handle. It would be like handing a three year old a drivers license and the keys to your car. Sounds wrong right?
Another important decision when it comes to horses is what age is ok for young kids to start learning to ride. Not too long ago my cousin that I have babysat since she was a baby and is now three years of age comes to me and says, “Lauren, when can I learn to ride just like you?” I tell her, “well you can come with me when I work with Daisy.” “No, I want to learn to ride like you and the big girls, all by myself!” she retorts in her spunky three year old attitude. This really got me thinking about when it would be ok to teach her. I have seen many a time when kids just aren’t ready to ride animals that are quadruple their size when I would help with the kids riding camps around the barn. I mean, who could blame them for being scared considering that most of them cannot even see over the kitchen counter, much less be expected to control a large animal. I think it is ok to let a three year old just tag along to see a horse that you ride, however I would suggest having an extra hand there as well as an extra set of eyes. Like with Daisy, I have let my cousin just sit on her because I know that my cousin is calm when on horses and Daisy would not react. I think it is a good chance for them to not only learn about horses, but also help them overcome any fear and to teach them that yelling, running, etc is not ok around horses. Again using my cousin as an example, she has been sitting on some of my horses since she was one. While she was on we would address any fear that she expressed, like if she would get nervous and start crying I would let her down, calm her, and then help her realize that she is ok when she is up there. She would want to get back on, but it had to be her choice. I did not make her do anything she did not want to. I believe that you should never force kids into any activity that they do not want to do.
Although I would have to say at least five years of age is ok to start teaching kids to really ride. I have found that five year olds have a better understanding of safety and size, even though you still have to keep a close eye on them. You also may need to be aware that if you get them riding too early, they may quickly change their mind. However, don’t just use age as a way of knowing that they are ready. Really question if this is something that they would really stick with because horses, even as a hobby are expensive. I have worked with five year olds that would say that they love horses and as soon as they got on, they would become very afraid. That is when you have to be very tactful in helping them overcome their fear. One thing that I could not stress any more is safety, so don’t cut any corners with children. A few years back around my home town a young girl was killed when she was trying to get her horse from the pasture and another horse kicked her in the head. Remember that children that age are the prime height to get badly hurt by horses that are unaware of the size of the person. Just imagine if you were that girl’s grandparents. Not only do they have to live with the loss of their grandchild, but also the fact that it was completely preventable. A lot of accidents that have ever happened with horses are very much preventable. Explain the importance of little things like always wearing a helmet or having an adult there when they ride.
So basically when it comes right down to it, growth and maturity are the main factors. Make sure that it is ok for you to start under saddle training for your horse and before you start teaching your kids that you know really well to ride, make sure that they are really ready for the adventure of horses.
To start, I think that people should start under saddle training when the horse is either four or older. This can apply for all disciplines of riding. I did some pretty extensive research on this topic and some of the results even surprised me. One of the reasons is that they may still be growing. The growth plates in their legs have not fully grown and matured enough to support a full grown person. Basically the weight of the person would kind of make the bones at the knee grind and wear against each other. One thing that I would advise about this is periodically get your horses legs/knees checked to see how developed they are. Always keep in mind that all horses develop at different speeds. For some they may not be completely physically ready by age four. Take Arabian horses for instance, they don’t fully mature until they are about six years of age. Also to add to the physical aspect, starting this early can lead a horse well on his or her way to a fairly uncomfortable disorder called sway-back, which is the equine form of lordosis. For those who don’t know, lordosis is where the middle part of the thoracic region of the spine begins to curve inward. This can be quite painful and there can be many complications for horses with this disorder. Things like saddle fit and more. Not only is there physical growing, but also mental. Colts and fillies undergo a lot of stress in those few short years and it may be too much for them to undergo that much mental pressure. It would be too much for their brain to handle. It would be like handing a three year old a drivers license and the keys to your car. Sounds wrong right?
Another important decision when it comes to horses is what age is ok for young kids to start learning to ride. Not too long ago my cousin that I have babysat since she was a baby and is now three years of age comes to me and says, “Lauren, when can I learn to ride just like you?” I tell her, “well you can come with me when I work with Daisy.” “No, I want to learn to ride like you and the big girls, all by myself!” she retorts in her spunky three year old attitude. This really got me thinking about when it would be ok to teach her. I have seen many a time when kids just aren’t ready to ride animals that are quadruple their size when I would help with the kids riding camps around the barn. I mean, who could blame them for being scared considering that most of them cannot even see over the kitchen counter, much less be expected to control a large animal. I think it is ok to let a three year old just tag along to see a horse that you ride, however I would suggest having an extra hand there as well as an extra set of eyes. Like with Daisy, I have let my cousin just sit on her because I know that my cousin is calm when on horses and Daisy would not react. I think it is a good chance for them to not only learn about horses, but also help them overcome any fear and to teach them that yelling, running, etc is not ok around horses. Again using my cousin as an example, she has been sitting on some of my horses since she was one. While she was on we would address any fear that she expressed, like if she would get nervous and start crying I would let her down, calm her, and then help her realize that she is ok when she is up there. She would want to get back on, but it had to be her choice. I did not make her do anything she did not want to. I believe that you should never force kids into any activity that they do not want to do.
Although I would have to say at least five years of age is ok to start teaching kids to really ride. I have found that five year olds have a better understanding of safety and size, even though you still have to keep a close eye on them. You also may need to be aware that if you get them riding too early, they may quickly change their mind. However, don’t just use age as a way of knowing that they are ready. Really question if this is something that they would really stick with because horses, even as a hobby are expensive. I have worked with five year olds that would say that they love horses and as soon as they got on, they would become very afraid. That is when you have to be very tactful in helping them overcome their fear. One thing that I could not stress any more is safety, so don’t cut any corners with children. A few years back around my home town a young girl was killed when she was trying to get her horse from the pasture and another horse kicked her in the head. Remember that children that age are the prime height to get badly hurt by horses that are unaware of the size of the person. Just imagine if you were that girl’s grandparents. Not only do they have to live with the loss of their grandchild, but also the fact that it was completely preventable. A lot of accidents that have ever happened with horses are very much preventable. Explain the importance of little things like always wearing a helmet or having an adult there when they ride.
So basically when it comes right down to it, growth and maturity are the main factors. Make sure that it is ok for you to start under saddle training for your horse and before you start teaching your kids that you know really well to ride, make sure that they are really ready for the adventure of horses.
Why we ride western!
Western: barrel racing, pole bending, western pleasure, reining and steer roping. English: dressage, hunter jumper, eventing and endurance. These styles of riding are really quite different. Since the beginning of time people have argued about which is better. Being a western rider myself I think you know where I put my vote. It seems like every time I look at western vs. English, people that obviously ride English always seem to say something like western is lazy, there is no skill involved and it’s taking the easy way out. Now I am not saying that one is better than the other, but I think that if the English riders could understand why we ride western, they would take their words back. So here are a few things about western riders and why we ride what we ride.
The competitions. Being an avid rodeo fan myself, there is nothing like watching the header and heeler rope a steer or watching the winning barrel racing time. If there is one thing that really gets your blood flowing and thrill that you crave for, its rodeo. However there is more to western riding than rodeo, like western pleasure. Western pleasure is like the dog show for the horse world. Basically western pleasure is about having good confirmation, a good slow stride and showcasing the horse breed. If you like both looks and speed plus gut busting sliding stops and wicked fast spins, which might I add are REALLY fun to do, then reining is for you. Reining basically is things that most ranchers would do with their cattle out in the open plains, just with a little more flair. One type of competition that is rather new to western riding is Cowboy/girl mounted shooting. Not only do you have to steer a horse running full speed, but also handle and shoot a loaded rifle at balloon targets. Sounds absolutely thrilling. Those just name a few of the many exciting competitions of the western world.
The comfort. Unlike the English world, western people like to ride comfortably. People that ride English feel that they need to bounce up and down at a trot and that they need to get all prettied up to go see their horse. Western riders prefer comfort rather than style. Take myself for instance, when I ride I am in my boots, jeans, tee shirt and ball cap. I would rather focus more on my horse than what I look like.
Anyone at any age can do it. When it comes to riding western, age is not the biggest factor. You could be 102 years old and as long as you are in good health, you can ride. With English however most people have to stop riding because of the strain it puts on their body. Plus for someone who is learning to ride it is best to start in western because there is a bit more security. Then down the road they can choose to switch if they so wish.
To conclude I think that both riding styles are good and that they both are unique in their own way. If riders can take both disciplines as good, then we can better communicate with each other. Also to make my blog a little more interesting, I have posted a video by brookelovesrocky on Youtube that really explains best why I love western. So enjoy and keep looking for more posts by me! See ya!
The competitions. Being an avid rodeo fan myself, there is nothing like watching the header and heeler rope a steer or watching the winning barrel racing time. If there is one thing that really gets your blood flowing and thrill that you crave for, its rodeo. However there is more to western riding than rodeo, like western pleasure. Western pleasure is like the dog show for the horse world. Basically western pleasure is about having good confirmation, a good slow stride and showcasing the horse breed. If you like both looks and speed plus gut busting sliding stops and wicked fast spins, which might I add are REALLY fun to do, then reining is for you. Reining basically is things that most ranchers would do with their cattle out in the open plains, just with a little more flair. One type of competition that is rather new to western riding is Cowboy/girl mounted shooting. Not only do you have to steer a horse running full speed, but also handle and shoot a loaded rifle at balloon targets. Sounds absolutely thrilling. Those just name a few of the many exciting competitions of the western world.
The comfort. Unlike the English world, western people like to ride comfortably. People that ride English feel that they need to bounce up and down at a trot and that they need to get all prettied up to go see their horse. Western riders prefer comfort rather than style. Take myself for instance, when I ride I am in my boots, jeans, tee shirt and ball cap. I would rather focus more on my horse than what I look like.
Anyone at any age can do it. When it comes to riding western, age is not the biggest factor. You could be 102 years old and as long as you are in good health, you can ride. With English however most people have to stop riding because of the strain it puts on their body. Plus for someone who is learning to ride it is best to start in western because there is a bit more security. Then down the road they can choose to switch if they so wish.
To conclude I think that both riding styles are good and that they both are unique in their own way. If riders can take both disciplines as good, then we can better communicate with each other. Also to make my blog a little more interesting, I have posted a video by brookelovesrocky on Youtube that really explains best why I love western. So enjoy and keep looking for more posts by me! See ya!
Friday, February 12, 2010
Race of My Life!
So the other day I was doing some research for my next blog topic when I stumbled upon the website for famous barrel racer, Charmayne James, formerly known as Charmayne Rodman. As I am reading the story of how she met her famous horse Gills Bay Boy aka Scamper. I was thinking about how amazing it must have been to not only have a great horse, but to have trained a horse that would lead you to the National Finals Rodeo and other big name titles multiple times. I then got to thinking about what it must have felt like when they did their first race. That’s when the epiphany happened. I had the idea to write a poem about their first race. So here it is, Race of My Life.
Race of My Life
We get to the get to the gate
Hear the music and the crowd
Sweat begins to drip off my brow
Tonight is our night
The night of all nights
Our first race
He’s ready to run, this will be fun!
Just let him loose, out like a gun!
I barely cue and off he goes
Ready for something he really knows
We round the first barrel with grace
The second with ease.
Time is running on my sleeve.
We ride the wind on to third.
Round the curve faster than a bird.
The end is near,
it’s getting clear
The day is done.
Come on scamper,
Let’s see you run,
We enter the gate with such glee
We won the round
Just scamper and me!
Race of My Life
We get to the get to the gate
Hear the music and the crowd
Sweat begins to drip off my brow
Tonight is our night
The night of all nights
Our first race
He’s ready to run, this will be fun!
Just let him loose, out like a gun!
I barely cue and off he goes
Ready for something he really knows
We round the first barrel with grace
The second with ease.
Time is running on my sleeve.
We ride the wind on to third.
Round the curve faster than a bird.
The end is near,
it’s getting clear
The day is done.
Come on scamper,
Let’s see you run,
We enter the gate with such glee
We won the round
Just scamper and me!
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
The top 10 things that city slickers should know about horse people.
Not to rant on those that don’t know horse people, however this has been spinning in my mind all day. We all walk by people with various styles of clothing on. You have the rocker that loves to party at all expense and the prep that is always happy, even on a cloudy day. Then there are the jocks that only have one thing on their mind. There are the gangsters who have never heard of a little thing called a belt and then you have the horse people. These people tend to wear their wranglers with a huge belt buckle, as do I, may either wear their hat or a ball cap and tend to lean towards tucked in button down plaid shirts. Now I am no fashionista or anything, but I would say that’s a pretty cool get up! If there is one thing though that gets under my skin the most, it’s when you see those people that you know are not in any way country wearing those fake hats, hoochie denim shorts, belt buckle that looks ridiculous and boots that look like the heel would snap as soon as they tried to get on a horse! They are what’s called “the wannabes!” We all know a few here and there and quite frankly, I don’t think they will ever go away. However, for all you wannabes out there, here is a list of the top ten things about horse people that you should know.
1. They don’t like drama!
Really, honestly they believe in leaving the drama at the door or in their case, at the barn door! There really is no need for it. Can’t we all just co-exist with each other? If people would just accept the differences in other people, the world would be a heck of a lot better place.
2. Say what you need to say, when you need to say it!
Horse people have no problem with the truth. If you have a problem with something just say it. Not only is it unhealthy to bottle things up, but it also shows that you choose to run away from your problems. However, horse people are very knowledgeable people when it comes to horses and can smell a rat from a mile away. Short story, I once had a friend who told me that she got a job training horses and I honestly told her, “I honestly would not even let you near a horse, much less step into a barn. You have no prior experience and whoever thought it was ok to hire you must not know what they are getting into.” I think it is obvious enough that I didn’t like her all that much. They also are very opinionated. So if they don’t like something, guaranteed they will say it whether it’s good or not!
3. They care more about their horse than anything else!
In a nutshell, horse people are the “mess with me all you want, mess with my horse and we got some problems” type. I could easily agree with that saying. I mean our horses are our pride and glory. We horse people go to great lengths to insure to our horses comfort and safety. Even as far as spending thousands of dollars on them. They are like that shiny new car that you polish to keep beautiful. I put my horse at such a hierarchy that I would give up so much for her. For someone to say to a horse person that his or her horse is not as good, as beautiful or even that riding horses is not a sport is just asking for a mouthful.
4. They don’t like it when people try to copy them.
This goes back to the fake hat and hoochie shorts. For crying out loud people, whatever happened to being your own person? For all those who do this sort of thing, at least have the decency to explore the style. The country style is not just a look; it’s a way of life. So maybe you all should do your research before you go and find the trashiest clothes or a belt buckle that you didn’t even earn. Haven’t you ever heard the saying, “you have to earn your spurs?” Also just because Daisy Duke goes and cuts up her jeans so high that her butt almost falls out, doesn’t mean that us country folk do! Not to mention those five dollar boots off the Walmart shelf that Vogue says are country! Have some practicality here guys! We are more than just what a magazine says we are!
5. Horse people put hard work on a whole other level.
Imagine you live on a horse farm and every morning you have to get up at five to get ready. Sometime before the bus comes, you have to feed and water seven horses. You manage not to get all dirty before you leave. When you get back you notice your horse is sick and you have to stay up with him or her during the night to make sure that they don’t get sicker. Not only is that dedication, but it’s also hard work. There are loads of people out there that only have to worry about themselves and their families, however horse people have all of that plus the responsibilities of caring for what their horses need too. Horses are like having kids. They have lots of needs other than just being ridden and fed. Every six to eight weeks they need to have their hooves trimmed or shoed (if needed.), every few months they need to be checked by a vet and their owners do vaccines that they need. So things like dewormer, West Nile, etc is all done by the owner. The list goes on and on.
6. Have some common knowledge about horses!
For all who didn’t notice, horses are big animals. At least have some common knowledge about them to stay safe. Things like not running when around them, being calm and more. We really do not like having to worry about what would happen to someone around their horse. Not to mention, it’s a liability. I have known too many people that have ended up getting really hurt because of their foolish actions. But also for some instances, recognize that it maybe something you did and not the horse. Just because you fell off a horse, doesn’t make it the horse’s fault. Always look deep within yourself before blaming others.
7. No two horses are the same.
Much like people, every horse is different. Never assume that when you get on a horse that he/she will be like the one you rode last time.
8. Just because you have ridden horses for a little bit doesn’t mean you know everything.
This one really gets under my skin. I have known people that have thought they were the best rider out there and thought they could do some very advanced stuff. When really, they don’t know squat. Take for instance this guy that I used to know at my old barn. We will call him guy B. B thought he was just the best horseman out there, but here is the catch, the last time he rode a horse was when he was about 17 years old. He is now in his late 40’s. Well his daughter was a student there and was becoming a pretty good rider, but still considered a beginner. Long story short, this guy thought he was Mr. Hotshot and bought two untrained mares, thinking he could train them all by himself. A few months later he learned the extent of his foolishness when he tried to bring one of the mares into the arena with a stallion and a gelding. Well surprise, surprise the stallion went to attack the gelding for the mare and the staff person working with the stallion ended up going to the hospital for internal bleeding. That was enough to get guy B and his daughter kicked out of the barn for good! It just goes to show, if you are going to do something stupid, don’t get other people involved. Do your homework people.
9. It takes a lot for a horse person to really trust.
Maybe it’s just me on this one, but one thing I have found about horse people is that it is hard for them to really trust others. They treat people like their horses; they have to earn their trust. The more time they spend with the person, the more they get to trusting them. However if you ever do anything to break their trust, you have to start all over. Not to make it sound shallow, but it’s true and it’s not always true for all horse people. Why do you think that girls that are into horses often don’t have a boyfriend or do not seem boy obsessed? Well, it’s more than just them preferring something with four legs and a whinny…..
10. Getting hurt and dirty is just another part of the job, not a big deal!
When you work with animals that pretty much live most of their lives outdoors, it’s bound that you will get dirty. Fact of life. You know the saying, “if you get down and dirty with the dogs, all you will get is fleas”? Well for horse people its like, “if you roll with the horses, you will get dirty and like it!” That’s why God made getting dirty clothes. I even find that the next day after working with Daisy, her horse smell is still under my fingernails. Sounds nasty, but to horse people it’s the best perfume. Surprisingly though, us horse people have the magic power to work with horses and an hour later be totally spotless with makeup on! How do we do this you ask? Easy, we are just talented like that! Also horse people are like immune to pain, LITERALLY! I can agree with this because not only have I seen it, I am that way. However, I think it has partially to do with how you are raised. Like when I was little, my mom toughened me up and I learned that there is no need to cry unless it REALLY hurts. I have even known people that have broken bones because of horses and they just walked off like nothing happened. Funny story, so one time my trainer and I are taking a trail ride and my horse (not Daisy) just bolts on the trail. Well she swerved into a woodsy part that was covered in all kinds of sticks. I was honestly surprised I didn’t poke my eye out. Anyway somehow both feet are out of the stirrups, hand is on the horn and I am half way on running through a wooded area. My horse then comes out of the woods, my trainer finally catches up and says, “Just let go!” So I did and surprise, fell right on my face. Later on that day my trainer let me try out her new horse and we were going around the arena when he tripped on both fronts. Just when his head was coming back up, the whole right side of my face smacked him between the ears. My front teeth were almost knocked out. I hopped off to make sure he was ok, not even thinking about the pain. It wasn’t until I got home that I realized that I had blood all over my pants from being dragged in the woods and the whole right side of my face was swollen so much that I had a fat lip. Needless to say, there is no way you can stay clean around horses and you can’t be a sissy!
All in all, there are basic things about horse people that city slickers should understand. If they can understand these then I think that city people and horse people could better get along.
1. They don’t like drama!
Really, honestly they believe in leaving the drama at the door or in their case, at the barn door! There really is no need for it. Can’t we all just co-exist with each other? If people would just accept the differences in other people, the world would be a heck of a lot better place.
2. Say what you need to say, when you need to say it!
Horse people have no problem with the truth. If you have a problem with something just say it. Not only is it unhealthy to bottle things up, but it also shows that you choose to run away from your problems. However, horse people are very knowledgeable people when it comes to horses and can smell a rat from a mile away. Short story, I once had a friend who told me that she got a job training horses and I honestly told her, “I honestly would not even let you near a horse, much less step into a barn. You have no prior experience and whoever thought it was ok to hire you must not know what they are getting into.” I think it is obvious enough that I didn’t like her all that much. They also are very opinionated. So if they don’t like something, guaranteed they will say it whether it’s good or not!
3. They care more about their horse than anything else!
In a nutshell, horse people are the “mess with me all you want, mess with my horse and we got some problems” type. I could easily agree with that saying. I mean our horses are our pride and glory. We horse people go to great lengths to insure to our horses comfort and safety. Even as far as spending thousands of dollars on them. They are like that shiny new car that you polish to keep beautiful. I put my horse at such a hierarchy that I would give up so much for her. For someone to say to a horse person that his or her horse is not as good, as beautiful or even that riding horses is not a sport is just asking for a mouthful.
4. They don’t like it when people try to copy them.
This goes back to the fake hat and hoochie shorts. For crying out loud people, whatever happened to being your own person? For all those who do this sort of thing, at least have the decency to explore the style. The country style is not just a look; it’s a way of life. So maybe you all should do your research before you go and find the trashiest clothes or a belt buckle that you didn’t even earn. Haven’t you ever heard the saying, “you have to earn your spurs?” Also just because Daisy Duke goes and cuts up her jeans so high that her butt almost falls out, doesn’t mean that us country folk do! Not to mention those five dollar boots off the Walmart shelf that Vogue says are country! Have some practicality here guys! We are more than just what a magazine says we are!
5. Horse people put hard work on a whole other level.
Imagine you live on a horse farm and every morning you have to get up at five to get ready. Sometime before the bus comes, you have to feed and water seven horses. You manage not to get all dirty before you leave. When you get back you notice your horse is sick and you have to stay up with him or her during the night to make sure that they don’t get sicker. Not only is that dedication, but it’s also hard work. There are loads of people out there that only have to worry about themselves and their families, however horse people have all of that plus the responsibilities of caring for what their horses need too. Horses are like having kids. They have lots of needs other than just being ridden and fed. Every six to eight weeks they need to have their hooves trimmed or shoed (if needed.), every few months they need to be checked by a vet and their owners do vaccines that they need. So things like dewormer, West Nile, etc is all done by the owner. The list goes on and on.
6. Have some common knowledge about horses!
For all who didn’t notice, horses are big animals. At least have some common knowledge about them to stay safe. Things like not running when around them, being calm and more. We really do not like having to worry about what would happen to someone around their horse. Not to mention, it’s a liability. I have known too many people that have ended up getting really hurt because of their foolish actions. But also for some instances, recognize that it maybe something you did and not the horse. Just because you fell off a horse, doesn’t make it the horse’s fault. Always look deep within yourself before blaming others.
7. No two horses are the same.
Much like people, every horse is different. Never assume that when you get on a horse that he/she will be like the one you rode last time.
8. Just because you have ridden horses for a little bit doesn’t mean you know everything.
This one really gets under my skin. I have known people that have thought they were the best rider out there and thought they could do some very advanced stuff. When really, they don’t know squat. Take for instance this guy that I used to know at my old barn. We will call him guy B. B thought he was just the best horseman out there, but here is the catch, the last time he rode a horse was when he was about 17 years old. He is now in his late 40’s. Well his daughter was a student there and was becoming a pretty good rider, but still considered a beginner. Long story short, this guy thought he was Mr. Hotshot and bought two untrained mares, thinking he could train them all by himself. A few months later he learned the extent of his foolishness when he tried to bring one of the mares into the arena with a stallion and a gelding. Well surprise, surprise the stallion went to attack the gelding for the mare and the staff person working with the stallion ended up going to the hospital for internal bleeding. That was enough to get guy B and his daughter kicked out of the barn for good! It just goes to show, if you are going to do something stupid, don’t get other people involved. Do your homework people.
9. It takes a lot for a horse person to really trust.
Maybe it’s just me on this one, but one thing I have found about horse people is that it is hard for them to really trust others. They treat people like their horses; they have to earn their trust. The more time they spend with the person, the more they get to trusting them. However if you ever do anything to break their trust, you have to start all over. Not to make it sound shallow, but it’s true and it’s not always true for all horse people. Why do you think that girls that are into horses often don’t have a boyfriend or do not seem boy obsessed? Well, it’s more than just them preferring something with four legs and a whinny…..
10. Getting hurt and dirty is just another part of the job, not a big deal!
When you work with animals that pretty much live most of their lives outdoors, it’s bound that you will get dirty. Fact of life. You know the saying, “if you get down and dirty with the dogs, all you will get is fleas”? Well for horse people its like, “if you roll with the horses, you will get dirty and like it!” That’s why God made getting dirty clothes. I even find that the next day after working with Daisy, her horse smell is still under my fingernails. Sounds nasty, but to horse people it’s the best perfume. Surprisingly though, us horse people have the magic power to work with horses and an hour later be totally spotless with makeup on! How do we do this you ask? Easy, we are just talented like that! Also horse people are like immune to pain, LITERALLY! I can agree with this because not only have I seen it, I am that way. However, I think it has partially to do with how you are raised. Like when I was little, my mom toughened me up and I learned that there is no need to cry unless it REALLY hurts. I have even known people that have broken bones because of horses and they just walked off like nothing happened. Funny story, so one time my trainer and I are taking a trail ride and my horse (not Daisy) just bolts on the trail. Well she swerved into a woodsy part that was covered in all kinds of sticks. I was honestly surprised I didn’t poke my eye out. Anyway somehow both feet are out of the stirrups, hand is on the horn and I am half way on running through a wooded area. My horse then comes out of the woods, my trainer finally catches up and says, “Just let go!” So I did and surprise, fell right on my face. Later on that day my trainer let me try out her new horse and we were going around the arena when he tripped on both fronts. Just when his head was coming back up, the whole right side of my face smacked him between the ears. My front teeth were almost knocked out. I hopped off to make sure he was ok, not even thinking about the pain. It wasn’t until I got home that I realized that I had blood all over my pants from being dragged in the woods and the whole right side of my face was swollen so much that I had a fat lip. Needless to say, there is no way you can stay clean around horses and you can’t be a sissy!
All in all, there are basic things about horse people that city slickers should understand. If they can understand these then I think that city people and horse people could better get along.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
The story of Daisy and I: Ride the Wild Pony.
This is the story of how Daisy and I came to be. I learned a lot that summer, as I explain in the story, but I also learn just how far love and a unbreakable bond can take you. Read the story and let me know what you think.
Thank you and God bless,
- Rodeo~Girl~4Life
It was the summer before Lauren’s senior year. She was so happy that this year was over,
“Finally, school is done. I have all this free time to ride and do whatever I want to do.”
Lauren was an avid horseback rider and pretty much lived at the barn. However this last year was especially hard on her. With the temperature in Minnesota dropping to -4 degrees and lower and having had gum surgery and a strained muscle in her neck, Lauren had not been able to ride for over four months. Also not riding made her think about horses so much that her grades were not the greatest. Not to mention the new owner of the barn, Marcie, was mean to the people at the barn. She constantly put down other people.
She would often say to Lauren, staff and other riders, “I hate stupid people and stupid questions; they should be put out of their misery and get hit by a bus.”
Lauren never did like it when she would say that to people, but she just brushed it off. She just thought that as long as she had the horses, she can deal with the owner. Even though Marcie would constantly yell at Lauren and tell her what she was doing wrong. People that had been at the barn would often times ask Lauren why doesn’t she just leave and she would always say, “The barn is my home. I never abandon home. This will only last a little while. It will all get better soon.”
Lauren had started training some of the horses that were a little unruly and needed to be worked with so that they would behave better for the younger riders. However just when Lauren would start with one horse, the owner would make her work with a different one before she could even get anywhere with them. She spent countless days in the hot summer sun working with the kids and their horses during camp and working with the horses on their ground manners. She would often pray at night and she would tell God,
“Dear God, please help me with working with the horses. Let my skills get stronger and the horses get better. Please, so that Marcie won’t get mad at me anymore. Please help me God… Amen!”
God was about to help her alright, but not in the way that she ever expected. It all came in the form of a Natural Horsemanship instructor and a local store owner.
“Lauren, you need to stop pulling so much on Taco’s mouth. The people at the barn have seen you pulling on his mouth a lot! Plus you have developed a terrible seat!” Says Marcie in a telephone call to Lauren.
“Who has even been there to even watch me besides my mom? Honestly, no one has been there EVER!”
“That doesn’t matter. I am making you take English lessons with Jessica and me so you learn not to pull so much, get soft hands and a better seat.”
Lauren has never had any interest in leaving Western riding for English riding. She thought English was way too girlie. Western was what she always had fun in and could see herself doing great things with.
“English lessons? I don’t want to take English lessons. Can I possibly do something else? Go bareback?”
In the most annoyed voice Marcie says, “FINE! You can go bareback, but you have to do the clinic from the new western instructor I hired!”
So they agreed that Lauren would do some bareback riding to improve her seat and in one month she would attend a Natural Horsemanship clinic. Little did Lauren know Marcie had just done something that might actually help her after all.
The days came and went. Lauren kept her part of the agreement she had made by going bareback. Then the day came for the horse world as she knew it to change. The day she started the clinic.
It was the middle of July. It was rather sunny out. Lauren got to the barn, grabbed the horse she would use. His name was Pilgrim, but everyone called him Fatty McButter Pants because he was so big. People said that he was slow and wasn’t a very good horse, but Lauren didn’t care; he was just as good as any other horse in her eyes.
“Fatty, you may not be pretty and you may not be very good, but I still think you are just as good as most of the horses here!” Lauren would tell him.
She waited in the arena for the instructor. Lauren had no idea what the instructor looked like, much less what she acted like. Whether she was nice or mean. This made Lauren fairly nervous. There originally was going to be 4 people including Lauren in the clinic, but for some reason two of them dropped out. So it was just Lauren and Jessica.
Jessica was the type that treated you nice on the outside, but would turn around and stab you in the back in a heartbeat. She pretty much got anything she wanted considering her parents were both doctor’s, except her own horse. She was also very timid and not very assertive. She was Marcie’s little pet and tattled on Lauren every chance she’d get.
“Aren’t you so excited about the clinic?” says Jessica.
“Yeah, I guess. I could use a chance to brush up my skills.”
All of a sudden a fairly tall, muscular lady named Debbie Markcowitz walks into the barn with a huge draft horse trailing behind her. “Hello there. You must be Jessica and Lauren. Well let’s get started, everyone unhalter your horse!”
Jessica and Lauren both give each other a look of confusion.
“Unhalter our horses? Isn’t this supposed to be a natural horsemanship training lesson?” Jessica asks.
“This is all part of our training. We will start at the beginning from when you go to halter your horse to bring him into the barn.”
As the lesson went on Lauren was simply amazed at what Debbie was teaching her. They were things that were challenging for both her and Fatty, but so interesting that she wanted to learn so much more. Lauren loved what she was learning so much that she would arrive at the barn an hour before the clinic so that she and Fatty could practice what they had learned. The instructor took note of this. She would watch Lauren and Fatty practice. This is how Lauren got her nickname as Debbie’s AP student; the instructor thought that she had a lot of dedication, talent and heart with the horses. By the end of the clinics Lauren had learned so much more and Fatty was a better behaved horse.
Fatty had made such a transformation that Marcie decided to buy him as a lesson horse for the younger riders. This made Lauren so proud that she got to help with his training so that he can help teach the young kids to ride too.
Lauren kept using Debbie as her instructor and she was a great instructor, but the problem was that the horses did not challenge Lauren enough. In her almost four years of riding and taking lessons, she had never really experienced what it was like to ride a horse that wasn’t what horse people call quiet. That means that the horse would not react to anything, they would just be patient and stand there. It wasn’t until the day she would meet a local country store owner named John Fitzgerald, that she would come to meet the horse that would take her on the best adventure of her life.
“Look mom, LOOK a new country store! Can we go? Oh please can we?” Lauren says excitedly at the ad placed in the local newspaper. Both her and her mom loved to go to the country stores to see what fun animal stuff they had.
“Sure, we can this afternoon when I come home from work.”
They drive along a never ending country road, full of twists and turns, but simply beautiful scenery. Lauren loved the summer time when the baby animals were out and ready to play. Always curious and willing to explore, no matter what the consequences.
The car then pulls up into the parking lot of the country store. Lauren goes inside. She was simply amazed at the look of the store. It was huge! Full of never ending isles of horse halters, dog toys, training aids and more. It’s safe to say that Lauren loved this store. She and her mom were looking at the dog toys when they came across the owner, John. John was a very tall, sturdy looking man that looked like he had wrestled with a couple of grizzlies in his lifetime.
“Hello, may I help you with anything?” John says with a sincere smile.
“Oh, no, I am just admiring this amazing store. It’s our first day coming in and I absolutely love it.” Lauren says eagerly.
“Well what do you like best about the store?”
“I really like the dog toys and the riding clothes, but I especially love the horse section!”
“Oh, do you have any horses?”
“No, but I do ride at a local barn around here and I take lessons from Debbie Markcowitz. Do you happen to know her?”
“Oh yeah, I know Debbie, she works right at the front desk of my store. She is simply amazing when it comes to horses. Come on let me show you all around the store!”
John shows them just about every inch of the store and tells them about when he was a horse trader in Colorado and what it was like there. He also tells them why he chose to put the store where it is. He begins to tell them about his extravagant plans to build a barn when he then has an idea.
“You said you ride at a local barn around here correct? Would you be interested in riding one of my horses so she can get some exercise?” John asks.
“Sure, let’s take a look!”
John leads Lauren and her mom through the back of the store, up some stairs that were very weeded and steep. Lauren’s mom was really questioning if she wore the right shoes for this voyage. Lauren couldn’t help but wonder if this would be another dead end to finding someone willing to free lease their horse. Her mom would always say, “You just wait until the right person comes along and asks you for help with their horses. That way you will know it is right for you.”
They finally get to a round pen on top of a hill. Lauren sees this pretty paint horse standing there grazing.
“Is that the horse?” Lauren asks.
“That one? Oh no, that’s Patrick. He’s my roping horse. The one you would be working with is eating under the tree.”
Just when Lauren looked under the tree, she saw the most beautiful horse she had ever laid eyes on. The horse had a red looking coat, with a white blaze and three white socks.
“He is so beautiful. What’s his name?” Lauren asks in amazement.
“Well her name is Daisy and she is a six year old American Paint. She was bred out of Zippo Pine Bar the eleventh, who is the great grandson of Zippo Pine Bar. He was the top western pleasure stallion in the world in the 1990s. Her mom’s name is Daisy Duke, making Daisy’s registered show name Unzip My Daisy Dukes. I may have a 12 year old ride her for 4H. Be careful though, she’s a wild pony!”
“Wild?” Her mom asks.
John goes on to tell them how Daisy had dragged his daughter in a show, bucked off some of her riders, bit a few other people and the list dragged on.
Lauren pipes up and says, “I will ride her!”
Her mom being well aware of her safety as usual says, “Well let’s think about it and talk to Debbie first before we go making any rash decisions here!”
Lauren agrees, even though she knows in her heart that she wants to work with this horse. Lauren thought about Daisy each and every day. She wondered what she was like and why she had done that to so many people. She was itching to ask Debbie about her.
Finally the day came for Lauren’s lesson. Debbie barely walked into the barn when Lauren asks, “Hey, you know John’s horse Daisy? Would she be a good horse for me to ride?”
Debbie with a surprised look on her face says, “Oh, well she is pretty wild! She might even be a little too high strung for you. However, it might be a great challenge. Tell you what I will talk it over with John and I will see what I can do.”
Lauren waited for what seemed like an eternity for Debbie to ask about Daisy. She was beginning to wonder if she would ever get to see her again. She would pray every night that God would bring them together again. Somehow she felt like they belonged together.
About a week had passed since Debbie had said she would ask about Daisy. Lauren was sitting in her room when she heard her phone go off. She rushed to grab it, hoping it was Debbie calling about Daisy. Sure enough it was.
“Hey, I was just calling to ask if you are still interested in working with Daisy?”
“Of course I am!”
“Alright then how about we set up your next lesson with Daisy? I just want you to understand that she is a very wild horse and she is quite different from what you are used to. I don’t usually do something like this for my students. If you feel that she is too much horse for you at any time you are working with her, make sure to let me know!”
“Ok, when can we set up that lesson?”
Lauren sets up her lesson with Debbie for the very next afternoon. She was so excited about her lesson that she could not sleep at all that night constantly wondering what it would be like or what if they were so good together that they could enter competitions, win nationals or even go professional!
The next day Lauren and her mom arrive at the store. They meet Debbie in the store parking lot. Together they go out into the pasture, halter both of the horses and head to the barn. Debbie explains the importance of space when working with Daisy, also the importance of thinking ahead so that you stay safe. Lauren was about to learn just how important that was when she went to lunge Daisy. Right as she twirled the end of the lead to send her into the circle, Daisy reared high into the air.
“Keep swinging the end of the rope! Stand your ground; tell her that you are the boss!” Debbie would say.
Even though this scared Lauren so much that she was shaking in her boots, she knew she couldn’t give up!
With everything that she and Daisy did, Daisy would always try to rear, bite or kick at Lauren. If she would walk up to pet Daisy’s belly or even walk behind her, Daisy would always watch her carefully, so as to always know where and what she was doing. Debbie would say it was because she didn’t trust her yet. Lauren wanted Daisy to trust and respect her so bad that it hurt.
They worked and worked day after day and with every single day that went by they got a little bit better. Daisy would still show some attitude, but she pretty much quit bucking and rearing. Lauren was beginning to feel like she was finally getting somewhere until she learned the exact extent of Daisy’s disrespect. However she also learned just how many boundaries Daisy knew.
On this day, Daisy and Lauren were working on yielding Daisy’s hindquarters. Daisy had been getting really good with this exercise that Lauren didn’t really worry about Daisy doing anything to her. When she went to go pet Daisy on her neck, Daisy opened her mouth, grabbed Lauren’s arm with her teeth and threw her so hard that she screamed, slammed her head against the metal fence and her whole body hit the hard dirt floor. Daisy had thrown Lauren a good five feet. Lauren opened her eyes to hear her mother saying, “Just get up and get her feet moving!”
She could also feel Daisy tugging on the lead rope, knowing that she had done something really bad! As mad as Lauren was at Daisy for doing it, she was also proud of Daisy for knowing that she had done something wrong because a truly mean horse would think nothing of it or even do something worse after it, but a great horse would recognize that they did something bad and know that they are about to be punished. That is exactly what Daisy did. Lauren knew she was just testing her limits and really didn’t mean to hurt her. Lauren then got up, looked her right in the eyes, mean as ever and made her run hard for over an hour! By the end Daisy was sweating and out of breath. From then on, she never attempted to bite Lauren ever again.
The next day Lauren came in and did their usual ground work. Everything went great. Lauren then said to her mom, “Today is the day I will ride the wild pony!”
Reluctantly Lauren’s mom hoisted her up on Daisy. She did not buck or even react until Lauren asked her to move forward. Lauren gave her a cluck and squeezed her with her calves gently. Nothing happened. She tried again. Still nothing. She tried over and over, kicking smacking and clucking as hard as she could and Daisy still would not budge.
“Could you please get me my spurs and a crop?” Lauren asks her mom.
Her mom brings her spurs and a crop that she had in her bag. Lauren puts the spurs on her boots and the crop in her hand.
“Whether you like it or not Daisy, you are going to move. So we can do this the easy way or the hard way!”
Daisy obviously chose the hard way. As soon as Lauren smacked her with her crop and rolled her spurs, Daisy pinned her ears and backed right up into the fence. All she would do is back up. They then tried again and again and again. All she did was back up. Lauren started to think, ‘There has got to be a different way to do this!’
It was then that she remembered something from a long time ago. Her very first trainer told her that if a horse is misbehaving or won’t listen to you, turn them in a tight circle. So Lauren asked Daisy to move again. She backed up like she had been doing, only this time instead of letting her back up, Lauren turned her in a very tight circle. It took Lauren three tries before magic happened, Daisy finally moved forward.
This made Lauren ecstatic. Knowing that she came up with the solution completely on her own without the aid of others made her feel like she could do anything.
After all that, it was like they had broken past a huge metal barrier. Lauren and Daisy’s skills began to grow even faster. With every day that passed, Lauren was discovering something new that Daisy could do. Daisy was now starting to trust Lauren so much that she would follow her all around the arena, no matter if she had treats or not. She was also becoming such a respectful and polite horse that Lauren even put her three year old cousin on her back and walked her around. For Lauren that says a lot about a horse when you can trust them with a three year old. Her instructor was also noticing the great change in Daisy.
“I honestly cannot believe the complete change this horse has made! She is a totally different horse!” Her instructor would say in complete shock.
Daisy was also getting very protective when it came to other horses being around Lauren. If any of them even so much as tried to hurt her in any way, she went literally insane. She even went as far as protecting her from her stable mate when he was about to kick her.
It was the middle of September. Lauren was trying to get her stable mate, Patrick, out of his stall. He was pitching a royal fit as usual while Lauren was standing outside the stall behind the boarded part in the corner in case he decided to kick. He then walks out of his stall, but not in a nice way. His ears were pinned. He was looking for revenge. Patrick had Lauren cornered. He turned so that his butt was facing Lauren. There was no where Lauren could go. She was trapped. Lauren then put her arms around her head to soften the blow and did the only thing she could, scream.
“AHHHHHHHHHH…..” Lauren cries out, waiting to feel his hoof hit her body. She thought she was going to die.
Daisy heard her scream and in an instant began to charge. Seconds before Patrick was about to kick, Daisy runs between them and takes the blow. All Lauren could hear was the loud cry of Daisy’s unmistakable winnie. Lauren then opens her eyes, sees Patrick running angrily around the arena and Daisy standing right in front of her.
“You saved me!” Says Lauren as she wraps her arms around Daisy, tears running her cheeks. “I always knew in my heart you were a great horse! How can I ever repay you?”
Lauren began to think about that question for a little while and realized she had been answering it all along. No one had really bothered to give Daisy the attention she desperately needed. All Daisy ever wanted was someone to love and care about her. That is exactly what Lauren did.
Six months after all of this, Lauren and Daisy are still joined at the hip more than ever. Lauren is now into her second semester of high school. She never went back to her old barn. Lauren finally learned that it’s ok to move on. The barn was later sold and Marcie was out of a job. Lauren still talks to Jessica every now and then, but will never hang out with her again. The entire adventure with Daisy has helped Lauren find herself and what she wanted to do in life. This fall Lauren will be attending college with a Equine Science major so she can help more horses like Daisy. Maybe even help others ride the wild ponies.
Thank you and God bless,
- Rodeo~Girl~4Life
Ride the Wild Pony
Have you ever had someone tell you that you will never be good enough? Smart enough? Or even that you will never be up to par with everyone else? Well let me tell you about a girl who was never like everyone else and a horse that was never given a chance. This is a story about the horse who learned to trust again and the girl that never gave up.It was the summer before Lauren’s senior year. She was so happy that this year was over,
“Finally, school is done. I have all this free time to ride and do whatever I want to do.”
Lauren was an avid horseback rider and pretty much lived at the barn. However this last year was especially hard on her. With the temperature in Minnesota dropping to -4 degrees and lower and having had gum surgery and a strained muscle in her neck, Lauren had not been able to ride for over four months. Also not riding made her think about horses so much that her grades were not the greatest. Not to mention the new owner of the barn, Marcie, was mean to the people at the barn. She constantly put down other people.
She would often say to Lauren, staff and other riders, “I hate stupid people and stupid questions; they should be put out of their misery and get hit by a bus.”
Lauren never did like it when she would say that to people, but she just brushed it off. She just thought that as long as she had the horses, she can deal with the owner. Even though Marcie would constantly yell at Lauren and tell her what she was doing wrong. People that had been at the barn would often times ask Lauren why doesn’t she just leave and she would always say, “The barn is my home. I never abandon home. This will only last a little while. It will all get better soon.”
Lauren had started training some of the horses that were a little unruly and needed to be worked with so that they would behave better for the younger riders. However just when Lauren would start with one horse, the owner would make her work with a different one before she could even get anywhere with them. She spent countless days in the hot summer sun working with the kids and their horses during camp and working with the horses on their ground manners. She would often pray at night and she would tell God,
“Dear God, please help me with working with the horses. Let my skills get stronger and the horses get better. Please, so that Marcie won’t get mad at me anymore. Please help me God… Amen!”
God was about to help her alright, but not in the way that she ever expected. It all came in the form of a Natural Horsemanship instructor and a local store owner.
“Lauren, you need to stop pulling so much on Taco’s mouth. The people at the barn have seen you pulling on his mouth a lot! Plus you have developed a terrible seat!” Says Marcie in a telephone call to Lauren.
“Who has even been there to even watch me besides my mom? Honestly, no one has been there EVER!”
“That doesn’t matter. I am making you take English lessons with Jessica and me so you learn not to pull so much, get soft hands and a better seat.”
Lauren has never had any interest in leaving Western riding for English riding. She thought English was way too girlie. Western was what she always had fun in and could see herself doing great things with.
“English lessons? I don’t want to take English lessons. Can I possibly do something else? Go bareback?”
In the most annoyed voice Marcie says, “FINE! You can go bareback, but you have to do the clinic from the new western instructor I hired!”
So they agreed that Lauren would do some bareback riding to improve her seat and in one month she would attend a Natural Horsemanship clinic. Little did Lauren know Marcie had just done something that might actually help her after all.
The days came and went. Lauren kept her part of the agreement she had made by going bareback. Then the day came for the horse world as she knew it to change. The day she started the clinic.
It was the middle of July. It was rather sunny out. Lauren got to the barn, grabbed the horse she would use. His name was Pilgrim, but everyone called him Fatty McButter Pants because he was so big. People said that he was slow and wasn’t a very good horse, but Lauren didn’t care; he was just as good as any other horse in her eyes.
“Fatty, you may not be pretty and you may not be very good, but I still think you are just as good as most of the horses here!” Lauren would tell him.
She waited in the arena for the instructor. Lauren had no idea what the instructor looked like, much less what she acted like. Whether she was nice or mean. This made Lauren fairly nervous. There originally was going to be 4 people including Lauren in the clinic, but for some reason two of them dropped out. So it was just Lauren and Jessica.
Jessica was the type that treated you nice on the outside, but would turn around and stab you in the back in a heartbeat. She pretty much got anything she wanted considering her parents were both doctor’s, except her own horse. She was also very timid and not very assertive. She was Marcie’s little pet and tattled on Lauren every chance she’d get.
“Aren’t you so excited about the clinic?” says Jessica.
“Yeah, I guess. I could use a chance to brush up my skills.”
All of a sudden a fairly tall, muscular lady named Debbie Markcowitz walks into the barn with a huge draft horse trailing behind her. “Hello there. You must be Jessica and Lauren. Well let’s get started, everyone unhalter your horse!”
Jessica and Lauren both give each other a look of confusion.
“Unhalter our horses? Isn’t this supposed to be a natural horsemanship training lesson?” Jessica asks.
“This is all part of our training. We will start at the beginning from when you go to halter your horse to bring him into the barn.”
As the lesson went on Lauren was simply amazed at what Debbie was teaching her. They were things that were challenging for both her and Fatty, but so interesting that she wanted to learn so much more. Lauren loved what she was learning so much that she would arrive at the barn an hour before the clinic so that she and Fatty could practice what they had learned. The instructor took note of this. She would watch Lauren and Fatty practice. This is how Lauren got her nickname as Debbie’s AP student; the instructor thought that she had a lot of dedication, talent and heart with the horses. By the end of the clinics Lauren had learned so much more and Fatty was a better behaved horse.
Fatty had made such a transformation that Marcie decided to buy him as a lesson horse for the younger riders. This made Lauren so proud that she got to help with his training so that he can help teach the young kids to ride too.
Lauren kept using Debbie as her instructor and she was a great instructor, but the problem was that the horses did not challenge Lauren enough. In her almost four years of riding and taking lessons, she had never really experienced what it was like to ride a horse that wasn’t what horse people call quiet. That means that the horse would not react to anything, they would just be patient and stand there. It wasn’t until the day she would meet a local country store owner named John Fitzgerald, that she would come to meet the horse that would take her on the best adventure of her life.
“Look mom, LOOK a new country store! Can we go? Oh please can we?” Lauren says excitedly at the ad placed in the local newspaper. Both her and her mom loved to go to the country stores to see what fun animal stuff they had.
“Sure, we can this afternoon when I come home from work.”
They drive along a never ending country road, full of twists and turns, but simply beautiful scenery. Lauren loved the summer time when the baby animals were out and ready to play. Always curious and willing to explore, no matter what the consequences.
The car then pulls up into the parking lot of the country store. Lauren goes inside. She was simply amazed at the look of the store. It was huge! Full of never ending isles of horse halters, dog toys, training aids and more. It’s safe to say that Lauren loved this store. She and her mom were looking at the dog toys when they came across the owner, John. John was a very tall, sturdy looking man that looked like he had wrestled with a couple of grizzlies in his lifetime.
“Hello, may I help you with anything?” John says with a sincere smile.
“Oh, no, I am just admiring this amazing store. It’s our first day coming in and I absolutely love it.” Lauren says eagerly.
“Well what do you like best about the store?”
“I really like the dog toys and the riding clothes, but I especially love the horse section!”
“Oh, do you have any horses?”
“No, but I do ride at a local barn around here and I take lessons from Debbie Markcowitz. Do you happen to know her?”
“Oh yeah, I know Debbie, she works right at the front desk of my store. She is simply amazing when it comes to horses. Come on let me show you all around the store!”
John shows them just about every inch of the store and tells them about when he was a horse trader in Colorado and what it was like there. He also tells them why he chose to put the store where it is. He begins to tell them about his extravagant plans to build a barn when he then has an idea.
“You said you ride at a local barn around here correct? Would you be interested in riding one of my horses so she can get some exercise?” John asks.
“Sure, let’s take a look!”
John leads Lauren and her mom through the back of the store, up some stairs that were very weeded and steep. Lauren’s mom was really questioning if she wore the right shoes for this voyage. Lauren couldn’t help but wonder if this would be another dead end to finding someone willing to free lease their horse. Her mom would always say, “You just wait until the right person comes along and asks you for help with their horses. That way you will know it is right for you.”
They finally get to a round pen on top of a hill. Lauren sees this pretty paint horse standing there grazing.
“Is that the horse?” Lauren asks.
“That one? Oh no, that’s Patrick. He’s my roping horse. The one you would be working with is eating under the tree.”
Just when Lauren looked under the tree, she saw the most beautiful horse she had ever laid eyes on. The horse had a red looking coat, with a white blaze and three white socks.
“He is so beautiful. What’s his name?” Lauren asks in amazement.
“Well her name is Daisy and she is a six year old American Paint. She was bred out of Zippo Pine Bar the eleventh, who is the great grandson of Zippo Pine Bar. He was the top western pleasure stallion in the world in the 1990s. Her mom’s name is Daisy Duke, making Daisy’s registered show name Unzip My Daisy Dukes. I may have a 12 year old ride her for 4H. Be careful though, she’s a wild pony!”
“Wild?” Her mom asks.
John goes on to tell them how Daisy had dragged his daughter in a show, bucked off some of her riders, bit a few other people and the list dragged on.
Lauren pipes up and says, “I will ride her!”
Her mom being well aware of her safety as usual says, “Well let’s think about it and talk to Debbie first before we go making any rash decisions here!”
Lauren agrees, even though she knows in her heart that she wants to work with this horse. Lauren thought about Daisy each and every day. She wondered what she was like and why she had done that to so many people. She was itching to ask Debbie about her.
Finally the day came for Lauren’s lesson. Debbie barely walked into the barn when Lauren asks, “Hey, you know John’s horse Daisy? Would she be a good horse for me to ride?”
Debbie with a surprised look on her face says, “Oh, well she is pretty wild! She might even be a little too high strung for you. However, it might be a great challenge. Tell you what I will talk it over with John and I will see what I can do.”
Lauren waited for what seemed like an eternity for Debbie to ask about Daisy. She was beginning to wonder if she would ever get to see her again. She would pray every night that God would bring them together again. Somehow she felt like they belonged together.
About a week had passed since Debbie had said she would ask about Daisy. Lauren was sitting in her room when she heard her phone go off. She rushed to grab it, hoping it was Debbie calling about Daisy. Sure enough it was.
“Hey, I was just calling to ask if you are still interested in working with Daisy?”
“Of course I am!”
“Alright then how about we set up your next lesson with Daisy? I just want you to understand that she is a very wild horse and she is quite different from what you are used to. I don’t usually do something like this for my students. If you feel that she is too much horse for you at any time you are working with her, make sure to let me know!”
“Ok, when can we set up that lesson?”
Lauren sets up her lesson with Debbie for the very next afternoon. She was so excited about her lesson that she could not sleep at all that night constantly wondering what it would be like or what if they were so good together that they could enter competitions, win nationals or even go professional!
The next day Lauren and her mom arrive at the store. They meet Debbie in the store parking lot. Together they go out into the pasture, halter both of the horses and head to the barn. Debbie explains the importance of space when working with Daisy, also the importance of thinking ahead so that you stay safe. Lauren was about to learn just how important that was when she went to lunge Daisy. Right as she twirled the end of the lead to send her into the circle, Daisy reared high into the air.
“Keep swinging the end of the rope! Stand your ground; tell her that you are the boss!” Debbie would say.
Even though this scared Lauren so much that she was shaking in her boots, she knew she couldn’t give up!
With everything that she and Daisy did, Daisy would always try to rear, bite or kick at Lauren. If she would walk up to pet Daisy’s belly or even walk behind her, Daisy would always watch her carefully, so as to always know where and what she was doing. Debbie would say it was because she didn’t trust her yet. Lauren wanted Daisy to trust and respect her so bad that it hurt.
They worked and worked day after day and with every single day that went by they got a little bit better. Daisy would still show some attitude, but she pretty much quit bucking and rearing. Lauren was beginning to feel like she was finally getting somewhere until she learned the exact extent of Daisy’s disrespect. However she also learned just how many boundaries Daisy knew.
On this day, Daisy and Lauren were working on yielding Daisy’s hindquarters. Daisy had been getting really good with this exercise that Lauren didn’t really worry about Daisy doing anything to her. When she went to go pet Daisy on her neck, Daisy opened her mouth, grabbed Lauren’s arm with her teeth and threw her so hard that she screamed, slammed her head against the metal fence and her whole body hit the hard dirt floor. Daisy had thrown Lauren a good five feet. Lauren opened her eyes to hear her mother saying, “Just get up and get her feet moving!”
She could also feel Daisy tugging on the lead rope, knowing that she had done something really bad! As mad as Lauren was at Daisy for doing it, she was also proud of Daisy for knowing that she had done something wrong because a truly mean horse would think nothing of it or even do something worse after it, but a great horse would recognize that they did something bad and know that they are about to be punished. That is exactly what Daisy did. Lauren knew she was just testing her limits and really didn’t mean to hurt her. Lauren then got up, looked her right in the eyes, mean as ever and made her run hard for over an hour! By the end Daisy was sweating and out of breath. From then on, she never attempted to bite Lauren ever again.
The next day Lauren came in and did their usual ground work. Everything went great. Lauren then said to her mom, “Today is the day I will ride the wild pony!”
Reluctantly Lauren’s mom hoisted her up on Daisy. She did not buck or even react until Lauren asked her to move forward. Lauren gave her a cluck and squeezed her with her calves gently. Nothing happened. She tried again. Still nothing. She tried over and over, kicking smacking and clucking as hard as she could and Daisy still would not budge.
“Could you please get me my spurs and a crop?” Lauren asks her mom.
Her mom brings her spurs and a crop that she had in her bag. Lauren puts the spurs on her boots and the crop in her hand.
“Whether you like it or not Daisy, you are going to move. So we can do this the easy way or the hard way!”
Daisy obviously chose the hard way. As soon as Lauren smacked her with her crop and rolled her spurs, Daisy pinned her ears and backed right up into the fence. All she would do is back up. They then tried again and again and again. All she did was back up. Lauren started to think, ‘There has got to be a different way to do this!’
It was then that she remembered something from a long time ago. Her very first trainer told her that if a horse is misbehaving or won’t listen to you, turn them in a tight circle. So Lauren asked Daisy to move again. She backed up like she had been doing, only this time instead of letting her back up, Lauren turned her in a very tight circle. It took Lauren three tries before magic happened, Daisy finally moved forward.
This made Lauren ecstatic. Knowing that she came up with the solution completely on her own without the aid of others made her feel like she could do anything.
After all that, it was like they had broken past a huge metal barrier. Lauren and Daisy’s skills began to grow even faster. With every day that passed, Lauren was discovering something new that Daisy could do. Daisy was now starting to trust Lauren so much that she would follow her all around the arena, no matter if she had treats or not. She was also becoming such a respectful and polite horse that Lauren even put her three year old cousin on her back and walked her around. For Lauren that says a lot about a horse when you can trust them with a three year old. Her instructor was also noticing the great change in Daisy.
“I honestly cannot believe the complete change this horse has made! She is a totally different horse!” Her instructor would say in complete shock.
Daisy was also getting very protective when it came to other horses being around Lauren. If any of them even so much as tried to hurt her in any way, she went literally insane. She even went as far as protecting her from her stable mate when he was about to kick her.
It was the middle of September. Lauren was trying to get her stable mate, Patrick, out of his stall. He was pitching a royal fit as usual while Lauren was standing outside the stall behind the boarded part in the corner in case he decided to kick. He then walks out of his stall, but not in a nice way. His ears were pinned. He was looking for revenge. Patrick had Lauren cornered. He turned so that his butt was facing Lauren. There was no where Lauren could go. She was trapped. Lauren then put her arms around her head to soften the blow and did the only thing she could, scream.
“AHHHHHHHHHH…..” Lauren cries out, waiting to feel his hoof hit her body. She thought she was going to die.
Daisy heard her scream and in an instant began to charge. Seconds before Patrick was about to kick, Daisy runs between them and takes the blow. All Lauren could hear was the loud cry of Daisy’s unmistakable winnie. Lauren then opens her eyes, sees Patrick running angrily around the arena and Daisy standing right in front of her.
“You saved me!” Says Lauren as she wraps her arms around Daisy, tears running her cheeks. “I always knew in my heart you were a great horse! How can I ever repay you?”
Lauren began to think about that question for a little while and realized she had been answering it all along. No one had really bothered to give Daisy the attention she desperately needed. All Daisy ever wanted was someone to love and care about her. That is exactly what Lauren did.
Six months after all of this, Lauren and Daisy are still joined at the hip more than ever. Lauren is now into her second semester of high school. She never went back to her old barn. Lauren finally learned that it’s ok to move on. The barn was later sold and Marcie was out of a job. Lauren still talks to Jessica every now and then, but will never hang out with her again. The entire adventure with Daisy has helped Lauren find herself and what she wanted to do in life. This fall Lauren will be attending college with a Equine Science major so she can help more horses like Daisy. Maybe even help others ride the wild ponies.
WELCOME!!
Hey, this is Rodeo~Girl~4Life and I would like to welcome you to my blog site. To start off with how many of you love horses? Ride horses? Or even just generally interested in learning more about them? Well this is the blog for you! In this blog we will explore anything from horse health to dressage, rodeo events, hunter and jumper, western pleasure riding styles and anything in the wonderful world of horses. You name it, I blog it. I will also post my stories and poems that I write about horses here. Maybe even a video blog here and there.
I bet you are now wondering a little about me. Well to start off in case it wasn't obvious, I LOVE HORSES! I have been riding for about three, coming on four years now. I was one of the top riders in my riding school when it came to riding western. So I know a thing or two about western riding. If I was asked what types of horses are my favorites, defiantly Quarter Horses. I am also a sucker for American Paints, Appaloosas, Buckskins and lots more. I really don't have a least favorite type though. My current horse is a 4 year old American Paint named Daisy. She is my first horse I ever really trained from the ground up. By ground up, I mean I did all her ground work and she is now learning loads of in saddle stuff. She is a halter baby and an ex western pleasure horse. She also knows a few reining tricks too. Even though she cannot neck rein yet. I will have to tell you more about our story in a later blog.
I also have an Australian Shepherd, Blue Heeler cross at home named Gretchen. She is nothing short of amazing. She is nothing like any other dog I have ever met. She loves to play fetch, go for long walks, curl in your lap when you are watching a movie. She is pretty much game for anything! However, unlike dogs of her breed, she does not have a dog job. I wish she did though. That would be awesome.
I am a big supporter in rescuing animals. Rescues are just as good as purebreds. Some of the best horses were rescues. Look at Charmayne James famous barrel racing horse, Gills Bay Boy for instance. He came from a feedlot and in the end a multimillion dollar horse. It just shows that no matter how bad things are, just hope that they get better.
That’s all I can really think of about myself. Honestly, I am just your average American, horse crazy girl. If you would like to know more just ask me.
As I said before, welcome and keep coming back for more.
Thank you and God bless,
- Rodeo~Girl~4Life
I bet you are now wondering a little about me. Well to start off in case it wasn't obvious, I LOVE HORSES! I have been riding for about three, coming on four years now. I was one of the top riders in my riding school when it came to riding western. So I know a thing or two about western riding. If I was asked what types of horses are my favorites, defiantly Quarter Horses. I am also a sucker for American Paints, Appaloosas, Buckskins and lots more. I really don't have a least favorite type though. My current horse is a 4 year old American Paint named Daisy. She is my first horse I ever really trained from the ground up. By ground up, I mean I did all her ground work and she is now learning loads of in saddle stuff. She is a halter baby and an ex western pleasure horse. She also knows a few reining tricks too. Even though she cannot neck rein yet. I will have to tell you more about our story in a later blog.
I also have an Australian Shepherd, Blue Heeler cross at home named Gretchen. She is nothing short of amazing. She is nothing like any other dog I have ever met. She loves to play fetch, go for long walks, curl in your lap when you are watching a movie. She is pretty much game for anything! However, unlike dogs of her breed, she does not have a dog job. I wish she did though. That would be awesome.
I am a big supporter in rescuing animals. Rescues are just as good as purebreds. Some of the best horses were rescues. Look at Charmayne James famous barrel racing horse, Gills Bay Boy for instance. He came from a feedlot and in the end a multimillion dollar horse. It just shows that no matter how bad things are, just hope that they get better.
That’s all I can really think of about myself. Honestly, I am just your average American, horse crazy girl. If you would like to know more just ask me.
As I said before, welcome and keep coming back for more.
Thank you and God bless,
- Rodeo~Girl~4Life
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