HorseRiding God
New Member
When I was a small child, I used to wish for a horse, I did not care if it were pink with purple polka dots. My folks would never let me have one, but did get me lessons with a local gal near the small town I lived near in Waverly, Iowa. I took lessons and rode her horses for several years.
Then my family moved to Missouri. We found a place out in the country, all the kids around had horses, and I would ride a neighbor's horse, Molly, that was 35 years old, but it was still a horse. That Christmas season, I got to work, I prayed for a horse into the air vents hoping that my folks would hear me, as well as God...Every night the same thing for at least a month.
Christmas morning came and we were all unwrapping gifts, I got a saddle pad in one box, brushes in another, halters etc. Man was I excited. I just knew I would be getting a horse. The last box under the tree was VERY heavy, I opened it, and there was a sack of kitty litter with a certificate in it from the neighbors. It read "You can ride Molly anytime without asking for 1 year" My folks were all smiles and I was in tears.... My grandma was so disgusted with my behavior, but I was crushed.
Well as our tradition goes, after gifts we eat eggs benedict, and go on with out Christmas day, playing games or with our gifts. I was still sad. Then my dad asked me to go help him bring in firewood for the fireplace. Oh...sure, that sounds like fun. But I put on my coat and boots and went out. As we rounded the corner, There, tied to a tree was a horse. Not just a horse, but Mary Lu, the young horse I had helped train up in Iowa. My folks had her hauled down for me. I was in tears again, but not from being sad, I was so excited! This was the best Christmas I have ever had, and probably ever will. The funny thing is, my folks know NOTHING about horses, and I guess half of their memories of that Christmas had to do with walking up to another neighbors farm and trying to get her to bring her down to the house at 5:00 a.m. They did not have a halter, a feed bucket to bring her up etc. But the people in the house got up and helped them out.
They tied the filly to the garage door at first, and we all know what happened there..... So the neighbor that owned Molly saw her loose and came over and tied her to the tree that I found her at. What a Christmas, it makes me smile every time I think of it.
Then my family moved to Missouri. We found a place out in the country, all the kids around had horses, and I would ride a neighbor's horse, Molly, that was 35 years old, but it was still a horse. That Christmas season, I got to work, I prayed for a horse into the air vents hoping that my folks would hear me, as well as God...Every night the same thing for at least a month.
Christmas morning came and we were all unwrapping gifts, I got a saddle pad in one box, brushes in another, halters etc. Man was I excited. I just knew I would be getting a horse. The last box under the tree was VERY heavy, I opened it, and there was a sack of kitty litter with a certificate in it from the neighbors. It read "You can ride Molly anytime without asking for 1 year" My folks were all smiles and I was in tears.... My grandma was so disgusted with my behavior, but I was crushed.
Well as our tradition goes, after gifts we eat eggs benedict, and go on with out Christmas day, playing games or with our gifts. I was still sad. Then my dad asked me to go help him bring in firewood for the fireplace. Oh...sure, that sounds like fun. But I put on my coat and boots and went out. As we rounded the corner, There, tied to a tree was a horse. Not just a horse, but Mary Lu, the young horse I had helped train up in Iowa. My folks had her hauled down for me. I was in tears again, but not from being sad, I was so excited! This was the best Christmas I have ever had, and probably ever will. The funny thing is, my folks know NOTHING about horses, and I guess half of their memories of that Christmas had to do with walking up to another neighbors farm and trying to get her to bring her down to the house at 5:00 a.m. They did not have a halter, a feed bucket to bring her up etc. But the people in the house got up and helped them out.
They tied the filly to the garage door at first, and we all know what happened there..... So the neighbor that owned Molly saw her loose and came over and tied her to the tree that I found her at. What a Christmas, it makes me smile every time I think of it.
Non horsy parents can be the best and the worst. My parents did a similar thing for me, bought me a Christmas pony. I sorta ruined the surprise when I opened the present with the bridle before seeing her. She was your standard edition roan pony MARE, biaotch of the farm. Lessons didn't even cross my Dad's mind. Somehow I was supposed to know everything already. As others have posted, how hard could it be? They made me ride in a 1/2 acre fenced paddock then turned me loose on the whole of the county. My sisters and I rode everywhere. We were too ignorant to think it could possibly be dangerous! Fun times!
