As I watch the leaves turn into fabulous shades of reds and golds, I can only wonder what happened to the summer. Not nearly enough hours were spent in the saddle and I feel like I am frantically grabbing the tail end of a rope being tugged from my grasp. Falling leaves are all too closely followed by snow flurries and frigid weather!
My 2-yr. old gelding, Harley has been the star of the show this summer. His antics are continually entertaining and his curiosity is insatiable to the point I wonder if anything will ever be safe from his inquisitive mouth and feet. During a recent fence building project, Harley “helped” by picking up the log chain with his mouth. He played Ring Around the Rosie by circling around the skid steer and climbing the mound of fresh dirt brought in to fill holes. He even sacked himself out with my son’s jacket…humorous until Kyle remembered his cell phone was in the pocket. After a brief game of tug of war, jacket and cell phone were safe from Harley’s grasp.
Ponying sessions with patient Eddie at the helm are met with Harley playing bulldozer with his nose leaving tracks in the loose gravel along the roads. Obviously Harley also thinks he has to help carry part of Eddie’s burden by holding Ed’s tail or lead rope in his mouth as we take our ride. With Harley’s personality, I’ve tried tailoring his training sessions to meet his curious nature. I’m continually in search of new objects and games to show him which are always met with reactions like “Can I taste it?” “Can I move it with my feet?” It is rare this bold pony shows fear. The trust and bond formed between Harley and me through these sessions are now helping with his first rides under saddle.
Harley isn’t the only student on the farm. This highly intuitive horse has required me to hone my body language skills neglected from years of handling more forgiving elderly horses. Whether it’s the older and wiser theory setting in or perhaps it’s just due to the knowledge that I don’t bounce as well as I used to in the game of horseback riding and spills, my own self confidence and trust seems to have waned through the years. Through watching this young horse test and build his own skills, I have been able to rebuild my self confidence.
In the game of life, according to Harley, we all need to take that “What if” out of the equation and meet each new venture with eagerness and anticipation. Turn off that nasty voice in your head which asks “What if he spooks?” “What if he bucks?” “What if I get hurt?” Ask instead “Can I taste it?” ‘Can I do it?” and embrace each new experience as a wonderful gift. Learn to trust yourself and your horse and turn your life into a joyful game. By doing so, you’ll be able to grasp the tail end of that rope and hang on for a wonderful ride Into the Sunset no matter what the season is.