Too Young? Too Old? Baahumbug!

Is anyone too young or too old to have a friend? We all know that is a silly question, and certainly is not the case here at Blue Rock Horses.

We just started our youngest student, 5-year-old Peter. Our first cowboy! Our goal is to begin a friendship between him and horses that will last a lifetime. It matters little if he ever becomes a great horseman. Our idea is to create a bond with him and these beautiful animals. There is something beyond words that happens between man and animal. Man knows it and so do the animals we care for. God called man to care for animals. This, we are sure, is where the bond began.

So, back to Peter. We will take it one lesson at a time according to his desire. He enjoyed touching High Hope’s velvety muzzle, and feeling her warm breathe on his hand. He wanted to ride with me, so we rode bareback. All our students ride bareback every now and then. It teaches great balance, and on cold days the horse’s furry, warm coat feels great!

Peter will set the pace for us, and we will have rich lessons together—all 3 of us!

Our oldest student is my mother. You must never tell her this though, as those are “fightin'” words! “You!”, she reminds me always,”are the one I taught!”

This is very true. My mother is an outstanding horsewoman. She will soon turn 86 years old, and up until this year we did get her up on High Hope, and she rode around the paddock. It is something to see her loose her age when she is on a horse. She has lost much of her immediate memory, but she has never lost her love of the horse.

It is so funny to hear her say every time she sees High Hope, “Damn! That’s a nice looking dun!” You have to know my mother!

It is our goal to find a way to get Mom back in the saddle, her legs just don’t want to swing over the saddle anymore. But I know this much, she does not have to ride to “feel” that beautiful rhythm of the walk, for it is in her very being.