Had a friend go with me the other day to feed the horses. He is rather fond of the horses, but really has no horse experience to speak of. It was just a couple of weeks ago that he went riding with me and controlled the horse he was riding for the first time. In spite of that, he seems rather natural around the horses, spending time just loving on them whenever he is around them.
So the other day, I was getting ready to take a couple of ponies down to town. I was going to ride one and lead the other, and Pradeep was going to take the car back to town. We had a short walk through the woods to the road, and I talked him into riding Shadow bareback til we reached the car. It took some coaxing, but he finally agreed.
On the way up, Deep started talking about how amazing the whole thing was. He had never ridden bareback before, and the whole thing, with the horse, and riding bareback, and being in the woods, was just incredible. I was so enjoying listening to him, because I have gotten to the point that things like this are normal for me. Almost a given. I have ridden horses bareback through the woods since I was little, and while I enjoy it, I tend to take it for granted. Hearing someone like Deep talking about how wonderful it is to ride, even just for a few minutes, reminds me that it really is wonderful. It reminds me of how fortunate I am to have something like this in my life.
And it makes me think about the people who made it possible. My Aunt, who gave me riding lessons when I was little (little enough to actually properly fit my pony :~) ), and who sold me my first pony, and my parents, who let me have a pony, and trusted me (and Gram) enough to let us go out in the woods for hours with nothing on that pony but me and a bridle. I was so blessed, even as a child, to have people like them in my life.
I hope that, no matter how old I get, or how much I ride, I will never lose the wonder of what I am doing. The wonder of that partnership between human and horse, and the wonder of spending time in God's creation, with a 4-legged friend who can teach me so much about who God is.
So the other day, I was getting ready to take a couple of ponies down to town. I was going to ride one and lead the other, and Pradeep was going to take the car back to town. We had a short walk through the woods to the road, and I talked him into riding Shadow bareback til we reached the car. It took some coaxing, but he finally agreed.
On the way up, Deep started talking about how amazing the whole thing was. He had never ridden bareback before, and the whole thing, with the horse, and riding bareback, and being in the woods, was just incredible. I was so enjoying listening to him, because I have gotten to the point that things like this are normal for me. Almost a given. I have ridden horses bareback through the woods since I was little, and while I enjoy it, I tend to take it for granted. Hearing someone like Deep talking about how wonderful it is to ride, even just for a few minutes, reminds me that it really is wonderful. It reminds me of how fortunate I am to have something like this in my life.
And it makes me think about the people who made it possible. My Aunt, who gave me riding lessons when I was little (little enough to actually properly fit my pony :~) ), and who sold me my first pony, and my parents, who let me have a pony, and trusted me (and Gram) enough to let us go out in the woods for hours with nothing on that pony but me and a bridle. I was so blessed, even as a child, to have people like them in my life.
I hope that, no matter how old I get, or how much I ride, I will never lose the wonder of what I am doing. The wonder of that partnership between human and horse, and the wonder of spending time in God's creation, with a 4-legged friend who can teach me so much about who God is.
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