Childhood Dreams of Horses

Across the world, people love to ride and spend time with horses. Children dream of having a horse from a very young age. Horses are relaxing creatures, and they make great friends to humans. People can become so attached to horses that Beck and Katcher say in their book, "adolescents frequently think of their horses as brothers or sisters" (42). It can be very nerve wrecking for a person the first time they ride, but riding can be an extremely relaxing and enjoyable experience. It is as if you are flying through the fields on the back of an eagle after you are advanced enough to have the horse canter. At age four, I started riding horses at Burgess Stables in Nursery, Texas. Spending time with Susan Burgess and her horses relaxes me and relieves my stress.

Learning how to ride horses and show miniature horses was more fun than work for me at age four. I learned easily and enjoyed it immensely. A year later, I was in my first horse show. In a miniature horse show (or Shetland pony), the presenter leads the horse on a lead rope. There are different classes with different requirements for presenting your horse. There are three types of classes. The first type is dealing with the appearance of the horse or costumes on the horse and presenters; second, dealing with how the presenter leads and controls the horse; third, dealing with leading the horse through obstacles. Ever since I started fourteen years ago, my favorite class has always been jumping. In jumping class, we run as fast as we can with the horse next to us and make sure the horse makes it over all of the jumps without circling, knocking a jump down, or missing a jump. If two or more people are able to do this perfectly, a runoff over the jumps must take place in which the fastest horse and presenter win. The miniature horse shows are very competitive, but very fun at the same time. I will miss them now that I am too old to do them anymore without owning my own horse.

In my first horse show, I was five years old. I did not win much, because I was just doing it for fun, but there is a cute story from that day. I was in the showmanship class, which is a class where the presenter cannot touch the horse. At such a young age, I did not properly understand this class, so as a final touch I put my "cowgirl" hat on my horse. The judge thought it was so cute that I got the sixth place ribbon. I am fairly certain that I did not deserve it, but I think it is a cute story. As I got older and started trying harder, I started winning more. Since 2000, I have won Grand Champion about fifteen times, Reserve Grand and the judge's award once. Despite the many times I have won, the reason I was in the shows was merely because I enjoyed them. It wasn't really about winning or losing. It was about enjoying being there, helping the other children, and doing something I enjoy.

When I was little, if you had asked me what I wanted to do when I grew up, I would have said, "I want to be a farmer like Susan." Burgess Stables was my favorite place to be at that age. I was very happy there and I loved it. I think every child loves their hobby and everything to do with it; that was mine.

As I have grown up, Susan has allowed me to do more around the barn. She allows me to help work with her foals, which is very tricky. If they are taught something wrong, it can take three weeks of work to correct the mistake. I love working with the foals and helping to train them. It can get frustrating, but it is well worth the work when you see how successful the horse is once it has grown up. It gives me joy to know that I had a part in the training of a horse.

Lolita is a horse Susan owned a few years ago. She is dear to my heart, more than any other horse I've ever met. Lolita is beautiful; she is a chestnut with a classy shape and huge eyes. Her head is now drawn as the standard of perfection for Shetland ponies. See a picture of her at rhapsodyshetlands.com. Susan Burgess showed her to hall of fame. I showed her in many local shows and won several times with her. She loved me as much as I loved her; we were a great match in the shows. We were an unbeatable pair. Now, I have not seen Lolita for about six years, because she was sold to be a brood mare in Iowa at the farm she was born at. She had been shown as much as she possibly could, and now it is her turn to have foals, so they can be as special as she is. I miss her dearly.

The relationships people make with horses are as lasting as relationships can be with other people. All horses have their own personalities, and there are some horses that a particular person will get along with and others they will not. Horses have as diverse personalities as humans and that is why it is so enjoyable for people to spend time with them. A horse could potentially be one of your best friends and that is the amazing thing about spending time with them.

Susan Burgess and her horses are like my family. I love going out to the barn and spending time with them. Susan has become one of my best friends over the years. As we ride through her fields on her property, we talk about whatever is on our minds and just relax in the pasture. There are no worries out there in the country on the horse's back. It is easy to relax and clear your head as you ride through the fields upon the gentle backs of Sandy and Scottie, who are the main riding horses. The relationships developed at the barn are lasting relationships that will stay with me for the rest of my life. I will forever remember the horses that I grew up with. I will think fondly back on all the times I spent with them. New horses will come into my life, but nothing will ever replace Lolita, Sandy, or Scottie. I know eventually they will pass away, but I will find new horses to be attached to. I cannot imagine my life without having horses that were special to me; they are that important.

Works Cited

Beck, Alan, and Aaron Katcher. Between Pets and People: The Importance of Animal Companionship. West Lafayette: Purdue, 1996.