A Father's Explanation of Why He Had Horses for His Children

With all the negativity going on here lately (Travon Martin/Black Crime threads), I wanted to post an uplifting story that's personal to me. Recently the wife of a friend of mine asked me why we "waste" our money on horses. Instead of getting mad or defensive I pulled up the link below and had her read the following article on my smart phone.

Knowing that we have amazing, committed, invested, and loving parents on this forum, I think you all will appreciate this, and I hope you all have something in your kids lives that can help teach the same lessons below...

A Father's Explanation of Why He Had Horses for His Children …….author
unknown

My daughter turned sixteen years old today; which is a milestone for most
people. Besides looking at baby photos and childhood trinkets with her, I
took time to reflect on the young woman my daughter had become and the
choices she would face in the future.

As I looked at her I could see the athlete she was, and determined woman she
would soon be. I started thinking about some of the girls we knew in our
town who were already pregnant, pierced in several places, hair every color
under the sun, drop outs, drug addicts and on the fast track to no-where,
seeking surface identities because they had no inner self esteem. The
parents of these same girls have asked me why I "waste" the money on horses
so my daughter can ride. I'm told she will grow out of it, lose interest,
discover boys and all kinds of things that try to pin the current
genera-tion' s "slacker" label on my child. I don't think it will happen, I
think she will love and have horses all her life.

Because my daughter grew up with horses she has compassion. She knows that
we must take special care of the very young and the very old. We must make
sure those without voices to speak of their pain are still cared for.

Because my daughter grew up with horses she learned responsibility for
others than herself. She learned that regardless of the weather you must
still care for those you have the stewardship of. There are no "days off"
just because you don't feel like being a horse owner that day. She learned
that for every hour of fun you have there are days of hard slogging work you
must do first.

Because my daughter grew up with horses she learned not to be afraid of
getting dirty and that appearances don't matter to most of the breathing
things in the world we live in. Horses do not care about designer clothes,
jewelry, pretty hairdos or anything else we put on our bodies to try to
impress others. What a horse cares about are your abilities to work within
his natural world, he doesn't care if you're wearing $80.00 jeans while you
do it. -

Because my daughter grew up with horses she learned about sex and how it can
both enrich and complicate lives. She learned that it only takes one time to
produce a baby, and the only way to ensure babies aren't produced is not to
breed. She learned how babies are planned, made, born and, sadly, sometimes
die before reaching their potential. She learned how sleepless nights and
trying to out-smart a crafty old broodmare could result in getting to see,
as non-horse owning people rarely do, the birth of a true miracle.

Because my daughter grew up with horses she understands the value of money.
Every dollar can be translated into bales of hay, bags of feed or farrier
visits. Purchasing non-necessities during lean times can mean the difference
between feed and good care, or neglect and starvation. She has learned to
judge the level of her care against the care she sees provided by others and
to make sure her standards never lower, and only increase as her knowledge
grows.

Because my daughter grew up with horses she has learned to learn on her own.
She has had teachers that cannot speak, nor write, nor communicate beyond
body language and reactions. She has had to learn to "read" her surroundings
for both safe and unsafe objects, to look for hazards where others might
only see a pretty meadow. She has learned to judge people as she judges
horses. She looks beyond appearances and trappings to see what is within.

Because my daughter grew up with horses she has learned sportsmanship to a
high degree. Everyone that competes fairly is a winner. Trophies and ribbons
may prove someone a winner, but they do not prove someone is a horseman. She
has also learned that some people will do anything to win, regard-less of
who it hurts. She knows that those who will cheat in the show ring will also
cheat in every other aspect of their life and are not to be trusted.

Because my daughter grew up with horses she has self-esteem and an engaging
personality. She can talk to anyone she meets with confidence, because she
has to express herself to her horse with more than words. She knows the
satisfaction of controlling and teaching a 1000 pound animal that will yield
willingly to her gentle touch and ignore the more forceful and inept
handling of those stronger than she is. She holds herself with poise and
professionalism in the company of those far older than herself.

Because my daughter grew up with horses she has learned to plan ahead. She
knows that choices made today can effect what happens five years down the
road. She knows that you cannot care for and protect your investments
without savings to fall back on. She knows the value of land and buildings.
And that caring for your vehicle can mean the difference between easy travel
or being stranded on the side of the road with a four horse trailer on a hot
day.

When I look at what she has learned and what it will help her become, I can
honestly say that I haven't "wasted" a penny on providing her with horses. I
only wish that all children had the same opportunities to learn these
lessons from horses before setting out on the road to adulthood.

 

Such a beautiful piece Loki, thank you for sharing

 

I agree, with Tarshi - very beautiful piece, Loki.

Caring for a horse or any animal can be so therapeutic and, as this piece demonstrates, it can teach valuable life skills.