Two Minute Training Tips – A Pony for Christmas

I wasn’t born into a horse family. But boy did I have the horse gene – the E Gene as I call it. My parents said I didn’t really have first words – I had a first sentence and it was - I want a pony! In fact, it was the only thing I asked for every Christmas. My poor parents kept hoping I would grow out of so they bought me horsey stuff – like a plastic pony and dolls. My grandmother made me a little cowgirl vest and matching skirt. It was red with white fringe and she bought me a red cowgirl hat. I think it was my dad you added a holster with two little toy guns and boots. I wore it everywhere. Fast forward five years and my parents were taking their pony crazy girl home from the hospital swaddled up in bandages from a horrific pony riding accident. They were certain this was the end of the pony craze. Riding horses was forbidden. There was one problem though – the pony craze never left my heart. There were posters all over my pink walls. Every book was about horses and ponies. The same thing was asked for at Christmas – I want a pony! And there was a lot of sneaking around to ride. Neighbors had horses and so I became friends with them so I could ride. It didn’t matter what kind of horse or what kind of riding – I just wanted to ride. I didn’t care that it scared me so bad I would cry as I got on and because I barely remembered the accident I but my subconscious did – so what I was crying – I was riding! I didn’t care. I just wanted to ride. I was in a funny time though. I couldn't just Google it so I didn’t have a way to find area barns or pony clubs. Whenever I asked about it I was shushed. I pretty much would look out the window when driving around my little town and see people with fences and horse and ride my bike or walk over and ask if I could ride their horse. Amazingly, many times they said yes. One sweet neighbor actually taught me for a summer. I would bike down every day wearing my white winter boots that went to my knee and had puff balls on the ends of the laces that flopped as I ride but I used them since they were the only thing that had a heel and pointy toe. There were so many obstacles – no one to support my little dream. For sure it was done for my own safety but I didn’t see it that way. There were money issues as an obstacle. Opportunities were not falling out of the sky. It’s bizarre that the desire to ride, to be with horses, to maybe have my own horse one day drove me to keep my grades up so I could go to college. I went to college so I could get a good paying job so I could ride and get a horse. It didn’t matter how hard I had to study or how long it just mattered that this got me closer to the one thing I wanted – riding. If I had my own job and money no one could tell me I couldn’t ride anymore. The running joke in my family is I’m still grounded and not allowed to ride. But now I have my own farm with horses and do a lot more than just ride. I’m now teaching, judging and giving clinics! Sometimes I see that little girl standing at the barn in her little red and white cowgirl outfit looking up at a horse and whispering all the love in her heart to someone else’s horse. The good part is when I blink it’s not someone else’s horse’s nose I’m kissing and sharing my heart with – it’s my horse.

Let me know what you did or do to keep your heart dream alive to ride? What does your family think? Is there someone you know that you support to help them with their crazy horse dream? Post on Facebook or comment or tag below!

Stay tuned for next week’s Two-minute Training Tip! If you need help building a training plan you can always email me questions at revelationfarm1911@gmail.com or check out our YouTube channel, revelationfarm.com for upcoming events. Like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/RevelationFm!