Remember

Recently riding Gabe has been harder than ever.  Last week we had a lesson where he digressed to the horse that I rode 6 months ago.  It was so frustrating! Especially since he had been doing so well the past few weeks.  I fought off tears the whole time and completely lost my focus.  The next day I looked at my boots by the door and thought, "Why am I doing this?".  Luckily, not far from those boots is a picture that is certainly worth a thousand words.  It is a autographed picture of the Heasmaster of the Lipizzaner Stallions and his horse in midair.  I will never forget meeting him.  His words play through my ears, "Never give up riding".  He will never know the influence he had with a college freshman that he met in passing in the bar of a hotel. At that point I had given up riding.  College was too much and riding was just not feasible.  But after meeting him I began ridng again.  I rode a horse named Elle that has since passed away, but I learned so much. She was a magnificent horse with all the right buttons and extensive training, which she would share with me.  Then, after  I spent a month in the hospital from a ruptured appendix and pelvic abscess it was time to ride again.  This time it was a horse named Santana.  From the moment I met this horse I noticed his kind, knowing eyes.  This was the horse that would step underneath me when I would shift the wrong way, keeping me from falling. He allowed me to regain my muscles and strength.  I waved at Santana from Gabe's back as his owner drove him off to retire at another farm.  I knew full well that I never would have been able to  Gabe if it hadn't been for Santana.  I also rode another horse during this time, Solomon.  He reminded me of an old man that just wanted to play golf and drink and here I was asking him to take out the trash and mow the lawn.  He was grouchy, but he could jump! He taught me that I was capable of jumping "small houses" and how to truly ride, because if he made the decisions we certainly wouldn't do anything that would break a sweat! So, I remember.  I remember the people who encouraged me and the animals that taught me. There are so many more...from my first pony, Lightning, that would stop every time I fell off, to "Horse Camp" with my Aunt in Virginia, who taught me so much of what it meant to be a "horsewoman". This is what encourages me and helps me put those boots back on the next morning.