Oh, To Be a Child Again

I attended a western horse auction yesterday, and was amazed by not only the quality of horses, but the horsemanship of the Junior Wranglers riding them in the show pen. These were young kids, little ones, having the time of their lives. No fear. No baggage. Just pure love of riding those horses.

It hit me hard, and it brought back memories of my own youth. The desperation to be with them. The freedom. The pure, ecstatic, grateful, carefree joy of horses. 

For many years now I have looked back with almost embarrassment of those years. How little I knew. How dangerous I was. How maybe even I shouldn’t have been allowed to have horses. 

I was dead wrong. 

The concentrated enthusiasm I brought back then was, in fact, far superior to the knowledge I have now. 

So, today I ran out to the barn like a child in love with horses. 

Tumbleweed and I jogged and plodded together through puddles where the snow had melted on the road to the barn. We splashed together like babies, me in my Bogs, and him with his hooves and nose.

And then I bridled up, jumped on, and fulfilled my “goal” this year of riding T bareback in snow. 

He was wonderful, and made my heart sing.

My new goal is only to be a child again when I’m with my horses. Leave the adult baggage in the trash heap, where it belongs, look less at my fears and more towards my dreams, be a little stupid and silly, and allow myself to feel the joy and presence of my horses as fully as possible.