Featured Article (November 2004)

Thankful Reflections - Why We Share Our Lives with Horses

In 1824, Thomas Jefferson wrote to a friend, "I hope you have not entirely unlearned the practice of horseback riding. I can assure you from experience that to old age, the daily ride is among the most cheering of comforts. It renews the pleasurable sensation that we are still in society with the beings and the things around us and so delightful and so necessary is this daily revival to me, that I would wish to lose that and life together. " In Jefferson’s day, a good horse cost around $100 and might be used for hauling or threshing grain as well as riding. Although much has changed in the passing of many Thanksgiving seasons, the feeling for horses remains the same, as affirmed by Virginia horse people who recently answered the question, Why are you thankful to have horses in your life?

I am honored to call the horse "friend," to have shared a life with a creature whose strength and character has shaped the civilized world and one who has given the measure of enjoyment and opportunity in my life. This life is enriched from the wealth of sights, sounds and smells we call horse country; a life challenged by the complexities of communicating in his foreign language, thrilled by his movement and power, bolstered by his willingness to partner and humbled by his forgiveness and understanding of failings. For the world I have traveled, for the sights I have seen, for the people I have met, for my family and best friend; for these things that are dearest to me, I will be forever grateful to the horse.

Having horses in my life has allowed me to see the inner souls of so many people in ways I never would have dreamed of. My heart soars when I see a horse run free in a field; my mind is at peace when I see our HUGE draft horse quietly accepting pats from a child in a wheelchair. To see the smiles of my daughters and feel the love in their hearts when they enter the barn and hug their own horses knows no bounds. I am thankful for the nickers of our therapy horses when they see school children piling off the bus and coming towards the barn. Most of all, horses make us feel accepted and loved unconditionally – We could all use more of that everyday!

Horses are my life – my whole life. They’ve given me tremendous pleasure over the years. You get to meet a lot of wonderful people, but the horses obviously are the ingredient, the catalyst, the reason. It’s a learning process everyday. You’re learning from the horses; you’re learning from other people. And there’s the expression "you never get old as long as you have a good, young horse in the barn."

Horses have always been my greatest teachers. I’ve learned about understanding and trust and how that relates to partnership with them and all through the relationships with everyone in my life. No matter what the last day with horses brought, they always greet me with the chance for a new beginning. They always leave room for a person to do the right thing. I think that’s very rare – to always have that chance.

Horses keep me humble. Just when I think I understand something, along comes another horse to show me another way. I never feel closer to God than I do when I’m in my barn. Horses act as natural filters for emotional pollution, and they turn it into something wholesome.

It’s fun to foxhunt horses. It’s fun to do things with them. And they’re sort of like your friend.

I think riding is the most pure part of my life. The relationship you have with your horses is so one-on-one, it makes you thankful to be able to deal with another being on that level. It’s really just pure joy. I work a lot of hours – a lot of strange hours, but the time I spend with my horses is just for me and for them. It’s not for any reason other than to be together.

I like to be around animals, so that’s part of it. And it’s different from other sports, where you just get to interact with other people. It’s kind of like a partnership, I guess. Some of mine have really funny personalities, and I love being around them.

Horses were part of my dreams as a young man. Being able to make a living in the horse industry makes me feel very blessed that my dreams became reality.

I love horses because I feel like I’m flying on them, and I like to learn about them.

They’re pretty and I like to ride them.

The most powerful, deeply affecting statement about horses was written by Beryl Markham; I keep it in front of my desk at the ranch. "A lovely horse is always an experience. It is an emotional experience of the kind that is spoiled by words." Those of us who are profoundly affected by our love and bond to our horses completely understand the emotion behind this statement. What role do horses play in my life . . . there are not words to describe.