Why horses?
Why not money or fitness or clothing or cooking. Maybe you have a passion for multiple things. But why did horses spark that flame for you?
For me, I remember the moment like it was yesterday. I was eight years old standing on top the toes of my older brothers shoes because the dew on the morning grass was too cold for my bare feet. It wasn't even light outside yet but a small glow inside me began to grow. I had no idea how big that small glow would become at the time but I distinctly remember how my heart and mind shifted. On the ground, not more than twenty feet away, was young mare, my older brother's mare, giving birth to a baby filly we later named Trish. I watched the whole thing, partly in awe and partly in shock. I'd never seen anything like that and wasn't sure I'd ever want to again. But something in me stirred and a passion for horses was sparked. Fast forward nearly thirty five years and I'm still writing about horses, still teaching people to be natural with horses, still passionately pursuing my dreams with horses.
When was your moment? What sparked your flame? Tell me in the comments below.
I'm Don Jessop, thanks for reading and sharing.
6 Responses
Anne P Hestand
At 3 years old I begged my Grandfather to let me ride. He put me behind him on his horse & we checked fence & calves for screwworm for 5 hours. I was begging to go the next day. Still love to ride more than 2:30 hours to this day. Rode 5 hrs. yesterday.
Lyla Spencer
Good question Don! I can’ t remember when I fell in love with horses but I have photos of me on our farm sitting on the back of an old black gelding when I was 8 or 9 months old. At the age of 5 I helped my dad train for the Western Idaho Pony express in 1945 where we trained daily, I rode old Doll as I ran along side my dad on his paint mare Keto. I spent many hours in our local riding club as we performed in local rodeos. I remember bringing cows down from the mountain to winter at our ranch and spending days camping and trail riding. My love for horses will never end nevertheless, my kids continue to say “I wonder when mom’s going to get rid of her horses.?”
Sue Fanning
My grandmother started taking me riding with her when I was just 5. I loved her and I loved spending time with her on our “adventures.” The real spark happened when I read Black Beauty by Anna Sewell, and then The Black Stallion by Walter Farley, and then The Black Stallion, The Black Stallion Returns, Son of the Black Stallion, The Island Stallion, The Black Stallion and Satan, The Black Stallion’s Blood Bay Colt, The Island Stallion’s Fury, The Black Stallion’s Filly, The Black Stallion Revolts, The Black Stallion’s Sulky Colt, The Island Stallion Races, The Black Stallion’s Courage, The Black Stallion Mystery, The Horse-Tamer, The Black Stallion and Flame, The Black Stallion Challenged, The Black Stallion’s Ghost, The Black Stallion and the Girl, The Black Stallion Legend, The Young Black Stallion, The Island Stallion, Man-O-War, Misty of Chincoteague by Margarite Henry,
and every horse book in the Miami library! Then, I got my first horse when I was 18. The flame of my love of horses continues to this day, burning more brightly with every horse story I read and every clinic I attend and every soft nicker I hear every day from my equine four footers.
Patty
For me, age 4, my sister won a pony in a giveaway by our local feed store. Tickets were ..25!! ( I still say to this day my Grandpa bought the pony!!)
Anyway pony brought to the house my Grandpa was leading my sister around the yard, I begged for a turn. My Grandpa picked me up, put me on, pony bucked I came off, cried, my Grandpa said horse girls never cry and put me back on. From that moment on horses have been in my blood. I am almost 62 now!!
Kathleen Glielmi
From as young as I can remember, I loved horses. The first words out of my mouth weren’t “momma or daddy” it was horsey! We stopped at a pony ride, when I was 3 or 4, where the ponies had Western and English saddles. The ring was double fenced and if you rode in a Western saddle, you could go around the ring by yourself! If you rode in an English saddle you had to be led. My parents were sure I would choose the Western saddle and be able to ride without a leader, but I wanted that English saddle, even if it meant being led. I made my life choice that day.
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Kathy Wattles
April 14, 2021
I must have been 6 or7. My father told stories of growing up on the farm in Minnesota riding the family plough horse to school. His grand father raised trotting horses called Hamiltonions and his mother as a child had her own horse called Nellie. My sister and I were smitten and our grand father took us out on weekends to the sidewalk pony rides. The good smell of those ponies kept me asking for one of my own. I got my wish at age 12 and named her Nellie Bell no knowing of my grand mother’s horse by the same name. I have been dedicated ever since. I have tried all disciplines and have never been happier than I am now 67 years later with Dons insight and encouragement. Still galloping on.