When Life Gives You Horses, Make a Whole Lot of Fun!
Published by GHC • Aug 8th, 2009 • Category: Odds & Ends, by Violet Inkpenby Violet Inkpen, age 13
Everyone who has a horse knows how amazing they are. Everyone who’s been around horses knows what true love means. Everyone who has only dreamed of horses… they know a different kind of love. A love that doesn’t love back the same way.
When a horse girl meets horses in person for the first time, there is a spark, a little flame starting in their heart. Through the years she has been building a fire pit, first with pictures of horses in her room, then stuffed animals, then books, which are little sticks, bigger sticks, and big logs. Now that she has seen a horse, touched the velvet nose, stroked the mane, the fire is beginning to burn. Brighter, brighter, bigger, bigger, until one day she can’t stop feeding the fire. Life without the fire would be cold and dark. She must keep it going. Her heart aches with her need to be around horses. So she decides to take the first step. She takes lessons at a local stable! How amazing that time is for her! Everything is so new, and yet familiar. She only ever read about grooming, feeding, mucking, now she is living it!
After a few years it still won’t feed the fire. So she starts saving money from summer jobs and things. Sadly, life takes over and she has to go to college. She still has her horse money saved, despite her need to pay for college. She finds other ways to pay for that, anything to keep her horse money safe and her fire burning. After a while she finally graduates, gets a home, starts a career, and settles into a happy life. But her dream is remembered and she works extra hard to fulfill it. First by fencing her land off. Then by building a barn. Then she begins to search for the right horse.
When she first sets eyes on the ad or article with ‘her’ horse, she feels a deep prodding in her heart. She jumps into her car and races off to find this horse. The closer she gets the more her heart aches for this horse. When she finally sets sight on it she melts down and knows without even riding it that she is buying it. So begins another chapter in the life of a horse lover.
The flame is fed. She rides every day, she grooms and mucks, she feeds and laughs, she sneaks treats to her horse and when she needs advice… well… she asks her horse. The horse’s life is a burning fire in the girl’s heart. She decides to get another horse for the first to have a friend. So she does. Around that time the girl falls in love with someone who loves horses too. They get married, and he takes over the second horse that the girl bought. Soon the two horses have a foal, then another, then another and the man and women need to move to a bigger land to keep them all. They have a happy family of thoroughbreds, decide to start racing them, and they do. Then the girl has her very own child and another fire starts. She feeds her child’s flame. Then when the child turns 2 years old she gets to ride the girl’s first horse. That horse is old by now and very gentle. Sensing that this child is a precious horse lover and would one day own her children, she is careful with the baby. The horse girl is happy and so is her family — her four legged family and her two legged.
So the horse girl and her husband grow old with their horses, watch their teenage horse freak race their horses, and finally they retire all together, handing ownership of the ranch to their now adult daughter. The circle of horse loving is then passed down to each generation and so are the horses, the memories, and the flames.
Not everyone gets such a happy story, but hard work and undying flames of love can one day pay off, and you too can have your own horse. Keep feeding the flames, DON’T LET THEM DIE! There is a horse waiting for you… someday…
Champion blog vi.. I couldn’t have said it better myself. I love how you use generations of horse loving people. Great job
~HF
So true. :) Except in my case I don’t plan on waiting until I am an adult to have my first horse! lol. Good job Vi, it shows that once you start to love horses it hardly ever stops.
~Michelle
Wonderful blog Violet Inkpen! I loved the way you describe being a horse lover!This blog stands for everything GHC is about:following your dreams,and a heart for horses!
i like it soo much!!! that is the perfect fantasy!!!
Now this is what I call a truly indescribable blog! Everything you said stole my breath away. A girl’s love for a horse is exactly what you described it to be; a flame that doesn’t deserve to die. I’ve been given so much hope and determination from this blog, and once again I realised how extraordinary horses are and how much I love them. You are one very talented girl, and until I find that special horse, I’m going to be very content reading submissions from you :D
I agree with Madelaina. This is an amazing blog!
When I discovered horses, everything started at once. I started asking for horse books, and reading them over and over. Falling in love more each day with horses. I covered my walls with pictures of them. I studied them, and did everything I could to learn about them. It just took one little accidental step, and I was in the horse world. When I was younger I loved horses too, but NEVER like this. That one little stumble, got me where I am now! Writing was enjoyable for me, but I never thought of it as a way to get my feelings out on paper. Because it seems having a never ending-love for horses, causes more thoughts to pile up, and you feel the need to write them down.
My that is lovely!
Wonderful! I just love reading your blogs!
That story is beautiful, but I definatly wouldn’t buy a stallion Throughbred to go with my TB mare.
I almost cried. Beautiful…
Oh, by the way… At my stables they are doing a hire a horse for 4 days. I’m hiring my fave one, Marley (stable name).
And there is a horse called (stable name again) Kestrel who always rushes at fences and it is difficult to slow him down. I’ve tried give and take but he doesn’t respond. Some quick advice would be helpful.
Thanks y’all!
I didn’t mean “accidental step” by the way! It’s not an accident if God planned it that way!
DianaLUV: So, your saying that Kestrel charges the fence when you ride him? Looks like he’s trying to get out of work by making the rider frustrated so that they quit sooner; nobody wants to ride a stubborn horse for that long. Anyway, in my experience the best way to fix something like that, wether it’s whinnying constantly,throwing their head, or just plain stubbornness, it’s best to make them work every time they do the bad habit. and I mean work HARD, so they learn that it’s easier to do as they’re told the first time.
What you can do is every time Kestrel charges the fence make him do circles. About 10-12 either trotting or loping right there where he started acting up. After about the 2nd or 3rd set of circles(that’s over 24 circles) he’ll probably connect the circles with the bad behavior. About the 4th or 5th time around he’ll probably be hesitant to do it again. You can really see them turn over the idea in their minds, its kinda funny:D
Anyway, basically just do lots of circles every time he makes a brake for it and soon, after he’s sweating and tiered, he’ll get the idea.
Good luck!
helo horse luvrs!sorry if i havent been here in a long time its the gaming =),here’s a tribute 2 u and western mare,viloet inkpen:u i can see as a wise person and your inspirational messages especially the bond between girls and horses,and western mare:the bond between u and your cat and i feel your pain,overall this song i know will make sense and seems 2 share a bond of frendship anyways its”U2-its a beautiful day” write it exactly on msn or anywebsite on videos you’ll luv the song =)
Thats very nice but true,i really love it :) you are really good at these things
jadethemagicatgirl , did someones cat die?
That song is amazing
yup it was western mares =(
on her heart aches 2 be around horses sounds lik me definitly !,by the way did any1 know a cartoon called camp lazlo?im a fan of that cartoon=)
I’m so sorry WesternMare! I know how it feels, believe me..:(