A Different World

It’s great to get out of your comfort zone.  It’s even better to be exposed to new or different ways of doing things.  It shakes things up a bit and leaves you thinking. 

Through my day job, I was lucky enough to end up at a 4H/FFA horse show over the weekend.  Having grown-up in Pony Club, 4H is definitely a different atmosphere.  For example, in Pony Club, its all about taking proper care of your horse and equipment and parents are hands off.  The kids need to learn to do it themselves, so during shows the barns are off-limits to the parents.  There are plenty of older riders and adults in the barns to help out and to supervise, so don’t worry about the little ones being trampled or left crying because “Giraffe” won’t put his head down to be bridled.  To my outsider’s eyes, 4H shows are a family affair.  They roll-in with a trailer full of kids, tack and horses.  The parents help sort the various outfits and tack into piles on the ground, while the kids pile onto the ponies, often more than one child per horse. 

It’s a very different world.  My knee jerk reaction was to shout from the roof tops that they weren’t doing it right.  My second thought was to bury my head and hide, sure someone or some horse was going to be horribly hurt, but since humans seem to be drawn to catastrophe, I kept watching.

Although it was definitely a foreign experience, I noticed several similarities that left me feeling all warm and fuzzy inside.  One girl was tirelessly scrubbing on her gray horse and even combed out his tail.  Big brownie points from me!  I spoke with one father who proudly pointed out his three girls.  “I’m a paramedic; my girl’s are the ones in helmets.”  Sure enough, in a sea of bare heads, ball caps, and cowboy hats, three girls were wearing their helmets proudly.  Safety first!  And the kids, for the most part, warmed their horses up on their own while their parents took care of the paper work and set up lawn chairs.  No one was shouting at them from the sidelines, telling them they were doing it wrong.  Most importantly, the kids were having fun.

I’m guessing they ranged in age from five or six to eighteen.  Horse wise, there were really fancy Fox-Trotters, ornery Arabs, a couple of really nice – I have no idea what breed- young horses, and many good old Quarter horses, plus the token Appy.  There were riders who clutched at the horn to stay on and riders who made Ride-a-Buck look like an equitation class at an “A” rated Hunter Show.  

There are things from “my world” I wouldn’t trade for anything.  Like helmets, properly fitted tack, and knowing how to bandage a leg without doing more harm than good, but there are many things we can take away from a day at a 4H Fun Show, starting with…

 1) A little fun.  It’s great to have high aspiration, to set goals to keep you and your horse progressing, but the second it quits being enjoyable, it’s time to re-access.  Plus, it’s okay to have days that are just for fun.  Go for a trail ride, swim in the pond, whatever – but remember safety first.  It quits being fun when you or your horse gets hurt. 

2) Although many Dressage Kings and Hunter Princesses would lead you to believe differently, horses are horses.  Yes, they deserve adequate care, but that doesn’t mean they can’t get their feet wet or that the flapping white tent is simply too much for them to handle.  It is not below them to stand tied at a trailer for a few hours.  They will survive. 

3) The worth of the horse isn’t based on its bloodlines, trainer, or how pretty it is.  A horse’s true value is in his heart and ability.  There are plenty of backyard bumpkins that are worth far more than their weight in gold for what they do, what they don’t do and what they teach kids to do.  Give me a horse I can jump on bareback and go play with any day over a stuck-up freaked out Grand Prix Jumper.

I drove away from the fairgrounds wishing I could go back in time and ride my pony with those kid’s.  I might have showed up in my English saddle, but we would have given them a run for their money in poles, ride-a-buck, and maybe even egg and spoon.  We came from very different worlds, but horses bridged the gap.  Maybe in the future the lesson will run both ways.  They’ve opened my eyes about the value of horses in 4H/FFA, maybe I can share a thing or two I learned from Pony Club with them.