Day 1- When And Why You Started Riding

After reading many other equestrian blogs, I have decided to do a 30-day blogging challenge…. again….

I attempted to do this a few months ago, but just could not think of anything I could possibly write about for 30 days. That is until I looked back through my most favorite horse blog to visit, She Moved to Texas. And after going back through her blogs, I have decided to do a 30-day blog following what she did way back in 2013.

I am following the list that she had a long with a couple of twists of my own ideas. If you are looking for a great blog that will suck you in, you owe it to yourself to go visit her site because it is really good, and I find myself going back and reading a lot of her posts over and over again.

But for the first post in my 30 day blogging challenge, I am going to share with you is about going way back into my past, about 35 years and sharing with you when and why I started riding. For as long as I can remember I have had a severe case of the horse bug.

Day 1 – When and Why You Started Riding

Every waking moment was dedicated to talking about horses, dreaming about horses, and begging my parents to buy me a horse. And when I was 11, they caved in and bought me…. a miniature mule named Jack, and his friend, Molly, who was also a miniature mule. The thing I remember the most about getting my very first ‘horse’ was when my parents bought them, we had no place to keep them. So they ended up spending a few nights in our suburban backyard.

I remember waking up and running to the window and seeing them both happily grazing in our yard. My heart had never known such happiness as looking out my bedroom window and seeing what I had always wanted right out there waiting for me.

After a few days my dad had found a place to board them. My father knows so many people, and it should not have surprised me that he knew the barn manager at an incredible boarding facility where my precious little mules would be allowed to stay. I was in heaven. Not only did I have this adorable little friend, but now I would get to see what a nice barn was all about.

At first it was incredible. The facility was impeccable. And there were miles and miles of trails to ride through. My mother would take my brother and I to the barn as much as she could, but it was far from our house and she worked full time. So I had to be happy to go to the barn twice a week.

In the summer she would take me to the barn on her way to work, and the world was a lot different then. I could spend the entire day at the barn without anyone thinking twice about it. And for most of the summer, that is exactly what I did.

But during that first summer, I learned a lot about the different types of horse people, especially those who were lucky enough to have their horses at this barn. And even though I loved my sweet little mules more than anything, apparently, the girls at this barn didn’t have the same affection toward my mules. And even though there were mean comments, and laughing at my (and my mules) expense, it didn’t matter. These two amazing little animals were mine, and I loved them.

About 2 years later we ended up moving the mules to a large pasture where the only visitors were 3 other horses that lived there. No more snide comments or turned up noses. I could ride as much as I wanted without being criticized or judged by cruel teenage girls. My brother and I would ride for hours while my mom would sit and read, or just watch us.

Eventually I outgrew my adorable little mule and my brother had decided horses weren’t really his thing. So my dad traded up for me and I had a my very own horse.

But I learned so many lessons with my little mule Jack. People can be cruel, and they judge others by what they have, not what they do or who they are.  You don’t have to have the best of the best to be happy, you can choose to be happy with your circumstances. A mule is an excellent first horse, and a very trustworthy friend. And most importantly, who cares what anyone else thinks. If you are happy, don’t let others bring you down.