Growing up with horses

Almost everyone has taken a pony ride at one time or another. The old, traveling carnivals where the ponies walked around in a circle and seemed oblivious, was the introduction to riding for a lot of us. How someone managed to get five or six ponies to cooperate is still a mystery, but they did it. And the few that missed out on that experience, had another type of introduction that involved hopping a back fence and chasing down the neighbor’s burro. Of course, the burro won, five out of five times, and those kids had the bruises to prove it. And, in keeping with tradition, there was always someone that thought he’d be the one to finally ride the old man’s mule. The night everybody finally got tired of the bragging was the same night they found out mules have a mean streak.

It seems we were always looking to ride something with four legs, and getting bucked off in the stickers was all a part of growing up. As we got older, a few of the crowd decided saddles were boring, so they tried their hand at bareback bronc riding. Six weeks later, when their broken arm was just about healed, they ripped the cast off and signed up to ride a turn out bull at the neighborhood jackpot rodeo.

At the same time this was going on, there was another group of young people that were learning about tack, and how to cue a horse to pick up its leads. These were the kids that took school a bit more seriously, and a couple of them went on to study veterinary medicine, while a few others won ribbons in local competitions. In our town, the best rider was the daughter of a famous cowboy movie star. In the next county, there was a horse trader that made his reputation as a stuntman in television westerns. Listening to him tell stories of jumping off boulders onto the roof of a stagecoach, with six galloping horses stirring up dust, was better than watching the movie.

Not everyone in our generation had the good fortune of growing up around horses. However, a lot of people discovered horses at some point, and to this day, people are still discovering the world of horses. Fortunately, at our age the wild side has been tamed in favor of common sense, which translates to well kept horses and a good nights sleep for the old man’s mule.

There are a lot of people that realized a love of horse and riding, and one day decided to become involved. Most likely, there was training and riding classes, and somewhere along the way, it all came together. On the other side of the coin, there are a few that were born with a knack, and when they get in the saddle, something magical happens between horse and rider. Everyone who’s spent time around horses has encountered one of these people at some point. For all we know, they may very well be a genetic link to real cowboys.

Whether you worked your way into riding, or happened to be born with the gift, being involved with horses is a pleasure at any level. Horses are fascinating creatures, as well as a great hobby. On behalf of all those who came before us, welcome to the place where trail rides, Gymkhana and great friends that share a love of horses are the order of the day.

The social side to a Gymkhana

There’s a good chance, the most energetic, and diverse event that involves both horses, and riders, is Gymkhana. Some people will go just to socialize with friends, some will trailer their horse across the state in hopes of winning prize money, and some are happy to walk away with a ribbon they can pin on the wall. Gymkhana is an opportunity to see how well a rider and a horse are working together, and in this regard, simply entering and competing is a win.

The typical Gymkhana features a half dozen, or more events, and riders are awarded points for first, second and third place, in each event. The rider with the most points at the end of the competition is the overall winner. Whether riding for prize money, or for the excitement of the contest, there’s a fair amount of work that goes into preparing for Gymkhana. Fortunately, the greater portion of this preparation involves spending time with a good horse.

Horses are athletes, in the sense they have to be in shape to run, and are susceptible to muscle pulls, exhaustion, sore tendons, and any other conditions that go along with training a body. The riders have to be in shape, and spend time working with the horse, to ensure both are on the same page. When a rider hops down from the saddle to scramble through a drainage pipe, it’s nice to know the horse will still be there when they come out of the other end. Teaching a horse to ground-tie is not difficult, but it does take some time.

For some reason, Gymkhana seems to promote an easygoing environment, where other competitive events such as barrel racing, or especially Dressage, have a more serious tone attached to the competition. This might explain why the range of contestants that line up to participate in Gymkhana is so diverse. Eight year old’s, to sixty and up, are eager to get out there for some pole bending, so they can try the lead change cues they’ve been working on for two weeks. For someone who recently acquired a horse, entering in the neighborhood Gymkhana is a great way to get acquainted with the animal. A horse’s temperament and skills are all at the test in any number of the events, from rescue racing to the barrels, jumping, and slide stopping on the mark.

Later in the day, a hot dog and a cold drink, with plenty of horse talk mixed in, is a great way to catch up on things with friends, and meet people who share the same, casual interests. For the horses, that extra scoop of A & M is as good as it gets after some healthy exercise in the ring. Gymkhana is about as much fun as a group of riders and their horses can have, especially on a sunny Saturday.