By: Brittany Gentry

When I was about twelve, after I had been riding for three or four years, I got the dream of every horse-loving girl. Friends offered me the opportunity to train a two-year-old gelding and a three-year-old mare.

Now, being aware of the dangers, I am amazed my parents allowed me to take on such a task. Ignorance was bliss! If I had known how dangerous unbroken horses can be, I probably would have ended my exploration in that area!

There were days I thought nothing would go right. At times, I would have loved my dad to grill a horse steak!

Fortunately, I survived with nothing more than the air knocked out of me, some ripped up pants, and a slightly bruised ego.
Other times, I was so proud of their progress. I managed, with something less than perfection and with much help, to accomplish what I set out to do. Upon reflection, I think I gained far more than the horses did.

Aside from all I learned in the many training books that I read, two things strike me most. First, I learned to try something new, something hard. My parents did not say, “You can not, because you don’t know how”. Instead, they said, “here are the books, there are the horses, and do not give up before you get going”. So, I went and never knew the odds that were against me. If I did not know how to do something, I knew there was a whole library that I could visit!

The second was a lesson in patience. I would never describe myself as patient. However, I learned, through the training of the horses, that you get no place by losing your temper. In fact, it still amazes me that the horses did not try to kill me during all my childish fits! I began to realize that, if the job was to be done right, I was going to have to gain a little self-control. I should not throw a fit just because the horse did not do what I wanted when I wanted it.

I am surprised when I think how much patience God has put into animals. Regardless of the many mistakes I make, they still try again. Surely, it is a lesson for us! If creatures that have not been granted complex reasoning have such ability for patience, shouldn’t we try to have a little more?

Tags: Amazing Horse Story, Emotional stories, great horse story, Horse 2 Heart, inspiring Horse Stories

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This entry was posted on Thursday, November 20th, 2008 at 4:25 am and is filed under Horse Stories. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.