Showing posts with label camp horses. Show all posts
Showing posts with label camp horses. Show all posts
Friday, September 11, 2009
Monday, July 20, 2009
Speckles 'n Shines
Summer camp time so I was thinking about one of the first horses who left some hoof prints in my life.
I don't have a ton of years' worth of horses to remember. I didn't get started in an actual "horse life" until five years ago when I took a job as part-time riding instructor, but more staff, at a Girl Scout summer camp and then working at the year around stable as program staff. This was before I had horses of my own. Since I didn't feel as knowledgeable in the skills of riding beyond beginner level, I focused on the horses. There were some characters!
One fella who became one of my favorites was a little Appaloosa gelding, who I still believe was more POA (Pony of the Americas) than Appy, but, that's what his papers stated. Speckles was all of 14H, if that. Just right for most of the girls we had in our horseback riding classes at summer camp.
When I first met him, Speckles was fifteen years old. Brown with the blanket rump of white spots. His eyes told me something was definitely going on in there. Speckles was for the most part a mellow guy who did have a penchant for stepping on human feet and nipping at arms when his front feet were picked up for cleaning. At first I thought the girls weren't being careful but as time went on, it became apparent to me that Speckles knew what he was doing. He had a mischievous side and, I believe, got some enjoyment from human reactions to his little acts of naughtiness.
In my three years with him, he stepped on my right foot three different times leaving nasty bruises. He nipped my upper arm once when I was working on his front foot, which got him body checked into the side of the stall leaving him to look at me in a "What the......what just happened?" expression. And he kicked my forearm as I turned him out one day. I accept the consequences for that one because I shouldn't have released him like I did, back end closer to me than his front end. He was always a quick little stinker and was excited to be out in the field that winter morning kicking up his heels quicker than I anticipated.
I don't have a ton of years' worth of horses to remember. I didn't get started in an actual "horse life" until five years ago when I took a job as part-time riding instructor, but more staff, at a Girl Scout summer camp and then working at the year around stable as program staff. This was before I had horses of my own. Since I didn't feel as knowledgeable in the skills of riding beyond beginner level, I focused on the horses. There were some characters!
One fella who became one of my favorites was a little Appaloosa gelding, who I still believe was more POA (Pony of the Americas) than Appy, but, that's what his papers stated. Speckles was all of 14H, if that. Just right for most of the girls we had in our horseback riding classes at summer camp.
When I first met him, Speckles was fifteen years old. Brown with the blanket rump of white spots. His eyes told me something was definitely going on in there. Speckles was for the most part a mellow guy who did have a penchant for stepping on human feet and nipping at arms when his front feet were picked up for cleaning. At first I thought the girls weren't being careful but as time went on, it became apparent to me that Speckles knew what he was doing. He had a mischievous side and, I believe, got some enjoyment from human reactions to his little acts of naughtiness.
In my three years with him, he stepped on my right foot three different times leaving nasty bruises. He nipped my upper arm once when I was working on his front foot, which got him body checked into the side of the stall leaving him to look at me in a "What the......what just happened?" expression. And he kicked my forearm as I turned him out one day. I accept the consequences for that one because I shouldn't have released him like I did, back end closer to me than his front end. He was always a quick little stinker and was excited to be out in the field that winter morning kicking up his heels quicker than I anticipated.
When we tried him in the front he would balk, he would turn around, he was simply not a leader. When we tried him farther back, he hurried too much often getting right up into the rear of the horse in front of him and once or twice, taking off to get closer to the head of the line. We had a different group of girls every week and they were always beginner riders who'd had at least three summers of the camp program, so it was our job to figure out what was safe. By the third week of camp, we had figured out, Speckles needed to be number two and he was comfortable as well as much more manageable for his inexperienced riders in that position.
Some horses are better leaders, some are better followers, Speckles was a follower who never wanted to be the top horse, but was never the bottom horse either.
Another of Speckles little quirks was that he could unlock certain gates. We had to fix those gates with a chain as well as the regular gate lock. How he figured out the gate lock, only he knows. But there were times when we'd gotten to work and all the horses from his field would be munching grass in the open field. Lee, the manager, said she was sure it was Speckles because every time it happened, it was his field and he was the newest horse in the field. He had the nickname Houdini for a while.
Speckles also liked to entertain by twirling a halter and lead rope around while holding them in his mouth. We discovered this by accident. One day, after a program, a halter and lead rope had been dropped near Speckles. Next thing we notice, Speckles is standing there twirling them in his mouth like a cowboy with a lasso, which is what it looked like. The girls were laughing and giggling. He enjoyed the attention from his little trick, stopping to get a better grip, then twirling again. Unfortunately, we encouraged it and he would try to grab a lead rope just to twirl it. After a while, Lee told us to quit allowing him to do it. But it was so much fun to see him play like that!
For a long time I wasn't that fond of Speckles, that is, until I got to know him better. After summer camp had ended that season, Lee had the opportunity to keep some of the summer horses, with the option to buy the following August, after summer camp concluded. She chose four, Speckles was one of them. The summer camp horses, twenty of them, had been leased for the summer, the other sixteen would go back to Illinois. There were the eight year around horses stabled at the ranch.
Before every program we always matched horse with rider experience. We attempted to make sure Speckles would be assigned riders who were a little more authoritative with a little more experience than the riders who were assigned Gloria,or Koko, both the kind of horses who took care of their riders. Gloria and Koko rarely did more or less than was asked of them. Naturally, sometimes, we didn't always get it right. Speckles needed to know he wasn't going to be getting his way. He would always take advantage of his riders if he figured out they weren't going to be firm with him. He'd stop and munch grass. Trot to the rail. Trot towards one of us. Stop in the center of the arena. Keep going instead of stopping. He could figure his rider out quickly too. I watched him do it over and over during summer camp. If he was ridden to his specifications of what a rider should be, he was great!
During out winter months Lee assigned us horses to work with until March. That's how I became better acquainted with Speckles. He was one of my winter project horses. I wanted to work on his walking and his nipping habit. We made alot of progress that winter. We got to a point where he would not even turn his head when I lifted his front feet. He would walk instead of trot when cued.
When weather got better we took the horses on trail rides to get them ready for our spring programs. Some of our horses were great arena horses, others were better at trail. Speckles was an excellent trail horse. I think the fact that he was so smart is why he did so well at trails. The trail offered him a challenge, something different. He preferred to be challenged. He would often become bored with the arena work.
I remember one trail ride where he shined through, and one where.......well, not so much.
On one of our practice trail rides my co-worker and friend, Lori, and I rode a trail that wasn't often used by us or the summer campers. There was an extra steep, rocky hill. Here in Southern Ohio, our beautiful hills are part of the smaller Appalachian Mountain chain and are also known as The Foothills to the Smokys. Smaller versions of the Smoky Mountains.
At first when I looked down from the top, I thought "Nope, we're walking down this one." But then Lori, who is a great horsewoman and natural rider, took her horse down and of course, I figured, well, I could do it on Speckles. The little guy didn't let me down! He was sure footed all the way. He never balked, he didn't refuse when I asked, he just put it in gear and there we went. Now, I will say, on the way back when we had to go up, he looked up the steep incline, actuallyglanced back at me as if to say "I don't think so!" Lori and her horse had already begun climbing so I asked Speckles one more time, with a little more emphasis on my ask and he was off. Picked his way up carefully and quickly, never missing a step. I was proud of the little pony. I had decided he was more pony than horse by then, but it didn't matter, he saw himself as a horse and no doubt, a big horse. Don't all ponies think of themselves that way? I think this was probably the first time I started admiring Speckles.
Now, his less than stellar incident happened during one of our weekend programs. We'd taken a group of girls on a trail ride. Speckles had been acting a little antsy, I thought, but the girl who was on him had ridden him the previous season so I figured she had him under control.
We were getting near the barn, which was in view, but a field away. The line stopped while we all waited for Lori, the last rider, to close the gate to the field we'd just walked through. I was in the middle of the line and walked Ginger back that way. If I couldn't have Speckles on trail rides, Ginger was my ride. She was more of a handful for most of the beginner girls anyway. In the meantime, I heard a commotion up front. I turned Ginger and the only thing I saw was Bailey, a rather temperamental twenty-something Arabian mare, kick Speckles with both barrels. One of the riders on either Bailey or Speckles, screeched, as girls will do. I then saw Speckles rise up on his back legs, dumping the rider and before we knew it he had headed across the field for the barn. The girl was fine, though a bit jolted. She jumped right up from the ground. All our girls wore helmets as well as those of us on staff. I can't really blame Speckles although I was told Speckles had been dancing around and bumped Bailey, which in turn is what caused Bailey to react the way she did, Bailey being Bailey, exciteable and often touchy when other horses invade her space let alone bump into her rump.
Back at the barn, Speckles was happily munching on grass in the front yard. Lee was not happy with Speckles. After the program ended and all the girls had left, Lee said she was going to take Speckles back out and make sure he walked back to the barn a few times. In all honesty, after the lapse of time and the event as it occurred, I didn't really think it would curb Speckles enthusiasm much. I had learned by working with him, he'll gladly work with you if he feels you know what you're doing, guess I had him buffaloed a bit, but he was one to take care of himself and when Bailey kicked him, in an instant, he decided he was heading for greener pastures.
I drove by the ranch a month ago, just to see if Speckles was still around. You never know what can happen with an organization. I was relieved to see him grazing out in the field with the other horses and I remembered, he is now twenty. I am hoping he gets a good retirement at some point. I had even thought, if those horses were ever sold, I wouldn't mind bringing him home, but I'd definitely have to think that through.
In my mind, Speckles will always shine. The little Appy-POA who taught me a few things about horses, and ponies, in my equine journey.
Friday, September 5, 2008
Happy Trails #1
In my life, I've only been on one hour, nose-tail, horseback rides and not very many. My first week at summer camp, back in '04, as barn staff/assistant horseback riding instructor, I was thrown into "real" trail riding. As staff, the manager wanted us to bond through an overnight trail ride before the first official week of camp. I was thrilled!
The first few days of camp staff meetings we were told to pick nicknames. It was customary to use nicknames not real names for the camp staff. When the campers arrived, they got to know staff by the nicknames. At the end of the week, before leaving, staff then introduced themselves with their real names at the last campfire. All staff members had nicknames. I was not thrilled by this. Personally, I don't like nicknames and it seemed silly to me, but I chose one so I would be part of the group. It wasn't very cute, like many of them. It was just something that popped into my head. I had once been referred to as "graceful" which I am NOT, so I chose Grace. Grace is a beautiful name when used for the purpose it should be. I wasn't very creative and at times wished I'd gone a different route with my nickname. Good way to sabotage one's self!
My boss, for the summer, was a 20-something young lady. Level headed, serious about her job and had designed the entire summer horseback riding program. The rest of the 5 staff members ranged in ages from eighteen to twenty-one. I was forty-three. I was willing to let any one of the young ladies and young man (I'm not sure how he ended up in the mix, it was a girls' camp, but he'd worked there the year before) take the lead role. Since this camp experience was more for their resumes, I was more than happy to follow their lead. As I told them in one of our staff meetings before camp started, "I'm just here to help out." Plus, and it's a big plus, I was new to all the riding stuff, although I never once told any of them of my lack of experience. They assumed since I was "older" I probably had a good handle on things. Granted, I was confident with my ground handling of horses. It felt natural to me, but the riding, well, I wasn't as confident about that.
We used the year around horses at the riding facility. The twenty summer leased horses would be dealt with later. As I walked down the barn aisle I was looking over the horses wondering who I would ride. My thoughts were interrupted by Boss-lady suggesting I ride Koko, the 30 year old off-track standardbred mare. Koko was the one I took my first riding lessons on. She was the "babysitter" of these barn horses. At the time I didn't know Koko held that title. Wouldn't have mattered, I was excited to be going on a trail ride and an overnighter on top of that!
I was actually glad to be given Koko. I figured I'd get a good comfortable ride although her age certainly posed some questions in my mind. Koko's only real issue was keeping her away from other horses. She didn't like being too close and would kick out if any of them got within four feet of her space. So, I worked with that. Boss-Lady told me Koko loved to go on trail rides. She gets a little slow, but she gets the job done and keeps up with everyone. I could relate, with all the youngsters around me I was also trying to keep up! So, me and Koko were a team for my first ever real trail ride.
Actually when I think back, I feel bad that I don't remember more specifics about the event. I do remember it was very uneventful. We rode up into the hills taking a well established logging trail, to a spot atop an open hilltop meadow where we camped for the night. Our sleeping bags, tents, food had all been trailered up for us so we didn't pack anything on our horses.
I remember we cooked some kind of taco meal for dinner. Most of the time I just listened to conversation. I felt a little "out" not in a bad way, just a generational thing. A woman about my age came along for the ride too. Seems she and Boss-Lady were heading out to Wyoming with some of the girls at the end of summer camp. It was an added part of the camp program Boss-Lady had put together. I was a little envious hearing them talk about their trip.
I am a quiet person. I've always labeled myself as introverted. I don't mean to be, I've worked to come out of that shell, but I often will retreat when around new people. It's something I've done all my life, I think it stems back to my only child raising. But, I listen, I just usually don't have much to add until I get better aquainted with everyone. I've discovered that sometimes people get a little uncomfortable around quiet people like me. Then, they are surprised when I open up more. It's amusing at times.
Morning came, the horses were still on the picket line. No problems during the night. I was a little sore. Hadn't slept on hard ground for a few years. When our sons were young we used to go tent camping every summer. My night on the ground reminded me I was now in my 40's, and should probably carry a mat of some kind if I ever wanted to tent camp comfortably again! We ate our light breakfast, but I can't recall what it was, tacked up our horses and completed our trail around the loop back to the barn. As I remember, very uneventful. I was just a member of the group that morning, but as the summer wore on I would take on different roles.
During the summer we would have Friday trail rides for the older girls in the more advanced program. I started out riding the trail rides in the middle. Later, sometimes I was the lag rider, it really depended on what horses we used the day of the trail rides. I discovered I didn't like being the lead rider because I prefer to see what's going on with the group ahead of me. And, if you were lead rider, you would undoubtedly have to ride Big Tall Joe who was at least 17 hands, tall, lanky, sorrel. He was the best lead horse always confident, never fighting against his riders. I always thought I wanted a tall horse but after riding him, discovered I prefered something more to my size like 15 hands or less. I'm only 5'5" myself.
The next trail ride we took as staff members would be a tad more eventful. We took it at mid summer. Our assignment was to take out the summer lease horses who were having issues during the classes we were trying to teach. Now that experience was an eye opener for me! To this day I still shake my head at how I managed to come out of that one with only a few scratches, but much better prepared for my life with horses.
The first few days of camp staff meetings we were told to pick nicknames. It was customary to use nicknames not real names for the camp staff. When the campers arrived, they got to know staff by the nicknames. At the end of the week, before leaving, staff then introduced themselves with their real names at the last campfire. All staff members had nicknames. I was not thrilled by this. Personally, I don't like nicknames and it seemed silly to me, but I chose one so I would be part of the group. It wasn't very cute, like many of them. It was just something that popped into my head. I had once been referred to as "graceful" which I am NOT, so I chose Grace. Grace is a beautiful name when used for the purpose it should be. I wasn't very creative and at times wished I'd gone a different route with my nickname. Good way to sabotage one's self!
My boss, for the summer, was a 20-something young lady. Level headed, serious about her job and had designed the entire summer horseback riding program. The rest of the 5 staff members ranged in ages from eighteen to twenty-one. I was forty-three. I was willing to let any one of the young ladies and young man (I'm not sure how he ended up in the mix, it was a girls' camp, but he'd worked there the year before) take the lead role. Since this camp experience was more for their resumes, I was more than happy to follow their lead. As I told them in one of our staff meetings before camp started, "I'm just here to help out." Plus, and it's a big plus, I was new to all the riding stuff, although I never once told any of them of my lack of experience. They assumed since I was "older" I probably had a good handle on things. Granted, I was confident with my ground handling of horses. It felt natural to me, but the riding, well, I wasn't as confident about that.
We used the year around horses at the riding facility. The twenty summer leased horses would be dealt with later. As I walked down the barn aisle I was looking over the horses wondering who I would ride. My thoughts were interrupted by Boss-lady suggesting I ride Koko, the 30 year old off-track standardbred mare. Koko was the one I took my first riding lessons on. She was the "babysitter" of these barn horses. At the time I didn't know Koko held that title. Wouldn't have mattered, I was excited to be going on a trail ride and an overnighter on top of that!
I was actually glad to be given Koko. I figured I'd get a good comfortable ride although her age certainly posed some questions in my mind. Koko's only real issue was keeping her away from other horses. She didn't like being too close and would kick out if any of them got within four feet of her space. So, I worked with that. Boss-Lady told me Koko loved to go on trail rides. She gets a little slow, but she gets the job done and keeps up with everyone. I could relate, with all the youngsters around me I was also trying to keep up! So, me and Koko were a team for my first ever real trail ride.
Actually when I think back, I feel bad that I don't remember more specifics about the event. I do remember it was very uneventful. We rode up into the hills taking a well established logging trail, to a spot atop an open hilltop meadow where we camped for the night. Our sleeping bags, tents, food had all been trailered up for us so we didn't pack anything on our horses.
I remember we cooked some kind of taco meal for dinner. Most of the time I just listened to conversation. I felt a little "out" not in a bad way, just a generational thing. A woman about my age came along for the ride too. Seems she and Boss-Lady were heading out to Wyoming with some of the girls at the end of summer camp. It was an added part of the camp program Boss-Lady had put together. I was a little envious hearing them talk about their trip.
I am a quiet person. I've always labeled myself as introverted. I don't mean to be, I've worked to come out of that shell, but I often will retreat when around new people. It's something I've done all my life, I think it stems back to my only child raising. But, I listen, I just usually don't have much to add until I get better aquainted with everyone. I've discovered that sometimes people get a little uncomfortable around quiet people like me. Then, they are surprised when I open up more. It's amusing at times.
Morning came, the horses were still on the picket line. No problems during the night. I was a little sore. Hadn't slept on hard ground for a few years. When our sons were young we used to go tent camping every summer. My night on the ground reminded me I was now in my 40's, and should probably carry a mat of some kind if I ever wanted to tent camp comfortably again! We ate our light breakfast, but I can't recall what it was, tacked up our horses and completed our trail around the loop back to the barn. As I remember, very uneventful. I was just a member of the group that morning, but as the summer wore on I would take on different roles.
During the summer we would have Friday trail rides for the older girls in the more advanced program. I started out riding the trail rides in the middle. Later, sometimes I was the lag rider, it really depended on what horses we used the day of the trail rides. I discovered I didn't like being the lead rider because I prefer to see what's going on with the group ahead of me. And, if you were lead rider, you would undoubtedly have to ride Big Tall Joe who was at least 17 hands, tall, lanky, sorrel. He was the best lead horse always confident, never fighting against his riders. I always thought I wanted a tall horse but after riding him, discovered I prefered something more to my size like 15 hands or less. I'm only 5'5" myself.
The next trail ride we took as staff members would be a tad more eventful. We took it at mid summer. Our assignment was to take out the summer lease horses who were having issues during the classes we were trying to teach. Now that experience was an eye opener for me! To this day I still shake my head at how I managed to come out of that one with only a few scratches, but much better prepared for my life with horses.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
In the beginning....
My so-called "Horse Life" didn't begin until 4 summers ago when I was forty-three. Like so many middle aged stories I've read, I put off my Horse Life until all the ducks were in a row, so to speak. My sons were grown. We had our property properly fenced and gated. We had built a suitable stable/run-in shed area. And, I was ready. I'd never had any formal training with horses. I'd just loved them all my life, read about them, and felt I wouldn't be complete until I shared life with one, or as it turned out in the end, two.
I readied myself for my Horse Life in the summer of '04 by working as a riding instructor and staff member at a local riding facility which catered to children. It was one of those right time-right place kind of things.
I had been taking riding lessons at the facility for a short time. I still did not own a horse. But, I had decided I was going to learn to ride. I had been introduced to the manager of the facility through #1 son, who just happened to be taking classes with her at college. Toward the end of my six weeks the manager was talking to me, in regular conversation, about her predicament of being in need of one more staff member for the summer camp season. I told her I'd be interested. I could tell she wasn't sure at first, but she knew I'd been a substitue teacher in one of my other "past lives" so being able to work comfortably with children would be a plus. She needed a staff member desperately, camp season was only 2 weeks away, so she decided to give me the job.
I knew I could teach the girls (it was a girl's summer camp) beginning riding but I was more comfortable working around the horses which was the highlight of my day. Hard work, grooming, tacking, then untacking-grooming,tacking again a couple of hours later. Catching the horses sometimes proved to be even harder work. These horses were leased from a place miles away from Ohio. Trucked in for the 8 week summer camp season. For the most part, all of them were decent school horses, but there were a few I had no idea why they were there. Not my idea of school horses. Hard to catch. Wouldn't listen. Spooky. Some of them only got riders we knew were somewhat experienced. Being my mature self, I was often concerned about worse case scenarios, but through the summer, we managed only to see a few stepped on toes, nothing more serious.
We taught begining riding to groups of girls ages 6-10. Simple things like leading, mounting, walking, stopping, turning and by the end of the week the girls could usually manuever a small obstacle course or take a short trail ride. They were always thrilled when that day came. I was thrilled to see their progress.
There were always two of us teaching but I usually let the other staff member teach while I worked with indivdual girls who seemed to be struggling. All the other staff members were young women in their late teens and early twenties. I was forty three. I could be their mom! But, they all treated me with respect, and I did likewise.
At times the summer seemed long. And I must admit, there were a few times, when tensions were high among my co-workers by mid camp, that I did not want to be there, and I told myself I really didn't have to be there. Naturally, my co-workers, being around the same ages, would have their disagreements and arguments. Bickering would ensue. I just stood back and observed. I was really only here as an afterthought, so didn't believe it was my place to interfere with the interpersonal problems of my 5 young co-workers. Eventually, they worked their problems out. When they were getting disagreeable with each other, I simply emersed myself in dealing with the horses.
Overall though, I think we had a good summer. I know I learned more than I ever could have learned about horses had I not spent my summer in this manner. Every Friday we would take a group trail riding up into the hills. Though I was inexperienced, I learned quickly. I am more than thankful to have had the summer at camp, as I like to call it, even though I was a middle aged woman. It's one of the things in my life most people would probably look at and shake their heads. I know a few people who thought I was a bit off my rocker, especially since I'd recently left a decent paying job as a branch manager/librarian. For once, I was doing something I really wanted to do.
Hard and dirty work, but I loved every single minute of it. Brought me to the realities of what horses are all about. I discovered, I did have a knack for understanding horses. I no longer looked at them as mystical creatures, but beautiful animals with their own set of herd rules. They had behaviors that could be translated, if one only learns the language. My summer at camp helped me come to an understanding that I have been able to use with my own horses.
Sometimes, if an opportunity is laid before us, it's wise to embrace it. I was able to do that, at the right time in my life. I never imagined myself working at a riding facility, teaching girls to ride and handling horses when I was forty three years old, yet there I was.
Sometimes, the stars do align, and the heavens smile down on us saying, this IS your time.
I readied myself for my Horse Life in the summer of '04 by working as a riding instructor and staff member at a local riding facility which catered to children. It was one of those right time-right place kind of things.
I had been taking riding lessons at the facility for a short time. I still did not own a horse. But, I had decided I was going to learn to ride. I had been introduced to the manager of the facility through #1 son, who just happened to be taking classes with her at college. Toward the end of my six weeks the manager was talking to me, in regular conversation, about her predicament of being in need of one more staff member for the summer camp season. I told her I'd be interested. I could tell she wasn't sure at first, but she knew I'd been a substitue teacher in one of my other "past lives" so being able to work comfortably with children would be a plus. She needed a staff member desperately, camp season was only 2 weeks away, so she decided to give me the job.
I knew I could teach the girls (it was a girl's summer camp) beginning riding but I was more comfortable working around the horses which was the highlight of my day. Hard work, grooming, tacking, then untacking-grooming,tacking again a couple of hours later. Catching the horses sometimes proved to be even harder work. These horses were leased from a place miles away from Ohio. Trucked in for the 8 week summer camp season. For the most part, all of them were decent school horses, but there were a few I had no idea why they were there. Not my idea of school horses. Hard to catch. Wouldn't listen. Spooky. Some of them only got riders we knew were somewhat experienced. Being my mature self, I was often concerned about worse case scenarios, but through the summer, we managed only to see a few stepped on toes, nothing more serious.
We taught begining riding to groups of girls ages 6-10. Simple things like leading, mounting, walking, stopping, turning and by the end of the week the girls could usually manuever a small obstacle course or take a short trail ride. They were always thrilled when that day came. I was thrilled to see their progress.
There were always two of us teaching but I usually let the other staff member teach while I worked with indivdual girls who seemed to be struggling. All the other staff members were young women in their late teens and early twenties. I was forty three. I could be their mom! But, they all treated me with respect, and I did likewise.
At times the summer seemed long. And I must admit, there were a few times, when tensions were high among my co-workers by mid camp, that I did not want to be there, and I told myself I really didn't have to be there. Naturally, my co-workers, being around the same ages, would have their disagreements and arguments. Bickering would ensue. I just stood back and observed. I was really only here as an afterthought, so didn't believe it was my place to interfere with the interpersonal problems of my 5 young co-workers. Eventually, they worked their problems out. When they were getting disagreeable with each other, I simply emersed myself in dealing with the horses.
Overall though, I think we had a good summer. I know I learned more than I ever could have learned about horses had I not spent my summer in this manner. Every Friday we would take a group trail riding up into the hills. Though I was inexperienced, I learned quickly. I am more than thankful to have had the summer at camp, as I like to call it, even though I was a middle aged woman. It's one of the things in my life most people would probably look at and shake their heads. I know a few people who thought I was a bit off my rocker, especially since I'd recently left a decent paying job as a branch manager/librarian. For once, I was doing something I really wanted to do.
Hard and dirty work, but I loved every single minute of it. Brought me to the realities of what horses are all about. I discovered, I did have a knack for understanding horses. I no longer looked at them as mystical creatures, but beautiful animals with their own set of herd rules. They had behaviors that could be translated, if one only learns the language. My summer at camp helped me come to an understanding that I have been able to use with my own horses.
Sometimes, if an opportunity is laid before us, it's wise to embrace it. I was able to do that, at the right time in my life. I never imagined myself working at a riding facility, teaching girls to ride and handling horses when I was forty three years old, yet there I was.
Sometimes, the stars do align, and the heavens smile down on us saying, this IS your time.
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