Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

This brings back memories. I got my first pony at 4. On three 
neighboring ranches there were three kids (two girls and me) within a 
year of age of one another. By the time I was 8 we were ripping and 
galloping our horses all over hells half acer and a big part of Western 
Kentucky since between us we had about 2500 acres.

There were some folks who would come out "from town" and ride on our 
land. They didn't ask but nobody said anything (back then folks trusted 
folks and if you lived and let live all was fine ) - until the day they 
went up to our neighbor and complained about the "dangerous kids" 
ripping and galloping around - someone is going to get hurt "you know." 
The neighbor basically said - "well they belong here you don't - don't 
bother to come back and if you do the Sheriff will show you the way to 
the county jail." Good thing they talked to him instead of my 
grandfather - he would have run them off with a 12 gauge ;-) . All they 
had to do was live and let live and they could have ridden there to 
their hearts content.

Kids will be kids. We had the space to do it - I am truly grateful for 
that. We did it till we all went off to college. Our horses got bigger 
and faster but the joy of galloping our horses as a symbol of the 
freedom of youth - we never lost. Leaving the ranch to head off to 
college was the hardest thing I ever did - because I knew it meant I 
would have to give up horses for awhile.

Yes I know these are shared trails these kids are riding, yada, 
yada........ but at the end of the day I'd much rather see 3 little 
girls galloping on their horses and having fun - compared to all the 
other things they could be doing. Sometimes I think we grown-ups should 
just chill and join in the fun and become kids again.

Please forgive the ramblings of an old fart recalling wonderful memories.

Truman

sherman wrote:
> Boy, that’s the truth. I just had a discussion with a couple older 
> trail riders regarding the 3 little girls who are galloping all over 
> our trails (our neighborhood has about 15 miles of deeded trails). 
> Well, we can’t stop them from galloping their horses, but what we can 
> educate them about trail manners and safety. They just need to learn 
> to slow down and walk as they approach other riders, announce 
> themselves if they’re coming up from behind, look out for obstacles on 
> the on trail, etc. I have to say that I do get a kick out of seeing 
> these tiny girls galloping around on their little horses, but I also 
> worry about them not having any adult supervision. They go by so fast 
> I haven’t had a chance to talk to them, so I might have to visit their 
> home soon.
>
> Kathy
>
> Ranelle wrote:
>
> ..Focus on what you want, not what you don't want..and you will get 
> more of it!


--

“It doesn't matter how beautiful your theory is, it doesn't matter how 
smart you are. If it doesn't agree with experiment, it's wrong” Richard 
Feynman, Nobel Laureate in Physics


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