Horses Cure
Many people use horses as a way to cure old wounds or to get past anger issues. Such was the case for me when I was thirteen years old. Back in 1993, I had just moved with my mom into a new town after we had endured an abusive relationship with my ex-step father. I was filled with lots of pent up anger and hence could not get along with the outside public at all. I could barely get along with myself at that time.
My mom has had horses all of my life. I was forced to learn how to ride from the time I was two. I only had feelings for one colt that she gave away as part of a gift for a MS marathon that she had when I was six years old. That was until I turned thirteen, and my mom got a strawberry roan quarter horse that was eighteen months old. She bought him from a horse auction, and I didn’t even know about it until the auction was over because I was always outside playing with the other kids.
Then she sent him off to the trainers. The trainer told her flat out that he was more suited for me since he still had a lot of “buck” left in him. She stubbornly continued to want to ride him while she left me with the “old reliable appaloosa.” Well, one day he bucked her off one too many times, and she got firing mad and swore she was going to sell him. However, what she didn’t know was I was sneaking to ride him while she was at work with just a halter and a lead rope.
I was born with a gift with horses. I have the uncanny ability to jump on any troubled horse and within minutes get them to do almost anything for me. I still to this day don’t fully understand that gift, but it’s there just the same. Anyways, in October 1993, I begged my mom to give me the two year old. She had never really seen me ride with any intensity because I never loved a horse or shown any interest in it beyond being a tag along just so that I could get time with my mom. Well, she finally stated that I could ride him and keep him as long as I agreed to ride him everyday “because a two year old that is only green broke needs everyday attention.” So, I literally would come home from school and ride my bike one mile one way to the stables, rain, shine, cold, and even hot weather. I rode him regardless as to how I felt.
By the time I was done “training” him, I was able to do anything with him from shooting a gun off his back, ride him bareback, take him into any terrain imaginable, ride double with my friends, and I even went so far to trust him to help me teach some of my friends to ride. The only catch to all of it was it had to be me or I had to be within eye sight. If anyone else tried to mess with him, and I wasn’t in eye sight, they were going to hit the dust and he was going to run back to me.
We formed a very close bond! He was always waiting on me at the gate. He inspected all of my potential boyfriends. If he didn’t like them, he’d literally try to bite them and come in between me and them. If he liked them, then he would make room for the guy. I can literally count on my hand the amount of guys he truly liked. (My current husband passed inspection to the point that he was able to ride him with me.)
He helped heal my scars inside me. I had to teach him to trust me, and in turn I had to trust him. Unless, you’re a horse person, you can’t understand how vital that is. I still to this day believe in the power of horses and their ability to heal a person. I have ALWAYS dreamed of opening a horse ranch one day, and giving a home to troubled teenagers as a chance for them to heal as well.
By Crystal Green
