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I found this on Facebook...

To have a horse in your life is a gift. In the matter of a few

short years, a horse can teach a young girl courage, if she

chooses to grab mane and hang on for dear life. Even the

smallest of ponies is mightier than the tallest of girls. To

conquer the fear of falling off, having one's toes crushed, or

being publicly humiliated at a horse show is an admirable feat

for any child. For that, we can be grateful.

Horses teach us responsibility. Unlike a bicycle or a

computer, a horse needs regular care and most of it requires

that you get dirty and smelly and up off the couch. Choosing

to leave your cozy kitchen to break the crust of ice off the w

ater buckets is to choose responsibility. When our horses dip

their noses and drink heartily; we know we've made the right

choice.

Learning to care for a horse is both an art and a science.

Some are easy keepers, requiring little more than regular

turn-out, a flake of hay, and a trough of clean water. Others

will test you - you'll struggle to keep them from being too

fat or too thin. You'll have their feet shod regularly only to

find shoes gone missing. Some are so accident-prone you'll

swear they're intentionally finding new ways to injure

themselves.

If you weren't raised with horses, you can't know that they

have unique personalities. You'd expect this from dogs, but

horses? Indeed, there are clever horses, grumpy horses, and

even horses with a sense of humor.. Those prone to humor will

test you by finding new ways to escape from the barn when you

least expect it.

Horses can be timid or brave, lazy or athletic, obstinate or

willing. You will hit it off with some horses and others will

elude you altogether. There are as many "types" of horses as

there are people - which makes the whole partnership thing all

the more interesting.

If you' ve never ridden a horse, you probably assume it's a

simple thing you can learn in a weekend. You can, in fact,

learn the basics on a Sunday, but to truly ride well takes a

lifetime. Working with a living being is far more complex than

turning a key in the ignition and putting the car or tractor

in "drive."

In addition to listening to your instructor, your horse will

have a few things to say to you as well. On a good day, he'll

be happy to go along with the program and tolerate your

mistakes; on a bad day, you'll swear he's trying to kill you.

Perhaps he's naughty or perhaps he' fed up with how slowly

you're learning his language. Regardless, the horse will have

an opinion. He may choose to challenge you (which can

ultimately make you a better rider) or he may carefully carry

you over fences - if it suits him. It all depends on the

partnership - and partnership is what it's all about.

If you face your fears, swallow your pride, and are willing to

work at it, you'll learn lessons in courage, commitment,

and compassion in addition to basic survival skills. You'll

discover just how hard you're willing to work toward a goal,

how little you know, and how much you have to learn.

And, while some people think the horse "does all the work",

you'll be challenged physically as well as mentally. Your

horse may humble you completely. Or, you may find that sitting

on his back is the closest you'll get to heaven.

You can choose to intimidate your horse, but do you really

want to? The results may come more quickly, but will your work

ever be as graceful as that gained through trust? The best

partners choose to listen, as well as to tell. When it works,

we experience a sweet sense of accomplishment brought about by

smarts, hard work, and mutual understanding between horse and

rider. These are the days when you know with absolute

certainty that your horse is enjoying his work.

If we make it to adulthood with horses still in our lives,

most of us have to squeeze riding into our oversaturated

schedules; balancing our need for things equine with those of

our households and employers. There is never enough time to

ride, or to ride as well as we'd like. Hours in the barn are

stolen pleasures.

If it is in your blood to love horses, you share your life

with them. Our horses know our secrets; we braid our tears

into their manes and whisper our hopes into their ears. A barn

is a sanctuary in an unsettled world, a sheltered place where

life's true priorities are clear: a warm place to sleep,

someone who loves us, and the luxury of regular meals. Some

of us need these reminders.

When you step back, it's not just about horses - it's about

love, life, and learning. On any given day, a friend is

celebrating the birth of a foal, a blue ribbon, or recovery

from an illness. That same day, there is also loss: a broken

limb, a case of colic, a decision to sustain a life or end it

gently. As horse people, we share the accelerated life cycle

of horses: the hurried rush of life, love, loss, and death

that caring for these animals brings us. When our partners

pass, it is more than a moment of sorrow.

We mark our loss with words of gratitude for the ways our

lives have been blessed.. Our memories are of joy, awe, and

wonder Absolute union. We honor our horses for their brave

hearts, courage, and willingness to give.

To those outside our circle, it must seem strange. To see us

in our muddy boots, who would guess such poetry lives in our

hearts? We celebrate our companions with praise worthy of

heroes. Indeed, horses have the hearts of warriors

and often carry us into and out of fields of battle.

Listen to stories of that once-in-a-lifetime horse; of

journeys made and challenges met. The best of horses rise to

the

challenges we set before them, asking little in return.

Those who know them understand how fully a horse can hold a

human heart. Together, we share the pain of sudden loss and

the lingering taste of long-term illness. We shoulder the

burden of deciding when or whether to end the life of a true

companion.

In the end, we're not certain if God entrusts us to our

horses--or our horses to us. Does it matter? We're grateful

God loaned us the horse in the first place.

Author Unknown