Of horses... and 'being rural'

I talked about hippotherapy already, but after reading a post on a horse group I am on, I realized I haven't talked about horses changing your life yet.  Anyway, a book was brought up, talking about the alternate reality of horse ownership:

Women are From Venus and so Are Their Horses

Overview

A Grown Man's Musings on the Opposite Sex in the Saddle

Description

MENNO KALMANN with illustrations by JEANNE KLOEPFER

A Great Gift Book

The world of horsemanship is teeming with women and girls who are totally devoted to their trusty steeds. Often, fathers or husbands are involved as well, dragged unwillingly and unknowingly into this alternate reality. One such man is the author of this book, whose life revolves entirely around his wife and her horses. He really doesn't feel connected to horses in any way; he doesn't speak the jargon, and he is locked in an unending struggle with stables, horse trailers, and arenas. Regular nocturnal rude awakenings have been his lot. His experiences include helping a mare give birth, calling the veterinarian any number of times, and of course, packing up and accompanying his wife to competitions long before daybreak.

I'm thinking I just may need to read this one.  Regardless,  I guess I never really thought of the horse world being an 'alternate reality', but that would have been because it WAS my reality. Ever since I was a little girl I gravitated towards the equine.  Grandpa always would recount the tale of a little girl, maybe 3, feeding a donkey at a historical park, with her arm in the animal's mouth up to her elbow.  He got me out and did I go running because the donkey tried to eat me?  No.  I went back to picking grass and feeding it. 

I grew up in town, the biggest city in South Dakota (a little over 100,000), for what ever that is worth.  Always preferred the country though, spending as much time as I could get, over in Minnesota at the farm my grandpa lived and worked on.  Getting to ride along in the combine or grain truck around harvest time was a highlight of my year.  Then, when I was about eight, I met the neighbor kids, and their horses.  Thus started my journey into this 'alternate reality' that is the horse world.  One of the poems that defines me yet is;
“The daughter who won’t lift a finger in the house is the same child who cycles madly off in the pouring rain to spend all morning mucking out a stable.” ~ Samantha Armstrong 

Most everything was experiential learning, and luckily, I survived unscathed.   Once I got older, about 13, I finally got my parents talked into letting me take riding lessons.  I was going to learn to jump, and go on to competing in the Olympics.  And so I did... learn about jumping.  I started showing, and pushing harder for my own horse.  'Yes', once my parents were sure I could and would take care of it.

I helped pay for my lessons by cleaning stalls at the stable where I took them.  Finally, at 16, my parents conceded and allowed my grandmother to buy me my first horse.  My parents and I did the 'shopping', and really, none of us knew a thing about buying a horse.  Dad steered me away from a couple that I'm very glad he did, thinking back to my trial rides.  Mom came with when we looked at Clue - a 16 hand, green broke three year old quarter horse... I fell in love at first sight, and I doubt much would have deterred me.  The deal was, I had to do my best for paying all the expenses, as well as doing all the care.  Most kids rejoice at a snow day off from school, I did too, but not because I would spend the day lounging about and watching TV.  No, I knew the stable manager would be calling me up and would come pick me up on her way to the barn and I'd be spending my day helping feed and water all the horses in the barn and cleaning stalls.  Those really where great days, just the barn manager and myself breaking ice in buckets, getting feed to the horses and letting each horse have a run in the arena while their stall got cleaned.  It was quiet and very systematic, those days were the simplest and smoothest, just because there were never any interruptions or things, like school, that had to be rushed off for.

We had many adventures early on.  Leaving for shows before the sun was up, him dragging me across the dewy grass because he didn't want to load, Clue thinking a canter cue meant to throw a buck in for good measure, getting a fourth in an english equitation class despite the bucking.  We did a lot of trail riding, and shows, both english and western, and some jumping.  I knew nothing of how to properly teach a horse to jump... really, only barely knew myself looking at my position in the pictures.  Luckily for both of us, Clue got diagnosed with DJD (Degenerative Joint Disease - arthritis) only a little bit after I got him and we stopped pushing the jumping. 

We started learning dressage... and Clue quit bucking - at least when working on dressage things.  Flat classes (pleasure and equitation shows), group trail rides and team penning were still game... oh, and most certainly if we (I) thought we should try and run games (barrels, poles, etc.).  I still have Clue, and I'm not entirely sure why, other than sentimental reasons and that I know him so well, or at least think I do.  He really is a good horse, he just has never really been able to become the all-star all around horse I was hoping for.  Rather, I conformed and changed my riding endeavors to match him, and now he fits me pretty well.  Luckily for both of us, after my ms diagnosis, and having left him at my mother-in-law's for two years while we got moved and started down in Nebraska, I took an interest in actually learning to communicate with horses and not just 'do' things with them.  I figured our first ride after so much time off would be a major rodeo, so, for the first time in my life, I employed a trainer to work the buck out of him.  She did a lot of ground work and natural horsemanship, and he didn't buck!  Now, mildly disabled, I have started on another leg of my journey with horses.

I have no idea why someone would think that horses are an alternative lifestyle.  Everyone has something they spend every extra dime on, and even choose to go without certain things for, don't they?  Many (non horse) people believe that if you have horses you must have a lot of money.  Yes, they are expensive, but no more so than, say, owning a big dog and driving a nicer car.  I don't remember the last time I went and bought myself new clothes, other than to replace something that had worn out or didn't fit anymore.  What's wrong with going places with mud and manure on your clothes and shoes?  Hay in your hair?  Horse snot on your shoulder?  Waking up an hour earlier than you'd need to just so you can get chores done?  Isn't a whole lot different than baby food on your shirt.  Yeah, want to talk about expensive 'pets'... ever look into how much it costs to raise a child?! lol  If Nate and I didn't have our horses, we might have a few more 'toys', and maybe my husband would go hunting as much as he'd like to, but we wouldn't be as happy.  The horses bring a peace of mind, and balance to our lives, for myself anyway.

Oh, 'being rural'.  I may cover this another day, but I can tell you I am far happier 'out in the sticks' looking at our neighbor's field, my horses in the pasture, and listening to the rooster crowing than I ever have been in town... except maybe in college when I lived next to the Cow/Calf Unit at school and could see the cows every day.