Derina Pyles
Horse Sense
“I’m not doing it. Not doing it, Hay-Woman. Don’t ask me again, my answer will be the same. I am not going to that kids’ camp this summer!”
“Ah, come on Traveler, please! You know it’s for a good cause. The kids there absolutely love you.”
“Love me?” I could always tell when he was about to blow up because he would start pacing and snorting. Standing still was out of the question.
“Okay, okay, calm down.” I put my hand on his long furry neck. “Let’s start by taking a couple of cleansing, deep breaths. Breathe in for 6, hold, and out for a 10 count. Close your eyes, and think of those deep blue skies…”
“You hold your breath, and keep holding it,” he said sharply. That meditation stuff you’re learning isn’t going to work with me today Hay-Woman.”
Shocked, I raised my head, and we locked eyes. Then, simultaneously, we busted out laughing.
“I’m sorry for that,” he said, as we both regained our composure.
“Can we at least talk about it for a few minutes before you make a final decision?”
Traveler nodded his big grey head in agreement.
“The lady running the horse camp called and asked for you specifically. You’re practically a celebrity with them.” I was trying my best to pump up his ego so he would agree to go. His ears perked forward proudly at this statement.
Then, he let out a big sigh. “Do you know what it’s like there?” He asked, as if he were describing a maximum-security jail. “Children all day bouncing in the saddle, all over my back, pulling on my mouth with the reins, leading me here, leading me there, the endless circling, and don’t even get me started on the painting. I mean, what do I look like, a piece of canvas? Last year it took me a week to get all that paint out of my fur and off my rump.”
I giggled at the memory of him last year — paint everywhere you can possibly imagine — but quickly sobered up to avoid starting another outburst.
“I remember you getting brushed and rubbed most of the day, not to mention all the constant petting and scratching. I also remember how you helped many of those kids overcome fears, gave them confidence, and fostered a love for horsemanship they may not have had. Many of the kids went from being beginners to advanced riders because of you. That one little boy had never seen a horse before you, and by the end of the camp he was galloping around the ring. He sent you a Christmas card, remember?”
“I guess there were some good lessons that came out of it,” he relented. After thinking intently, he quoted, “Proverbs 22:6, Train up a child in the way he should go: And when he is old, he will not depart from it.”
“Yes! That’s right Traveler, the kids at that camp are like your children.”
“Well, what are you waiting for then Hay-Woman? Call her and tell her of course I will be happy to come and help her this year. Why wouldn’t I? Besides, I’m like a celebrity to everyone there.”
“Calling her now.” My dear friend was one in a million.
