Easy Money Ranch

But it is really a good one.  I'm going to share this that I found on another forum today and then I added my responses in blue. 

A Father's Explanation of Why He Had Horses for His Children

.......author unknown

My daughter turned sixteen years old today (oh lord how I am dreading that day); which is a milestone formost people. Besides looking at baby photos and childhood trinkets with her,

I took time to reflect on the young woman my daughter had become and the

choices she would face in the future.

As I looked at her I could see the athlete she was, and determined

woman she would soon be. I started thinking about some of the girls we knew

in our town who were already pregnant, pierced in several places, hair

every color under the sun, drop outs, drug addicts and on the fast track to

no-where, seeking surface identities because they had no inner self

esteem. (I can remember when Libby struggled so with self esteem.  And I can already reflect on the confidence that Giggles has given her.  She is a different child than she was 2 -3 years ago.)  The parents of these same girls have asked me why I "waste" the

money on horses so my daughter can ride. (I have heard that myself.)  I'm told she will grow out of

it,lose interest, discover boys and all kinds of things that try to pin

the current genera-tion's "slacker" label on my child. I don't think it

will happen, I think she will love and have horses all her life.

Because my daughter grew up with horses she has compassion. She knows

that we must take special care of the very young and the very old. We must

make sure those without voices to speak of their pain are still cared for.

Because my daughter grew up with horses she learned responsibility for

others than herself. She learned that regardless of the weather you

must still care for those you have the stewardship of. There are no "days

off" just because you don't feel like being a horse owner that day. (That lesson gets hammered home every night.  They have also learned that sometimes you helf out a friend or family member and do their chores for them - it is called generosity.)  She

learned that for every hour of fun you have there are days of hard slogging

work you must do first.

Because my daughter grew up with horses she learned not to be afraid of

getting dirty and that appearances don't matter to most of the

breathing things in the world we live in. Horses do not care about designer

clothes,jewelry, pretty hairdos or anything else we put on our bodies to try to

impress others. What a horse cares about are your abilities to work

within his natural world, he doesn't care if you're wearing $80.00 jeans while

you do it. - (And she learned not to wear her good jeans while doing chores or they won't be your "good" jeans for long!)

Because my daughter grew up with horses she learned about sex and how

it can both enrich and complicate lives. She learned that it only takes

one time to produce a baby, and the only way to ensure babies aren't

produced is not to breed. She learned how babies are planned, made, born and,

sadly, sometimes die before reaching their potential. She learned how

sleepless nights and trying to out-smart a crafty old broodmare could

result in getting to see, as non-horse owning people rarely do, the

birth of a true miracle.

Because my daughter grew up with horses she understands the value of

money. Every dollar can be translated into bales of hay, bags of feed

or farrier visits. (Just a head nod here before.  Libby has offered to buy feed with her money before when I've not had enough cash with me.  That's responsibility.)  Purchasing non-necessities during lean times can mean the difference between feed and good care, or neglect and starvation. She has learned to judge the level of her care against the care she sees

provided by others and to make sure her stan-dards never lower, and only

increase as her knowledge grows.

Because my daughter grew up with horses she has learned to learn on her

own. She has had teachers that cannot speak, nor write, nor

communicate beyond body language and reactions. She has had to learn to "read" her

surroundings for both safe and unsafe objects, to look for hazards

where others might only see a pretty meadow. She has learned to judge people

as she judges horses. She looks beyond appearances and trappings to see

what is within. (We have found a diamond in the rough or two and she has learned that hard work makes the difference.   And she has learned the joy from taking that diamond in the rough and transforming it.)

Because my daughter grew up with horses she has learned sportsmanship

to a high degree. Everyone that competes fairly is a winner. Trophies and

ribbons may prove someone a winner, but they do not prove someone is a

horseman. She has also learned that some people will do anything to

win, regard-less of who it hurts. She knows that those who will cheat in the

show ring will also cheat in every other aspect of their life and are

not to be trusted. (My daughter has learned how to lose.  In an age when "everyone is a winner" in the public school setting, horse showing is a place where she can truly learn that sometimes your best just isn't good enough and there is always room for improvement.  Kids that always win don't learn that.)

Because my daughter grew up with horses she has self-esteem and an

engaging personality. She can talk to anyone she meets with confidence,

because she has to express herself to her horse with more than words.

She knows the satisfaction of controlling and teaching a 1000 pound animal

that will yield willingly to her gentle touch and ignore the more

forceful and inept handling of those stronger than she is. She holds herself

with poise and professionalism in the company of those far older than

herself.

Because my daughter grew up with horses she has learned to plan ahead.

She knows that choices made today can effect what happens five years down

the road. She knows that you cannot care for and protect your investments

without savings to fall back on. She knows the value of land and

build-ings. And that caring for your vehicle can mean the difference

between easy travel or being stranded on the side of the road with a

four horse trailer on a hot day.

When I look at what she has learned and what it will help her become, I

can honestly say that I haven't "wasted" a penny on providing her with

horses. I only wish that all children had the same opportunities to

learn these lessons from horses before setting out on the road to adulthood.

PS - Stable kids are great kids!