Our oldest daughter competed with the University of Arkansas Ranch Horse team in Bryan, Texas this past month. This is something new she started as a college junior. We are watching her become a better rider. As a part of a collegiate team and a student of ranch horse showing, she has been learning how to get a horse to do its job on que. It is a great team and they have a very energetic, passionate coach.
This is my child who we had to pry out of bed for school when she was still living at home. Now she is up before daylight and at the barn to muck stalls, feed and practice riding. It is amazing how God shows us the fruits of our labors as parents when they leave the nest. She has become incredibly responsible and conscientious of how she spends her time.
Both my husband and my family have a rich historical love affair with horses. My grandfather raised quarter horses on his (now Century) farm in northwest Iowa. My mother has always shared stories of growing up riding and selling horses. His children riding a well-trained horse usually closed a sale.
When our family was stationed in Fort Leonard Wood, Mo. in the 80s, we had a few horses at the stable on post. I have wonderful memories of riding and riding in fun shows and parades as a child. When my father retired from active army duties, we moved to a rural southwest Missouri town and continued to ride for fun. We got to compete in junior rodeo events too. Eventually we tried our hand in the gaited horse arena. My mother loved the smooth gait of a Missouri Foxtrotter. We had a mare that mom bred. It was an absolute delight having a foal to raise. I showed gaited horses for my mom before starting a family of my own.
My husband grew up riding horses. His family used horses to chase speed – barrel racing horses and track racing horses. Two of his siblings are retired horse jockeys with several accolades in their careers.
When we moved to our farm in northwest Arkansas twenty-one years ago, one of the things I wanted was to raise kids who knew how to ride horses. We had an old mare that they learned to ride on. She was a gentle, old babysitter. It was so much fun to watch the kids build their confidence at play days and at home. We have had a few other horses throughout the years and one incredibly ornery pony. A few years ago, I was shopping for a horse for myself. Our first horse way back on an army post in Fort Leonard Wood was a palomino mare named Buttercup. She was special and I wanted to find one just like her.
I found my palomino, Christie Brinkley (she absolutely lives up to her diva name) in Missouri and fell in love. She is a former drill team horse and will do just about anything we asked her to do. I really enjoy riding her on trails. My oldest daughter has used her for parades, rodeos and just rounding up cows here at home.
I love everything about horses – the way they look, they way the move and the way they smell. I understand now why they are used as therapy animals. As we enter the fall months, I am looking forward to watching our daughter show. I am excited about several trail rides this fall too, neighbor.
Jody Harris is a freelance communications specialist, gardener, ranch wife and mother of four. She and her family raise Angus beef cattle and other critters on their northwest Arkansas ranch. She is a graduate of Missouri State University. To contact Jody, go to ozarksfn.com and click on ‘Contact Us.’
