As a child we cared not for structure or form,
all we knew was a love of the horse
So we would climb on, anyway that we could, with
no thought of danger, of course
We thought little of risk, or how we might look,
all that mattered was having some fun
On the back of a horse heading no place at all,
just feeling the wind and the sun
A pond or a stream was a place for a swim, with
children and horses all wet
We didn’t know what we couldn’t do, and we cared
even less, you could bet
We rode up the hills and down them as well,
perhaps with a saddle or not,
Yes a halter would work, with lead rope or
reins, and sneakers since boots were too hot
Getting on could be awkward so a fence we would
climb, with the horse standing quietly near
Then a leap or a jump of blind childish faith,
that on landing the horse was still there
So if one child was good then two must be
better, to the horse no matter at all
We could walk or go fast, or just stand and
laugh, or giggle until off we did fall
And when we fell off we would laugh even more,
then struggle to get mounted again
It was part of the plan, first you’re on then
you’re off, horses behaved better back then
It is easy to see why kids so loved horses, and
the horses enjoyed it all too
It was just about riding and being with horses,
there was nothing more fun they could do
But then comes a time when life interferes,
growing up puts the childhood away
When the college and dating and working begins,
leaving so little time to just play
The point where the horses are just left behind,
is so sad as we all do go on
But the true loss is missed until older we get,
as the need for a horse comes back strong
By now we are 30 or maybe much more, and our
life is not simple at all
Yet something inside, says, “I must get a
horse”, there is no way to quiet the call
There once was a saying, “You can never go
back”, with horses you know it’s not true
For the need that you feel, to get back on a
horse, gets stronger and beckons to you
You find the right horse, the right color and
age, as the memories all start to return
The money is flowing, out the door like a river,
hubby’s looks are starting to burn
A saddle, a trailer, and so much other stuff, a
truck, plus training and board
You just don’t remember it being this costly,
how much fun can you really afford?
Then you get to the part where you have to get
on, yes you’re taller than you were as a kid
So the distance is less but the struggle seems
worse, things aren’t working as well as they did
On the horse you are just a bit nervous, and
caution is needed right now
But the feeling comes back of riding a horse,
you knew you would remember how
Yet each move of the horse brings a bit of
concern, and he senses that you are not sure
Which makes him more nervous than he started
out, you hope that the girth is secure
You notice that people are staring, so you try
to look like you are fine
Heels down, head up, look where you are going,
too much thinking is clogging your mind
Then a noise makes your horse jump a little, not
a big spook but only enough
To stir up the fear that adults contain, when
the kids would just laugh at such stuff
Now riding a horse as an adult, seems far from
the style of the kids
We start with more fear and concern of how
others, are judging how they think we did
We have lost some of what made us happy, when
riding a horse as a child
We loose way too much of the fearless abandon,
our reserve will not let us go wild
We have aches and pains, not there in our youth,
and if hurt we would surely miss work
But our biggest fear that stifles us so, is that
others may think us a jerk
So we struggle to ride, be as proper we should,
as we miss all the fun that we knew
When we rode as a child, just to be on a horse,
brought the purest of pleasure so true
Yes the gap between riding as children, and the
way that we change growing old
Takes the pleasure away for both person and
horse, if the truth of the story be told
We should try to remember the reason, that as
children we climbed on a horse
Was no loftier goal than just to have fun; that
feeling should still be our course.
The pure pleasure of riding a horse, should
never allowed to be lost
For adult or child, to miss all the fun, would
be far too heavy a cost.
