A Girl and Her Horse

You could tell from the day my daughter was born that she had a special bond with animals. She got her first horse, a Shetland pony, when she was seven. The next year we moved into town and she had to give up her horse, so we told her she could join an organization called Westernaires to ride horses. Westernaires is an organization of young people between the ages of 9 and 18 who are taught riding, equitation, jumping, dressage, trick riding, drill work, leadership, friendship, team work and all about taking care of a horse. It's an all volunteer organization with many adults who spend most of their Saturdays teaching team work and how to ride horses. She then got a registered Appaloosa, all white with a few black spots on his legs. We took him out to Westernaires and quite a few people said the horse was too young and too energetic for her, but she proved them all wrong in the years to come.

She spent many hours with him and they became quite good friends. A friend she could always rely on. She kept going to Westernaires and decided to join a jumping class. This class you learn to ride the jump the horse where the only control is a wire around the neck of the horse. He could fly over the jump but with little control. With sheer determination she kept going to the jumping class and after three years made it to the white jumping class.

She had tried trick riding and waited a couple of years to join again. As she progressed with all her classes she became more skilled with the instruction of many knowledgeable instructors. In trick riding her horse always went fast on the last curve around the arena. He always knew where she was, what she was doing and it just seemed that you knew that he never wanted to ever hurt her. She went on with trick riding and became the fastest trick rider anywhere.

She went up to the top drill team in Westernaire (Red Team) when she was 15 and ended up being the Major of the team. She also made it into the top jumping class and made Captain of that team. She traveled many places, Canada, Nebraska, Kansas, Utah, Wyoming, performed at the Stock Show in the three years she was with Red Team.

Then at 18 or when you graduate from high school you have to graduate from Westernaires. Westernaires has a graduation breakfast and the graduates get to make a speech about their years in Westernaires and it is quite sad to say goodbye to 10 years in an organization with so many friends. She said in her speech that the applause of the audience was worth more than any bars you earn. If you work real hard, people see you as you really are. This is a story of just one girl who went through Westernaires and I know there are many more that could be told. Westernaires needs your help to have a better place for the horses and the organization. Please donate to make more friendships come true.

-Anonymously submitted