It seems every young girl at some time in her childhood has a love affair with horses and many a parent has had to tolerate endless begging for a ‘pony of my own’. I was one of them. Now I’m a grown up lady and my love affair endures but my sympathy and understanding is for parents of today who wonder if they should actually embark on what will ultimately be the huge investment in time and money of a ‘pony of my own’.
Let me give you some guidelines. There are two kinds of horse lovers:
The first
one is the girl who just wants to ride. She can’t wait to get onto a horse,
feel the thrill of power and grace underneath her, be admired by watching
parents and friends……, then go home. It is all about the riding. Under no
circumstances buy this girl a horse. The love affair will not last, probably
melting away in the warm glow of a boy’s admiring gaze. You will be left with a
very expensive pet in a paddock, with equally expensive gear gathering dust in
the shed. Just visit a riding school and hire now and again.
The second
girl just wants to be around horses and the riding is a bonus. She will arrive
at lessons 10 mins before the instructor and will stay 20 mins after, just
leaning on the gate gazing at every graceful move of this beautiful animal. She
will gladly groom mud encrusted coats and tails, shovel poo, clean leather,
catch, saddle, sponge and rug her own horse and keep her tack spotless. You
might as well start saving for a pony for this child as her love affair is not a
phase: it will be a lifelong passion.
So what’s
in it for you, you may be wondering, apart from the obvious let up in nagging
and a very happy child. From my own experience over many years, here is just a
sample of what you will get from your investment: more….
- resilience
- courage (“courage is being scared to death but saddling up anyway” John Wayne)
- responsibility
- confidence (it is no small thing to gain the control and respect of a big and powerful animal)
- independence
- immunity from negative peer group pressure
- focus and good behaviour at school
- good health, posture and muscle tone
- time social networking
- vulnerability to early sexual behaviour, alcohol and drugs (horses are better!!)
- self-centredness ( her horse’s need for food, rest and comfort will come before hers)
- slavery to fashion ( her favourite outfit will forever be jeans and boots)
- oh and so much more!!!
And one last piece of advice. If you are not at all horsey
yourself, seek out a good pony club or instructor to guide you through the
journey. You will need a lot of help to keep your girl and her pony safe and
healthy.
Have fun.
