This weekend is Father’s Day and it is raining here on the Wet Coast. Father’s Day 2011 is very special to me as I reflect on the path that lead me to Empowered By Horses.
It was many moons ago that a little 4 year old girl begged her Daddy for a pony. That pony was a beaut! He was a brown and white Paint Shetland pony. As soon as pony made the journey home in the back of Dad’s half ton truck from the auction, pony was bestowed with the name Barney. Living in rural Saskatchewan meant Barney the Pony often got the run of the land and could choose to hang out with the cattle in the pasture or the kids, cats and dogs around the house. In this photo, Barney is in the back of the half ton truck with the “wooden” sides to keep pony in on his first journey to the farm.
I never did take a riding lesson yet I remember most of my childhood on horseback. My brothers never got into the horse thing so I spent long hours out in the pasture on my own, and there was more than one day a horse came home riderless, much to my Mother’s dismay. 😉 Dad was always there to help out coming home with new tack such as work horse bridles with blinkers when he thought I needed a hand in steering. In fact coming home with 6 month olds from the auction was another pastime of my Father as I got older. Here is our herd at the largest:
It is all these fond horsey memories in nature that nurtured my love of horses, and for that I am truly grateful. Although I have no memory of asking for my pony at the age of four, what I do remember is the countless hours of joy and horse love that I shared over the years and it ALL started on that warm prairie night on the way home from the auction with a twinkle in my eye and a Pony named Barney.