Great Horse Stories (9 page)

Lou's confidence had melted the first time Kathy handed him a halter and told him to go through the stall and into the paddock to catch a tall, brown-and-white horse. His brows had furrowed. “Alone?” Kathy had nodded. Lou's heart pounded as he walked through the stall and heard the click of the door closing behind him. It reminded him of when he was a police officer and went into a jail cell with prisoners for the first time. The cell door closing behind him hadn't been pleasant then either. He broke out in a cold sweat.

Entering the paddock, he saw the horse. In his mind, the beast seemed to be equivalent to a wild gorilla he'd have to fight bare-handed. He approached the paint, but the mellow horse walked away from him. Lou knew Kathy wasn't going to rescue him. He finally managed to toss a lead rope over the horse's neck and bumbled through the haltering process.

A few days later Lou was standing next to the tall horse. The man's knees were nearly knocking together.

“Lou, this is a very gentle horse,” Kathy assured him. “You'll be okay.”

The war in Lou's mind raged.
What are you doing! You're acting crazy! You're over 60 years old! Why tackle this at all?
Then he took a deep breath.
I can do this!
A familiar saying raced through his mind:
The coward and the hero are both the same. They both sense fear. The difference between them is simple. The coward doesn't face that fear. He walks away. The hero faces his fear and moves forward.

Stepping into the stirrup, Lou swung his leg over. The saddle groaned as he settled in. Even though Jag stood completely still, Lou felt like he was going to fall off any minute. On cue, Jag stepped forward. Lou wobbled and hung on.

For the next six months, Lou's mind argued continually.
What are you doing? Roy Rogers and Gene Autry are gone. They don't have cowboys on TV anymore.
Then he'd reassure himself.
You're going to be okay. What is the worst thing that could happen? I could die
—
but I'm dying anyway.

Lou's dream prevailed. Diligently he showed up at the barn for lessons. Through Kathy's careful guidance, Lou gradually relaxed while brushing Jag before the riding lessons. The horse begged to have the white star on his forehead rubbed, and he loved pilfering treats from Lou's shirt pockets. Lou started seeing the horse more as a big dog that wanted affection and needed to be guided.

As the months rolled past and Lou refused to do anything but walk when riding Jag, Kathy intensified training by laying out poles on the ground in different shapes. Lou learned how to guide Jag through zigzags, side passes, and backing up. With each mastered maneuver, the man gained a little confidence.

A breakthrough came months later in an unexpected way. On a sunny fall day, Lou stood in the arena holding Jag's reins while waiting for Kathy as she finished instructing some riding students on how to cross a short wooden bridge. The snorts from the horses echoed through the arena as they sidestepped and refused to step onto the bridge.

As Lou watched, the months of small successes from Kathy's training suddenly came together in a burst of confidence. A competitive
spirit rose up inside of him.
I know I can do that! I bet I can do it better than they can!
He stepped beside Jag and climbed into the saddle. Gathering the reins, he nudged Jag forward. Without asking Kathy, he guided the paint horse toward the bridge. Methodically the brown-and-white horse trudged up the wooden planks and then clopped down the other side. Lou's heart soared! He felt like he'd won a gold medal at the Olympics! The training had finally culminated and superseded his fear. He wasn't afraid of Jag or of Jag being out of control anymore. Lou had become a partner with the horse. The man had persevered in facing his fears until he came through on the other side.

Lou broke the bondage fear had on him by staring it in the face, creating a plan, taking action, and persevering. He achieved his dream! Kathy's new nickname for him is “Mario,” as in Mario Andretti. Lou now rides Kathy's mare Fancy, a world champion western trail horse. Lou races around like she's a Corvette.

Although our fears may not be the same as Lou's, we all have them, especially when we're challenged to do extraordinary things, such as following the dreams God places in our hearts. Throughout the Bible, God commands us to “fear not.” By trusting God as our active partner, we can stare fear in the face and say, “God is for us, so who can stand against us? We are more than conquerors through Jesus!” (Romans 8:31,37). God will lay out a training plan for us and lead us along the path He wants us to travel.

When we keep God at our side and stare fear in the face through training, courage will well up inside us and snuff out fear.

Lord, teach me how to be strong and courageous in You. Amen.

•
Thoughts to Ponder
•

Do you have a heart's desire that you've kept tucked away because of fear? What would courage look like regarding that dream? What plan can you formulate to help you overcome the fear and achieve your dream? What trusted family members or friends can you ask to help you succeed?

14

CALLIE'S CHALLENGE

Determination

T
he hot summer wind spun dust into the air. Hundreds of people and horses swarmed the gravel parking lot that surrounded the livestock auction. Callie smoothed her red T-shirt, brushed off her blue jeans, put her foot in the stirrup, and swung into the fancy show saddle. She grasped the lead rope of her other horse and rode toward the outdoor arena. She wanted to warm up both of the dun horses before the auction preview began.

Her thoughts swirled as she rode down the grassy hill. Her long-term goal was to train horses, and she'd invested years into training the two mares she'd be selling. One she'd raised from a baby. Glancing back at the mare she was leading, she wondered,
Am I doing the right thing?

Over the summer, Callie had been working for a professional horse trainer and riding a three-year-old gelding the trainer had for sale. The sorrel-and-white paint was the most athletic horse she'd ever ridden. Because her next short-term goal was to learn to rope, she'd need an extremely agile and strong horse. This gelding appeared to be perfect. But with the expense of college in the fall and some looming medical bills, she knew there was only one way she could afford to buy the horse named “So What.” She'd need to sell the two horses she currently owned—and get top dollar for them. She'd carefully prepared the mares by grooming them until they glistened, and she'd borrowed a fancy show saddle to help make the mares stand out. She even put her platinum-blond hair into pigtails because one of her friends said, “Maybe some guy will pay you more money because you look cute.”

The sun rose high in the eastern Montana sky and beat down on Callie as she arrived at the outdoor arena. Horses whinnied; people
chattered. The bleachers brimmed with folks, and some cowboys sat on the top rail of the corral fencing. She tied the mare she was leading to the rail and entered the arena on the other. She sat tall in the saddle, her pigtails bouncing, while her horse performed perfectly. Callie's eyes sparkled when she finished. She hoped the crowd had been watching and noticed how well the horse responded so they'd bid higher.

After swapping the saddle and bridle to the other mare, Callie led her through the gate. She gathered the reins and put her foot in the stirrup. The saddle creaked as she lifted up and started to swing over. Before her leg reached the other side, the mare dropped her head, hunched up in the middle, and threw herself into a bucking fit. The crowd stilled as the horse went wild, tossing Callie into the dirt like a rag doll. The mare stepped on Callie a few times during the rampage. As suddenly as the horse started, it stopped. Calmly she loped to the other side of the arena and stood still.

•
Callie and So What
•

Humiliated Callie pushed herself to her feet. Sand and hay stuck to her pigtails. Dirt was ground into her jeans and shirt. She assured the people who had rushed to her side that she was okay. As she hobbled across the arena, her back and legs ached.
Great,
she thought.
Now everyone is going to remember the woman in the red shirt who put on the rodeo act. How embarrassing! I've been riding that horse for four years, and she's never bucked. Who will want to buy her now?

Although she hurt all over, Callie got back on and rode the horses for the formal preview. Both sold for fair prices, but instead of focusing on that, Callie's thoughts spiraled downward during the eight-hour drive home. Negative thoughts assaulted her, accusing her of being a rotten trainer and a lousy rider.
How can I train horses professionally if I can't even ride one I've trained for years?
she wondered. Maybe she wasn't cut out for this type of a life. Worse yet, she'd
forgotten to bring registration papers for one of the horses, so the sale wouldn't be complete until she mailed them.

The following morning her phone rang. It was the trainer she'd been working with asking how everything went. Callie shared her disappointment.

The trainer said, “Well, come by tomorrow. You can ride So What.”

Callie's countenance lifted, but the next day turned out to be another disaster. The trainer had tossed the fancy show saddle on So What, and Callie lunged him. He responded well, so she climbed aboard and rode him around the outdoor arena. She cued him to lope. The gelding changed gaits perfectly. Suddenly he dropped his head, hunched up in the middle, and bucked. Unprepared, Callie's body hammered the saddle. All her bruises and sore muscles screamed in pain. After a few hops, she lost a stirrup and fell out of the saddle. With a puff of dirt, she smacked the ground.

The trainer and Callie looked the equipment over carefully and determined something was uncomfortable on the saddle that caused both horses to buck. Even knowing that, Callie's confidence had been thoroughly shattered. She was done working with horses. Finished.

A few days later Callie sat on her bed going through boxes of old papers. She was looking for the one mare's registration so she could complete the sale. She dug through her old school assignments. The teachers had asked the students to write about subjects that interested them. Callie's papers had been about raising and training horses.

She stopped what she was doing and reminisced about her first horse, Little Bit. She was a short, fat, bay mare that really belonged to her dad. Little Bit was born about the same time as Callie, so they grew up together. By the time Callie was eight, she'd saved up enough money to buy a kid's saddle. She'd saddle Little Bit, and then climb on a stool to pull herself into the saddle. Once settled in, she would ride around the small pasture. When Little Bit decided she'd had enough, she would hop into the air, curl her body into a “C,” and buck until Callie flew off and landed in a heap. The little girl's temper would flare! She'd grab the reins, stomp across the pasture, get Little Bit into position, and then use the stool to climb back on the horse. Time after time
the mare dumped Callie. Every time she rode, she would be tossed three or four times. But Callie never gave up. She
always
got back on.

Getting back to work, Callie found the mare's registration and scooped the pile of school papers back into the box. Over the next couple of days she mulled over the persistence Little Bit had taught her. Callie knew God had indeed put horses inside her. It was time to put the lesson she'd learned from Little Bit into practice—to put the bucking behind her and get back on and ride.

Callie's challenge of choosing to quit or to persevere resembles our everyday lives. She had to give up two mares she loved in order to move forward toward her next dream. Then everything went haywire. When we get bucked off life, it hurts. We might blame ourselves, others, or even God. We get discouraged and want to quit. But none of those things carry us toward building the life of faith God desires for us.

Our God knows how tough life can be. That's why He encourages us through His Word. Hebrews 10:36 says, “You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.” A happy and fulfilled life is achieved when we strengthen our spirits with the Word of God and then put our foot into the stirrup and get back on. And that is exactly what Callie did. She now owns and is training So What, the horse of her dreams.

Lord, when life bucks me off, remind me that You're here to dust me off. With Your help I know I can put my foot back into the stirrup and ride. Amen.

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Thoughts to Ponder
•

Has life bucked you off? What did you do? Are there dreams God wants you to pursue? What do you need to do to put your foot in the stirrup and ride toward His plan for you?