From a Kid’s Horse Point of View – Western Housewives

By Summer McMillen

As the land starts to thaw and cowboys and cowkids everywhere are gearing up for spring there is one specimen in particular that is dreading the coming season. And that is ponies. Or more specifically, kid horses.

Let’s look at life from the kid horses point of view for a second.they have the winter off. They’ve gotten to enjoy some much needed R&R in the back pasture. Their hair has gotten long and so have their hooves. They’ve spent the winter feasting on native grasses, alfalfa, and the occasional bucket of grain when it’s was especially cold.

They’ve gotten to wonder aimlessly while the real work horses were still being caught for essential tasks. The most work these kid horses have had to endure the last few months were being tied to the arena fence to get the cockleburs brushed out of their tail.

Yes, life has been calm for these kid horses. But, there is a season for everything and the season for being used and abused is fast approaching.

My own children all share a little pony they affectionately call “Rubble.” He is a certified welsh pony that is as tall as he is wide and is as passive as he is…not. They spend summers riding him bareback. And when they aren’t riding him bareback they are riding him fully saddled. Tiny little bit in his mouth being yanked in every which direction.

The little fellow takes everything in stride. But I can feel him starting to resent me from the back pasture already. Every time I carry him some feed he gives me a look that just screams “please keep all three of your children away from me forever please.” I laugh at him and tell him he doesn’t mean it and then he runs away as fast as he can. It’s a special bond.

Kid horses are funny like that. We entrust them with the lives of those most special to us. We saddle them up and throw the little cowkids on them and assign them small tasks like moving 200 pairs to a new pasture or, holding the herd while dad doctors wheat cattle. More often than not, the young partners get their job done. Sometimes in unlikely ways.

Last summer my daughter hopped up on Rubble bareback and was going to trot down the road and get our mail. A simple and harmless task I thought. I was proud of her for taking the initiative. I was also proud of her when I looked out the window, saw the little pony start crow hopping with excitement and the unassuming 8-year-old being catapulted in the ditch. Instead of crying she climbed back on. Tenacity, I thought. That’s what kid horses are good at teaching.

A few months later I was watering all our geldings. The three kids whom I raised, better known as the three amigos, were all harassing the little pony. My youngest son decided it was his turn. He climbed up on Rubbles back as proud as a peacock.  But, he couldn’t help himself. He wanted to look that pony in the eye. So he starts leaning. Farther and farther until he leaned all the way to the ground. Lost a boot in the process. Instead of rushing to his side I waited for the tears. He was only two years old at the time after all. Instead his face was filled with glee. Joy, I thought. That’s what kid horses are good at teaching.

My middle boy is afraid of heights. So mounting a horse has been tough for him. When we introduced Rubble, I wasn’t sure he could even manage his height. After a little encouragement he donned his chaps, boots, and hat with a turkey feather in it and mounted the little horse. In a matter of five minutes the little cowboy had rubble trotting around the arena with his hand in the air and his spurs in his neck. (Gently of course.) Confidence builder, I thought. That’s what kid horses are good at teaching.

While, most of the time kid horses are a nuisance. Eating all our alfalfa and requiring special horse shoes to function properly.. they are more often than not a priceless gift. Teaching the ones we love most how to have tenacity, joy, and confidence.

While the ponies in our life may love their time off in the winter you can’t convince me that they don’t love their jobs in the spring. Even if it’s just a little bit. When that little cowboy shoves a bucket of grain in their face after a job well done together, the ponies head sits a little higher and so does that little cowboys hat.