Here’s to the Great Horses

By Summer McMillen

Everyone that knows anything about horses knows that there are bad ones, good ones, and great ones.

The bad ones are good for nothing. You can’t catch them, you can’t saddle them, and you can’t get on them without feeling like you need a helmet, some kind of padded vest and, an instruction manual. Once you do mount up the whole ride is a battle and heaven forbid, you actually have a job to do because they are little to no help in holding the herd. We all find ourselves owning a bad one or two throughout our lives. Best case scenario is they find a more tolerable home to go to through via a horse sale or the classifieds. Worst case scenario all you can do is say “Vaya con Dios,” put a sign on them that reads “Do Not Attempt,” and turn them out to pasture. Hoping they are decent enough to stay within the borders and make a beautiful yard ornament.

Good horses are usually much more tolerable. They’re pretty easy to catch, saddle, and hop up on. Sometimes they might have a bad habit or two like setting back when they’re tied to a fence or, getting cold backed on early mornings that you tolerate because they are so skilled in a specific field. A good horse is usually only good for one thing. They have a niche talent m, if you will. They can be a good heel horse. A good head horse. The horse you want to gather pastures on because you know he won’t knicker or rare up when you get dropped off in the jig line. A good kid horse. Your rodeo horse. The horse you put your wife on when she’s being a little wimpy that day. Good horses usually get sold because they are proficient in their given field and they find good homes making both parties happy. We will all own many good horses in our lives and be happy to do so.

Great horses are a rare and treasured possession. They are simultaneously easy and hard to own. Easy because you can do anything on them. Hard because everyone is always trying to buy them from you. A great horse stands still while your kid pulls their head down all the way to the ground so they can halter them. A great horse is never cold backed and always ready to cinch tight and take off. A great horse can be ridden in the pasture and the rodeo arena on the same day. A great horse doesn’t need practice. A great horse is always willing to do anything you ask of them at any given moment. Great horses find their homes as horse colts and usually live out the rest of their days at the same home because great horses are irreplaceable.

People and horses are not all that different. There are bad, good, and great ones. The more time I spend around horses the more I am convinced of the kind of person I want to be. “Bad” will absolutely not do. “Good“ is much too common  and just doesn’t quite cut it more often than not. “Great” is what I aspire to be.

Great can be defined in so many ways when we let human standards get involved but, I want to be great as defined in the qualities of a great horses.

I want to be kind and patient while my children are learning. I want to be ready to help anyone who asks me. I want to go the extra mile. I want to make my home a beautiful place to come to after a full day’s work outside. I want to not be thrown off by life’s twists and turns but, firm in my faith.

So, basically what I’m saying is I want to be a great horse. And honestly there are worse things we could all aspire to be.

Here’s to great horses. May we know them, love them, and if we’re lucky be great just like them.