"I love jumping...but I think I like cutting more," she said. "But Steve Holt! isn't a cutter..."
No, Steve Holt! is a lot of things, but a cutting horse he surely is not. No stop on that boy, not in the least. We ran into more than one wall those first few weeks of riding before he finally figured out that when I said 'whoa', I meant stop now, not to the rail and hang a right. Oh, sure, eventually he did catch on, but he's simply not built for dragging his tail in the dirt sort of stop needed when working a cow.
I told Darling she could take some time and think about it, that she didn't need to rush into anything. Hang onto Steve Holt! and ride a bit down at Curt's, and see what she really wanted to do. But the days, weeks, and even a couple of months have slipped by, and Darling has not ridden. She asked me to bring the western saddle home (it's been with Tika) so she could use that to ride, saying it was just too cold to get breeches on and sit in a little english saddle, but the motivation simply has not been there.
We talked about her working with Primera while she was here, but that wasn't sparking her interest. This summer, all she wanted to do was be the first to climb on, but now? No...it wasn't really a priority.
We discussed the possibility of finding a youngster at the corrals, a yearling or two year old that she could work with and eventually cut with, or maybe taking Whispr, the coming two year old great granddaughter of Dox (Curt's old stallion) that is with us right now. Both of those options seemed like what was looming in the future. But then...
Last night after coming in from doing chores, Darling said to me, "I think I want to sell Steve Holt!...but I don't want to get another one. Not right now. If I want to ride, I can always go down to Curt's and ride."
I know...I ought to have warned you to sit down before reading this...
We discussed the possibility of finding a youngster at the corrals, a yearling or two year old that she could work with and eventually cut with, or maybe taking Whispr, the coming two year old great granddaughter of Dox (Curt's old stallion) that is with us right now. Both of those options seemed like what was looming in the future. But then...
Last night after coming in from doing chores, Darling said to me, "I think I want to sell Steve Holt!...but I don't want to get another one. Not right now. If I want to ride, I can always go down to Curt's and ride."
I know...I ought to have warned you to sit down before reading this...
13 comments:
It's best that she's being responsible about realizing what she really wants right now. Having a horse is a LOT of work for someone who isn't head over heels crazy about riding and horses.
Good for Darling, shows a lot of maturity.
I went through the same things with Jennifer. Years later the passion came back and now she will spend the month of July at the Parelli Ranch in Colorado. The passion comes back, if it is in the heart. Doesn't really matter what Mom or Dad do, if it's there, it is there for life...just becomes buried sometimes with, growing up :)
Wow. Good for her for realizing it's time to step back a little, that is a hard decision to make.
Sometimes taking a break is natural. Maybe she'll come back to horses and maybe not. I've got one daughter who's still involved in horses and the other one is a big city girl and has left the horses behind for now - but who knows what the future will bring?
If her heart's not into jumping any more, then I hope she can find the right home for Steve Holt!. We have enjoyed his journey, and I hope whoever buys him shows him.
Perhaps Darling could get a seasoned cutting horse of her own; if she did she could show in the novice classes and have a lot of fun. 'Course, that might mean buying a quarter horse.....just sayin'....
Laughing at Shirley...because you're right, there simply aren't many seasoned mustang cutters out there!
I, too, hope that Steve Holt! will find a home where he'll live up to his potential. I want him shown, so people can see what these horses are all about.
I think horses will float in and out of Darling's life. They'll always be here, just as long as I can make it work, so that she can come back to it.
WOW. :( I'm kind of sad to hear that...beings how I have a daughter, too. Mine, raised and trained a western horse--I made her pay her way with her. She found her as a weanling on Dreamhorse, saved her money for the purchase and training (which she did alongside the trainer like you're doing with Curt). There is a bond between them from all that. Maybe Darling will decide to start from scratch, too--own it 100 percent. (Disclaimer: There were lulls in her enthusiasm over the years.)
Good thing I was already sitting. Have you picked your jaw up off the floor yet?
Ashinator lost her passion for horses, too. It kind of broke my heart.
It had to have been a tough decision for Darling to make, though, and it does show some maturity. (even if it's heartbreaking)
I'm seeing a bit of this in my own girl too. Dare I say it - youth is wasted on the young?
But that's not wholly true, is it?
Honestly my girl's love is dogs, not horses. Time to accept it...
Perhaps Darling will find her way back.
Wow, that's a big decision for her and I commend her for it.
Oh my...I'm very surprised...maybe it's just the winter doldrums...I have them...But, it's something that she's mature enough for her own decision...there's a lot of life ahead of her~
Tear:-(. But she knows what she wants...horses come in and out of our lives as we need them.
Wow. Just wow. All the others are right that it shows maturity and all that but still....it has to pull at your heart a little. It's been something you've shared so closely for so long. I'd be crushed right now if my 13 year old wanted to give up horses. I absolutely love the time when we are together driving back and forth to the barn and riding and at shows. Its "our" time. Hopefully you'll find something else to share together that will bring you both so much satisfaction and happiness.
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