Are you one of those people who gets a little teary-eyed at the sight of a dad giving his daughter away at the alter or choked up at the thought of waving goodbye as your child heads off to college? Well I am. For me, there are many triggers for that lump in my throat, quiver in my lip and mist in my eyes, but milestone events are among the top causes. Looking back on what leads up to one of those milestones brings a flood of memories with it, and the certainty that things will change after this point. Not that it’s bad, but it reminds you of how quickly time goes by.

I had one of those moments recently...in the barn, of all places! I was hurrying to put the horses in before we headed off to a high school graduation party for Ashley Johnsen, the daughter of a very good friend of mine. I patted Dolly, our old black pony, and told her I was going to see her “mom” today. Suddenly I got that rush of memories and felt the tears welling up in my eyes. Dolly was Ashley’s first pony, and when she outgrew her, Dolly came to live here to be my kids’ first pony.

I remembered watching Ashley ride her when her legs didn’t even come halfway down the pony’s side, and how she used to braid her tail and put a sock on it, just like her mom did with her big horse. I remembered when she rode that pony at Playnight at the saddle club, and she was thrilled just to get her loping (never mind what lead she was on). I remembered Ashley giving my daughter instructions on how to ride that pony when she came to be ours, and how just last year she led my youngest around on Dolly, marvelling at all the gray hairs on the old pony’s face. Then I thought how all those things seemed to have happened just yesterday, but those memories actually spanned a stretch of about 15 years.

A lot has changed in that span of years, but one thing that has remained a constant is the influence of horses on her life. The little girl on the pony matured into a lovely young lady, and has become an accomplished rider (on a bigger horse, of course!) She learned responsibility and compassion in caring for that pony, how to set goals, and the discipline of working hard and training to achieve those goals. She learned there are no shortcuts to true success, and that it means a lot more to work for it than to have it handed to you. And she learned so much more...

I’m thrilled that my daughter has also experienced the joy and life lessons learned from that little black pony, and I hope she keeps horses as a constant in her life, especially in those tough years after grade school and through high school. I’ve already seen the building of character through some hard landings in the dirt, and a a strong sense of determination that comes when you “get back on the pony.” She’s learned good sportsmanship through wins and losses, patience through training, teamwork and partnership and even independence . I could go on and on, but you get the idea. Horses have a way of teaching us far more than we’ll ever teach them.

If you’re into horses you most likely have a “little black pony” somewhere in your history, whether it was a pony you got when you were three years old, a lesson horse you loved at thirteen, or a first horse at “thirty-something.” Once you (or your child) are hooked, living the “cowboy way” can only enrich your life and help you grow......in all the right directions.