What is most important to you?

            Normally in my Chris for real I speak on something during the week that caught my attention; that could be taken a bit humorous, or maybe is just plain crude.

This week I was at work taking my horse through our “Los Angeles trail ride” through the pet cemetery next door and sometimes a walk around the business’ plazas we have surrounding the farm. I mean not much of a Middleburg feel by any means but its Calabasas and all I have so I make the best of it. 

            I’m walking through the cemetery; it’s a pet cemetery so the woman who is in charge welcomes us each day. She is so nice, and is even said she was going to make us a trough so my horse can have something to drink from when she is cooling out. We clip clop around, check out the grave stones, and even off to the side is a big dirt area not really kept up that we stroll through, walking along the fence line, walking through the tall weeds, checking out the buildings and cars and sometimes hear the 101 freeway or police cars. Very peaceful I must say.

            As I was making my way back around I notice an older man looking at me. At first I felt weird when I started taking her on trail rides around the surrounding area people look at me weird. I feel like some urban cowboy, to me horses are so normal and an everyday thing. Not that I don’t enjoy or love them but it’s my normal. I forget to most people, especially people in a city like LA horses are not common to them like a cat or dog. So the man was looking at me with a big grin. I smiled and gave a small wave, he waved back. Than about 10 minutes later as I am making my way around, passing him I notice him getting into his car. Before he climbed in for good he stopped, looked and said “wow I miss riding so much.” He had a big smile as he said it and came up to Roxy and I. I stopped and talked with him. I asked him his name, he said Tony. He said “ya I broke my back quite a while back, so now I can’t ride. It was always my horse, my dog and I. I’m here visiting my dogs grave stone. I come every week and see it, he was great. I had to sell my horse. I sold her to a friend, she lives up north now. Wow I wish I could ride still, I miss it so much. I had an Arabian, she was so good. I would go on trail rides with her and my dog was always running behind us following.”

            I was just listening, in awe really. This man really loved his horse and dog. Although I don’t know his whole life, I have a good idea they took up a lot of his life. This man most likely wouldn’t have had it any other way. I look at myself and horses have been in my life forever. Truthfully friends have come and gone even some family members. Things that you once thought were so important really were not. Horses however since I was so little have always been important to me, something I have loved and enjoyed so much. Someone noticed a picture of me as a small kid, I had this Breyer horse, drinking a frappachino and they were like “well not much has changed, huh?” Even strolling through the park is something I love because I can just go with my own horse, and let her do her thing and enjoy my own horse. I didn’t get to have one as a child so being able to as an adult is something I love.

            When the man started talking to me I was thinking wow, your kind of a big guy to be sitting on some Arab. Second an Arab trail riding? That sounds miserable, freaking alpaca running through the woods, no thank you! More importantly I was sad for him. This much older man who can’t even walk the best had some big smile watching me on my horse, he was wishing he could ride a horse again. He was really nice asking me about Roxy, how old she was, her back ground, just a bunch of stuff. He was patting her and touched my chaps and the fringe smiled and said “well I can tell you take great care of her son.”

            Our conversation really sat with me. It made me grateful to be able to ride on a regular basis. Sometimes I forget because I get to see horses every day, how lucky I really am. Sometimes I want to send them to Mexico but some people wish they could ride and I get to everyday.

            Later that evening I was talking with my only sister Danielle and she mentioned how she thinks everything happens for a reason. How things happen and it means something whether we know it or not. Danielle was like “Chris this old guy wishes he could be you again I am sure, riding around on his horse. So appreciate being able to ride, even on those days when you want to go home cause they have been bad. Cause when your old you might not be able to ride either!”

            I hope when I am older I can still ride. I certainly do not need to be able to jump big, or school naughty horses. I would be happy riding my good horse around at 60 years old. That works for me I don’t need broken bones. It just made me really think about life, and what is important to each one of us. Most people wouldn’t understand someone who loves horses and how it is more of a lifestyle not a passing thing. Some people get into it later in life, others just cause others do it so they fall into it. I didn’t have anyone who really led me into horses, I know my father thinks he played a huge part in it. He never took me to a lesson so I don’t know where he got that idea? I just have always loved them way before I even started lessons. My sister certainly is not a horse person but certainly knows me, and knows how much I have loved horses my whole life. If someone told me I couldn’t ride, I would feel so weird, very sad and it would be a life changing thing. Like chopping off part of your body, I mean I would relate it to getting a divorce even.

            After reading Jackie Kennedy’s book, it talked about how horses after all that she had to endure being the first lady how important and meaningful horses were to her. Horses were a part of her whole life starting as child to an older woman till they day she passed away. I knew someone who after being married their spouse didn’t want them to ride so they quit. I also knew someone who was told they shouldn’t ride from a doctor. They were severely hurt and the doctor mentioned if they were injured a second time it could become so much worse. So they quit. I couldn’t imagine being told that, that I should stop doing something I love and really enjoy; and never do it again. I don’t think I could, I would maybe have to can the man. And I would have to find a quiet horse and take my chances if a doctor told me that too.

            So I think people should find what is important to them, enjoy it and appreciate each time they get to enjoy it. We never really know what is in store for us the next day so make the most of each day.