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.