Life Lessons from Horses

May is Horse Season. The Kentucky Derby is run on the first Saturday in May followed by two more big races, each set a couple of weeks apart. If the same horse manages to win all three, it wins the Triple Crown. I have loved horses since I was a little girl. And while I have no interest in betting, I usually watch these races just to see these beautiful horses race, literally, like the wind.

A well-trained horse has been compared to a well-trained Christian. Horses are incredibly powerful, strong-willed, and independent. But with the right training, they learn to submit their power to relatively weak humans. Similarly, we strong-willed people can learn to submit our abilities and will to God to do what He wants us to do. For both the horse and humans, the issue comes down to trusting the one in control.

I’ve given up on ever having a horse, but still find them fascinating.  Whether you own a horse or not,  a good book on horses may interest you.  How does someone tame one of these incredible animals?  Learn from renowned horse trainer John Lyon’s Private Lessons:  The Making of a Perfect Horse.  He approaches training from a Christian perspective.  I think we people could learn some things about “training” ourselves from this book.  For instance, Lyons says,  “This is the equation:  Control without pain produces trust and respect.  Trust and respect are the foundation for a relationship.”  Learn how to correctly interact with horses and keep them healthy in this book.  

Perhaps you’ve always admired the American cowboy.  Check out Good Ol’ Cowboy Stories by Jack Terry.  This is a collection of stories about the iconic American cowboy. 

   

Some of my all-time childhood favorite books were the Billy and Blaze series by C. W. Anderson.  Each book is an engaging story for young readers filled with drawings by the author.  One of my favorites was Blaze and the Forest Fire.  I fault these books for the parade of horse sketches my mom posted on the refrigerator.  My first toy horse was “Blaze”. 

Check our consignment shop, too, for books on horses, care, and horsemanship.  Horses, a DK handbook, especially caught my eye.  It goes through all the breeds with excellent illustrations, descriptions, and information.   

Would your family enjoy a little “horsing around”? Missouri has many summer fairs with horse and riding competitions and rodeos. You can take a “field trip” to Warm Springs Ranch in Boonville, MO, to see the famous Clydesdales being raised. Many camps and resorts offer horseback rides. Kids can help a neighbor with their horse or volunteer at a stable, too. For horse enthusiasts, plan a road trip to Louisville, Kentucky. See the famous horse farms and the Kentucky Horse Park. Or, plan a vacation to a working ranch to see if you make the cowboy cut.

I hope you get a chance to check out these amazing animals, have some fun, and gain new experiences as you do. Giddy-up, y’all!

Reading is Rewarding!

Katie

Request the following titles from the Family Vision Library here:

Private Lessons:  The Making of a Perfect Horse, by John Lyons

Good Ol’ Cowboy Stories by Jack Terry

Billy and Blaze series by C. W. Anderson

Check out more books about horses in the library

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