Don't Give Up

For the month of June, Saver of Memories is going to be full of equine-related posts!  I actually didn't plan this ahead of time; I just noticed that I had two different joint posts about horses coming out, and decided I would just have some fun and make it a monthly theme.

Because horses.

I'm going to kick off the month with a quick chat about bravery.  And yes, this ties in to horses.




Confession time: I'm afraid of horses.

Yes.  I, Julian Daventry, who has been riding for 10+ years, done countless riding adventures, ridden barely-trained horses, and is an avid horse lover...I am afraid of horses.

Well, kind of.  I'm afraid of falling.  Of getting hurt.  I'm afraid the horse will bolt, or will buck me off, or I'll in some way or other regret being on the back of a horse.

And it's not without reason.

I've had two horses that bucked frequently.  One that had no brakes and another that couldn't be still.  I've had a spooky horse and a horse that liked to spin his riders off.  I've worked through buddy sour issues, horses that wouldn't load, horses that kicked, horses that just plain were ornery.  And for a nervous, timid rider, these horses probably don't sound like a right fit.

But I didn't sell them.  I kept riding them.  I got back on after every fall (including those nasty spins).  I prayed before my rides (and prayed a lot during them, too.)  I pushed through my own fears.  My Dad encouraged me.  My sister helped me.  My friends cheered me on.

And you know what?

I just got braver.  And the horses got even better.

I worked through my problems.  Pepper stopped bucking.  Nugget calmed down.  Bree stopped spinning.  Cord relaxed.  Spirit became braver.  Suzie stopped freaking out.

Sometimes you have to just offer up a quick prayer and then buckle down and do the very thing you're worried about.  Get on that horse.  Go out and ride him.  

And yes, sometimes there will be bad days.  There are days when the horse gets spooked.  When the horse has extra energy to let loose.

But you keep riding.  And you keep moving on.  And you don't give up.

And one day you look back and realize just exactly how far you've come.  There may never be a moment when you realize something's clicked, but you will know that things have been much better then they were before.

And that's what bravery is.  It's saddling up and going out there even when you're afraid.

13 comments:

  1. Did Cord ever relax? Every time I saw him, he was like: "MUST. BE. FIRST. HORSE! NO EXCEPTIONS!!"

    This was a great post! It's been cool to watch you over the years grow into a more confident rider. And it's also been fun to watch your horses grow up and learn and become braver themselves!

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    1. Eh, he would kind of relax while out on the same old trails we would go on. If his rider relaxed.

      But thanks for putting up with my nervous wreaks and encouraging me to fight my battles!

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  2. This was such an inspiring post, Julian! <3 Honestly, though, the thought of a horse bucking and knocking me off scares me, too. XD

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    1. I mean, it's a real concern...but at the same time, there are lots of horses that behave very well and you really don't have to be scared of them.

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  3. Horses are honestly so terrifying. I wish I could go back to the time when I was ten and afraid of nothing when riding. I had some pretty terrifying spills back then.

    AND WOW. I AM SO EXCITED FOR AN ENTIRE MONTH OF HORSEY THEMED POSTS! :D

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    1. I was a nervous wreak of a rider when I was younger, lol.

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  4. Couldn't agree more! Can't wait to read other horse related posts! ;)
    -Brooklyne

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  5. Great post ... I feel like any sane person will always have a degree of fear for horses, no matter how much they ride. I used to ride a lot when I was younger, and yeah I got more confident, but that fear was always there. I mean, you're controlling a beast that's ten times larger ;0

    keturahskorner.blogspot.com

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    1. I think it's more dangerous when you don't know when you should really back down. Sometimes we do need to step back or get off the horse. Other times we just need to sit straighter and be in control!

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  6. YES!! YES!! My fellow horse person self knows this all too well. I didn't realize how much I'd progressed, though, until I realized I wasn't scared when my young mustang spooked and bucked me off. I knew it was my fault because I took her into the lot when I probably should've ridden her in the roundpen. But, I did get back on. And we survived, and I learned something. 😊

    Loved this post, Julian!!

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  7. I know what it is like to be scared of horses. Of my horse. But I got over it slowly... With lots of prayer... And work. now I am more confident riding though I understand horses are horses they can spook. Looking forward to more horse posts!

    astorydetective.blogspot.com

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  8. This is a great post! I love horses but to be honest... I do fear them a bit. I've known (and my dad has known) quite a few people who have gotten seriously hurt riding horses and so when I'm around them I have a healthy amount of fear and respect to know how to be careful around them too.

    melodypersonetteauthor.blogspot.com

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