I live in an area where there are an abundance of horses and ranches, but I never spend any time around them. I told my husband a while back that I wanted to find a way to change that. I finally found an opportunity to volunteer at a ranch. I have ridden horses about half a dozen times in my lifetime, but I don’t know much about them. I am looking forward to learning and getting in that quality horse time.
When I was a child, I was really afraid of horses. I am not sure what triggered it. The only thing I can think of was that they were just so much bigger than I was. I remember one time when we lived on a farm that a small horse was loose when I came home from school. I was terrified to get off the bus. To my young self, the horse was big and dangerous. I have come a long way since those days.
My first day of volunteering, I did a little bit of grooming of one horse. I can better understand now why horses need to be groomed. I only have experience with cats and chickens and I don’t groom them. I really enjoyed the chance to be so up close and personal with the horse.
I was able to lead out the horse too. Again, I enjoyed the opportunity to work so closely with the horse. I have to work on my confidence for sure. I am looking forward to learning more and I want to bond with the horses.
I am definitely nervous about working around horses because I know so little. I have a lot to learn about all things horse. I don’t want to mess up and I do want the horses to respond well to me. I love learning new things and I love being around animals. I plan to make the most of the opportunity.
