by Elizabeth Picard

Created on: July 30, 2008   Last Updated: June 25, 2009

From as young as I can remember I've always loved horses. We lived in the suberbs but every year as a child I would always ask for a horse. I even would offer to keep him in my room if I had to.

At age 40 I consider myself to still be a novice rider. The most experience I had until 2 years ago was trail rides where the horse you're on just follows the horse in front of you.

But then I met someone who would introduce me up close and personal with horses. Standing in her barn, looking at her Tennessee Walking Horses, I was afraid to even go into their stalls. It took some time and now I feel as free around horses as anyone else who's ever had one.

I went out and bought my first horse. She was green with a whole bunch of attitude. Watching the trainer on the farm, I decided I was going to break her myself. Something I would not necessarily recommend to a greenhorn, which I was.

The first month or so was not a fun time for me in the round pen with her. She challenged me every chance she got, many times even gettin up on her hind legs when I would try to get her to do as I asked. I'd wave my arms and I would do my best to not show her I was scared, and she just wouldn't back down. I had met my match, someone just as stubborn as I was. One day the trainer was watching me and saw how she behaved towards me. I was so afraid of her stomping on me that he came into the round pen behind me to get her to back down. Not looking, I just grabbed at him from behind. My second lesson of the day; always look before you grab. I was so embarrassed.

But I didn't give up. Every day I'd bring her into that round pen and do my best to get her to walk the edge and whoa when I'd tell her. The more confidence I gained, the more I started winning the battle. Next was getting her to submit to me. I'd do just like I was taught and get her to whoa and walk slowly towards her with my head somewhat down but just enough that I could see her reactions. If she started to move, I'd stop and say "whoa" again until eventually I was able to come to her side and put my arm over her head.

For about 3 months straight I worked with her. I groomed her and learned to pick her feet and to even bathe her, which I might add was not a very good first experience as it took 3 of us to give her a bath. But now, she'll stand just fine for one.

One day, the trainer was working with another horse and I knew he was fixing to mount him for he first time that day, but I was to do my workout with Prissy first. So I had one of the hands bring out the training saddle and blanket. Jem just sat there. I don't think he seriously thought I would try. But as soon as I had gotten her saddled up reins and all, he knew I was going for it. He made the hands leave the round pen and came in to make sure everything was set right for me. He was waiting for Prissy to throw me off or send me for the ride of my life. She was known to be the most high spirited stubborn horse on the property, even out beating her mother in that category.

As usual, whenever I would do something new with Prissy I went up and petted her while I spoke softly to her reassuring her and asking her please to not buck me off. Jem held her steady in the middle of the arena while I mounted her. Everyone was taking bets on just how long it would take for her to buck me off. But as soon as he let her go, she did nothing. She offered no resistance to me being on her back. With a little encouragement from Jem, she started around the round pen.

That was definitely my proudest day. Together we had made such a bond that in the end, the day when my safety really rested in her hands, we proved them all wrong.

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