With all the responsibilities and things on our “To Do List”, we must remember that it’s all about having fun.  Everything, even work.

As horse owners we have all our barn stuff, horse stuff, house stuff, kid stuff, laundry stuff, shopping stuff, and I could go on, but I won’t.

Why is it that we don’t pencil in “Fun Stuff”?  We have a habit of not remembering to do Fun Stuff as we mature.  (Notice I didn’t say as we get older.)

Today when I was giving a lesson to an eight year old, who has now ridden five time, she was asking me questions about falling off.  Why do you fall off, how do you fall off, and do you have to fall off?  I told her that you become a better rider after you’ve fallen a few times.  (Like 100)  I could see the concern in her eyes.  So I started goofing on her, and made her laugh.  I told her to get down and then I climbed on the rails of the fence and was going to get on the horse she was riding.  The horse decided I was at the right height to rub his head on me as I was suspended hanging onto the upper rail trying to mount.  Now we’re not talking just a regular fence, we’re talking round pen about six foot high.  The girl started laughing, her mom started laughing, the horse was thinking this was the funniest thing he had ever done.  Everyone was having a good laugh except me.  I was plastered against the wall of the round pen, doing something stupid.  I just figured I could climb up two boards and get on this 17 hand horse so I wouldn’t have to change her stirrups.  So much for that idea.  Got down dropped the stirrup and got on.  Then I showed her an emergency dismount.  That wouldn’t hurt a bit.  So then it was her turn to try it.  Well she had so much fun jumping down and landing on her butt that she just wanted to keep doing it until she could land on her feet.  But I had to keep giving her a leg-up.  Okay, I’m 68 years old trying to give a short kid a leg-up, who really doesn’t push off, up onto a 17 hand horse.  She was having a great time, I was exhausted.

But the bottom line is that she was relaxed, having a great time, was no longer concerned about hitting the ground, and that made me have a great time teaching her.  We strive so hard to teach them how to ride and be safe, we have to remember to teach them how to have fun.

Having fun, no matter what we are doing, makes it easier to do, and makes the time just fly by.  It doesn’t matter what it is.  Even the bad things, like falling off, don’t seem to be as scary when you’re laughing.

Bottoms Up!