Butch Loves Horses!

  When I was growing up, I always wanted to own a horse. I think it was because of all the westerns that were on TV back in the 1950s. I had a cowboy hat, cowboy boots and a capgun and holster by the time I was 3 years old. I pretended that I was Hopalong Cassidy or Gene Autry fighting the bad guys, but the only horse I had was a wooden sawhorse, with a pillow as my saddle. Two cousins who lived across the road had a black and white pony named Star, and they let me ride it a few times, but my folks just couldn’t afford to buy me one.

   My wife had a pony, a donkey, and a horse at various times when she was young. She was very fond of her pets, and rode all of them quite often, most of the time without a saddle. She was an only child, and developed strong bonds with her animals. Working with a horse requires developing empathy and using non-verbal communication skills, as horses react to subtle movements and emotions. They are highly sensitive animals and form trusting relationships with people. She loved to ride and care for them. I have a granddaughter who has a quarterhorse, and she is the same way. She is a barrel racer, and she loves her horse. Caring for it has taught her responsibility, loyalty and also to be patient.

   When we were first married, my wife had a sweet and gentle Appaloosa mare named “Appy” which she rode in our pasture every so often. One day as I was mowing our lawn, I noticed Appy was standing by the fence grazing. I decided that I would try to ride her, so I shut off the mower and started to climb over the fence. Appy glanced my way and never moved. I slowly made it over the fence and eased down on her back and prepared to grab the halter. Well, folks . . . I rode Appy approximately two seconds . . . before she bucked me off! My riding days were over before they began! I haven’t been on a horse since that day. Appy lived to be over 30 years old. She was a good horse.

   Well, no matter. I still love horses. They are highly intelligent creatures. They are strong and powerful, but sensitive and loving. They allow humans to form an almost symbiotic relationship. They are beautiful animals . . . their coat, their stature, their graceful movement. Riding a horse can give a person a sense of freedom and adventure, and also relieve stress. Although I don’t ride, I love to pet horses and talk to them, and I really believe they understand what I’m saying. I even love the smell of a horse!

   No, I never owned a horse or pony as a youngster. With four siblings, I knew it would be too expensive for my parents to buy me one and pay for the feed, vet bills, etc., but that’s OK. I sure had a lot of fun doing other things such as playing sports and enjoying many activities with my cousins and friends. But wouldn’t it be great if every boy and girl had their own horse or pony . . . especially in this crazy, stressful world we live in now?

   Any you know what? Some day I am going to try to ride Appy again . . .

John “Butch” Dale is a retired teacher and County Sheriff. He has also been the librarian at Darlington the past 37 years, and is a well-known artist and author of local history.