By: Ron Anderson
Spring. When you live in this part of the globe the seasons are all too obvious and this one has to be a favourite. It’s the season of renewal.
Newborn critters of every species are everywhere. For most of us, it’s a confirmation of the continuation of life that we look forward to, particularly after what seemed like an unabridged– maybe even extended–version of winter.
I had a great taste of spring early this year. It was that part of the spring renewal that makes me feel good about being part of the horse industry. Winter wasn’t near over when I was invited to do a clinic for a group south of Calgary. There it was: kids and horses.
I’ve mentioned before that one of the best tonics for folks’ outlook is watching the interaction between kids and horses. Their bond is pure. The belief of both horse and human in one another is uncompromised. The fun and accomplishments are endless.
A skilled wordsmith could express the situation more accurately, but I’ll just stumble through the description; I know you’ll get the idea … it’s close to magic.
A 4-H club hosted the clinic. 4-H is an old friend of mine. When I was a kid (don’t worry I promise not to start telling one of those grandpa stories of days gone by “with deep snow and uphill both ways to school, character building, oh boy do you have it easy now,” types of rambles).
Where were we? Got it! … as a kid, 4-H was a big part of my life. It was a natural fit for country kids, like my family and neighbours, to be involved in the program. Truth of the matter is, the public speaking part of 4-H gave me the foundation for my self-professed career in announcing.
4-H provides the same great opportunities today as it did four decades ago. Changes we notice now are that most of the members of the clubs don’t have rural roots (or is that rural routes, or is that a pun?).
Fact is, some of the 4-H members today are getting their first chance to be involved with large animals. Prior to this, house pets may have been their only animal interaction. Now, youngsters get a chance to learn about livestock husbandry along with other life skills.
So it’s pretty clear that I’m a 4-H advocate. Now let’s talk about that clinic.
Several things were evident as the day began. After some initial introductions and conversation, several facts became evident: the participants ranged in age from three to well into their 20s.
“Whoa”, you say. “Kids can’t start membership that young and stay beyond 18.”
Well, I was being inclusive … I included the horses. Now you get the idea. There was a broad range of horses and kids. Every age, breed, and gender was well represented.
The kids’ enthusiasm for riding and their trying to be better horse people was contagious. I just tried to keep up. Each of them brought a lot of try and a lot of smiles to the day.
Something else they brought were their parents. Parents were obvious in volunteer positions handling the chores that go with a successful day. Coffee and donuts in the morning, lunch (pizza and pop, what did you expect?), gates, doors and all sorts of equipment were all handled by the parents.
The viewing stands had siblings, grandparents, and the balance of moms and dads. For me, this brought back memories of my 4-H days. The parents weren’t experts at livestock care, training, or feeding. They were just responsible parents.
They were parents that allowed and insured that their kids had opportunities. My folks did it for me. I recognized that effort they made much later in my life.
My day at this clinic showed me that parenting is still a big part of the experience. With all due respect to the parents in attendance that day, they were not experts in horses; they were experts in parenting.
Something else was obvious. Every rider had a helmet. I’m old and traditional. I wear a cowboy hat or a ball cap when I ride (a toque in the winter). Although safety is a concern of mine, that day I got alerted to update my thinking.
You and I can agree that it’s too late to protect what is or isn’t in my upstairs storage area, but I am now a helmet advocate. Every other sport we look at is enforcing protective headgear. Helmets are cool. Helmets for riding western are cool. Kids in helmets make sense and it’s responsible riding.
All in, I had a wonderful experience and got my spring rejuvenation early.
To all the members of the Okotoks Outriders that came to ride with me that Saturday, to all the parents that are providing life skills to their children, and to all the horses that allow us to ride, my helmet is off to each and every one of you. Thanks.
One more thought. 4-H is a long way from being finished making a significant contribution to the next generation. Thanks to everyone for carrying on the tradition.
Horses All columnist Ron Anderson is a popular show and sale announcer, as well as a skilled competitor and trainer. He owns and runs Sylvancrest Stock Farm with his wife Marilyn.
