10/18 Drew Horner: Uncoiled. Thankful for our 4-legged friends

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   You all know from my previous blog that I have a big week next week of jackpots. I have been giving my horses some time off, got some of their hocks injected, and preparing them for next weeks schedule of intense jackpotting.  It gets me thinking though. I get to spend every day with horses and how much of a gift they are.
horses    Horses are amazing! They do anything we ask them to. In our sport, we expect so much out of them. They have to be on top of their game everytime for us to win. If they aren’t, then we lose, and we don’t like to lose! Ha! For them to have so much expected of them, that means they have to be the best horses around. They have to be able to run fast, stop on a dime, and flip inside out in small spaces. That takes incredible athleticism. Our horses are BIG time athletes. They require attention in every aspect of their lives. They need to be on a routine as much as possible. They need to be exercised and mentally tough enough to handle the pressures that the rodeo lifestyle puts them through. As a professional team roper, I look at my horses more than just another horse, I train them like the athletes they are in every way. For the grain they eat to the way I ride them, every single part of the process of practice and training is for winning. They have to be the best and to work at being the best so we can win.
   Now, along with all the training and pressures they endure, they need to be treated with respect. They have to be a horse sometimes! They are not here for us to abuse them but for us to take care of them. God has given us this responsibility. If we use them, we have to be responsible for them. God lets us use them. They could overpower us easily. One kick by a horse and my leg is broken. There goes my career… That being said, these horses need some TLC every now and then. They need to be turned out.  Let them run around free sometimes if you can. Horses need to run with other horses without a halter or saddle. Horses are God’s creation and for us not to take care of their health, physical and mental wellness and to prepare them mentally is WRONG!  They are tough animals so we don’t need to baby them, but we need to respect them and what they do for us.
Drew Horner
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October 18, 2013 |

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