If This Blog Were a Horse

[Photo of my daughter Sierra and her five-year old horse Raffiki at the state horse show yesterday]

If this blog were a horse, it'd be very sick by now.

Thankfully this blog which I have been neglecting of late is not a horse, just a repository of my horsey thoughts. Cancel the vet call!

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This horse show season ended for our family yesterday. My oldest daughter, Sierra, who is 13, competed in the State 4-H Two-Handed show. (which is a funny name for a horse show. Shouldn't it be Two-Hoofed? But of course it is referring to the riders' hands. It's a 4-H competition for riders with horses 3-5 years of age.)

Can I just say, at the risk of sounding like a stage-mother fool, that my daughter is amazing?

This is why:

-She's trained this horse herself (granted, with lots of generous mentors) since she was ten. Three years ago, this horse didn't know its leads. Now he excels in trail and Western Pleasure.

-She placed first in her division in the written test (and got $100 for her efforts). And sixth overall in her division among 30 riders.

-She wasn't feeling very good all day and had a bad head cold. Despite this, she still carried on. She gives everything her best - whether it be piano, art, writing, horses - and is successful at whatever she does.

-Most importantly, she is a very spiritual person, diligent in her prayers and scripture study. Which manifests itself in how grounded she seems to be as successes and challenges come her way.

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I can't help but reflect on my own life compared to where she is at in hers.

At her age, I loved art, music and literature. I had good parents who gave me opportunities, but we didn't have the money and it wasn't a priority for me to take art or piano lessons. Let alone own horses.

So I am thrilled to the core that my children have these opportunities early in their lives.

Sierra is a great example to me of someone who got handed a bountiful plate by Heavenly Father along with some personal challenges, and who has made the most of it!

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I will have to admit, as much as this has been a fun ride this year...I am relieved that horse show season is over. Now for some R&R!