Horses, Mules, and Grandkids

The mountain air was crisp with the hint of the morning frost. The big horse stood still while his partner checked the cinch one more time. The big fellow had puffed his stomach out at the first tightening of the cinch and was now relaxed and breathing easy. A small pull on the leather and another hole reached with the ring pin and the saddle was made ready. The cowboy reached for the reins and with a handful of mane stepped into the stirrup and swung a leg over the large animal. Safely aboard, the cowboy nudged his companion with a slight pressure of his knees and a gentle coaxing of words. The horse following his key with the lead of the reins walked out nicely in the direction of the trail. Both horse and rider were in unison as the big horse walked down the mountain trail towards the creek side. As the horse approached the creek bank, his head lowered, and he smelled the ground for signs of danger. He walked down off the steep embankment to the water’s edge. The horse pulled his hind legs up under his belly and stiffened his front legs to absorb the impact of the steep grade. Once his front hooves hit the creek bed rocks, he pushed out with his hind legs and straightened his back. All this was done with a fluid motion and the rider merely set his stirrups forward leaning back on the saddle cantle. As he did this, he dropped the reins for his partner to get his head down and see where he was going. Walking through the soft flowing water of the creek and up the mountain trail, the pair knew they had made this trip many times in the past. The obstacles of the trail were mere tokens as they moved along in the beautiful fall air.

As the two companions moved through the forest setting, they were following in the hoof tracks of thousands of previous patrons. The spirits of both man and horse are forever etched along the winding trails of the mountain and desert byways. As modern man follows these courses, he relives the sights, sounds, and visions of his contemporaries as they had done in the past since time allowed. Moving along the trail the cowboy reached up and removed his hat. He gently pulled up on the reins as the big horse came to a stop. The cowboy bowed his head and thanked God for his companion, the surrounding setting, and his life.

A while back I ran into an old friend of mine that I had not seen in a long time. As we exchanged greetings and the usual small talk, the conversation turned to what we had been doing with our time. Before I could reply to my friends question, he commented on the horse trailer behind my truck. He asked if I still had horses that I rode on the mountain trails. I responded with a yes to all of his questions and then he made a comment that made me think a little. He said that he thought I would have given up the horses a long time ago. He figured that as I got older, I would opt for something less strenuous to occupy my time. I told him that it was in my blood and that I loved my horses. After we had said our goodbyes that day, our conversation got me thinking. My favorite animal on this earth is the horse and his cousin the mule. I have been blessed to have been in the company of both of these animals throughout my life. The mules came on the scene in my later years, but I’ve enjoyed them immensely.

I started out on a horse at a tender age, and I have felt comfortable in the saddle since that time. I grew up around ranch horses. I rode my grandfathers and fathers horses until the time I got my own around ten years of age. It was a special moment in my life, and I remember the day of the purchase just like it was yesterday. Since that time, I have had the privilege of stewardship over many fine horses and mules. Most of them have been outstanding examples of their breeds, but I have encountered a couple stubborn ones that put the tax on my body as well. I feel like God was having a great day when he introduced the horse for man’s use on this earth. They have been written about from the beginning of time. As our history has played out, they were in every story that unfolded. This great animal was so important in our history that he played a role in the most dramatic event in the history of humanity. The Son of Man was carried to his accusers on the back of a mule. I could go on and on about the contributions to society and the impact on the world that these noble beasts have performed, but I’ll leave that for the reader to ponder on their own.

Horses and mules are just like people in that they all have different personalities. No two are alike, and they range in attitude from kind and gentle to wild and nervy. By design, they are prey animals and flight is their best means of defense. Couple this with the ability to travel at speeds of over 35 miles an hour at a full run and you have yourself a muscled up hair missile ready for launch. We have had to learn the hard way in trying to make use of this magnificent creature. As the world modernizes, the ways of the horse are slowly being forgotten.

Some of us still have horse hide in our blood lines. We relish in the company of our massive companions, and we will leave this earth still clinging to the reins. We take pride in our horses and look forward to the next ride. I feel fortunate to have taken some of my horses and mules and partaken of some of nature’s greatest mountain scenery. Each trip is a story in its self, and the memories will be cherished forever. Lounging around mountain campfires in the evening light with horses tethered nearby were some of my happiest times. Sharing this with family and friends gives me all I could ever ask for and more. As you see, there are times in a person’s life where God's handiwork truly blesses them.

Blessings can come in all shapes and sizes. We all receive them in our lives, and some are so awesome that they defy words. I was sitting in my jeep wrangler about a month ago outside of my daughter’s house. I was just relaxing while my wife went inside to drop off some food we had prepared for them. I had recently taken the hardtop off of the jeep, and that gave me a clear view of the sky and all that surrounded me. While I was sitting there, I felt a small weight shift on the back of the jeep. I turned around to see what had made the jeep move. I saw a little person climbing on the back tire and over the seat. He came up on the console and out of the blue with both arms stretched out he hugged my neck and gave me a kiss on the cheek. With that, he said, “I love you, grandpa.” This grizzled old grandpa melted like hot butter on the stove right down through my boots. I can’t tell you how great that was in this man’s life. Evidently, he was playing in the yard, and I hadn’t noticed him when we pulled up. He noticed me sitting there and with the stealth of a little angel he snuck up on me, climbed in the back of the Jeep and made my day worth living.

There are some things in life that all of us need and that is the love of family. It seems like we get caught up in the little things in life with work and hobbies. We fail to see the big picture sometimes. My happiest times came when I had my little family all secured in our house. We would sit around the fireplace stove on cold, snowy winters night. I could protect them from all the evils of this earth, and nothing could harm them. We would relish in each other’s company and the times we had would fill volumes of novels. Then it seems like I woke up from a long nap, and I was saying goodbye to my youngest son as he departed for a mission. Empty nesters was the order of the day. We thought we would make up for all the time we had spent raising children in the first few months of our new found freedom. After several days, the realization set in on my wife and me. We came to the conclusion that one of our purposes on this earth had been completed. Our children were raised to the point where they had left home and sought their destinies.

What was next we asked ourselves? As sadness started to flow into our lives, God provided the answer to this question in the form of a grandchild. With the addition of twelve of these little spirits blessing our lives we have had more than our share of joys and happiness. Dealing with these little angels is nothing like raising your children. You’re not responsible for their every move. They have full-time parents for that. You get to come on the scene and wreak all kinds of havoc for their parents in the form of goodies and spoiled love. The word no is not part of your vocabulary anymore, and you make up your rules as you go along on your apprenticeship of grand parenting. The time spent tending and nursing is cherished by both grandparents. You’re involved with their lives on a daily basis, but you’re not necessarily responsible for the outcome. You can step into the scene at your leisure and leave when things get rough or awkward. It’s like watching a movie on TV. You can stop the show, do something else, then come back to where you left off, and pick up the story again. 

Over the years, my wife and I have enjoyed our time with the G-kids. We have been witness to the special blessings these little angels bring into our lives. They have made our days brighter when the aches and pains of old age creep in. On other occasions, some of the things that come out of their mouths have nearly dropped us to our knees in laughter. I believe God set this family plan in motion for many reasons. Most of all, I think he set this up for the grandparents. Without these little people in our lives, we would be nothing more than senior citizens waiting to pass on. With them around us they breath renewed fresh air into our midst, and this gives us reason to live more of this life.

As that old cowboy bows his head and gives thanks for his companion the horse and all that surrounds him, he also thanks God for his extended family and the opportunity to share his life with these special little spirits.

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