There's a Life Lesson Here, Folks.

So the other day I'm waddling up the path to give my horses a carrot (neither of whom cared that I was there, or that I had any sort of treat to offer) and I'm thinking about tripping and falling in the mud. I'm thinking about this because when you're pregnant, your ligaments become useless strings of taffy and you trip/fall and drop shit all the time, simply because things stop working properly.
So I'm thinking about falling on my knees in the mud, and getting up and continuing on my trek to the paddocks.

Thought linked off of thought and suddenly I'm pondering the art of the Flying Dismount. Off of a horse, that is. I'm wondered about motherhood and getting on Lina again, and being fearless even if I do wipe out. I never was actually fearless on her, I felt like she was thinking about dumping me, but she never showed any behaviors that would lead me to think that. But she's a powerful horse, much more complex than Monkey when it comes to brains (he's SUCH a dude. Food/water/scratch my ears, leave me alone).

I actually think for a minute about selling my horses and becoming Mother of the Year, then I remember who I am and have an internal laugh, knowing that no amount of super cute mini-E will ever be enough to satisfy my thirst for danger. I won't sell the horses.

But then I start thinking about when I was 8 and started riding. I was afraid of nothing. I fell off often, mostly due to a lack of balance on my part, but getting back on was no big deal. Spit the dirt out of your mouth, brush off your breeches and climb back up. There was no option to NOT get back on...you just did it, unless of course, you left in an ambulance. Then that one time would slide (thankfully, I haven't seen that happen or experienced it).

There's a trait instilled in equestrians that you never forget. I never came across any riders who were lazy or the "quittin'" types. Every single person, even the ones I don't like, all posses the same kind of determination to conquer life. They get back on every single time.

(which probably explains why 2 equestrian women will argue, to the death, any point about riding or horse care because THEY DON'T GIVE UP, EVER!!!!).

Also, equestrians are BRAVE. I know some timid riders, but these timid riders are a hell of a lot more ballsy than they give themselves credit for. I mean, how many run of the mill people do YOU know decide that it's fun to climb up on a 1,000lb prey animal, who is unpredictable and prone to flight, jump over shit and get thrown off/fall off/jump off and say "hey. Shit happens?" and get back on.

Equestrians are BRAVE. Even with a pit of fear in their belly, even a tiny little lima bean sized pit, they get on, and keep on getting on because giving up just is NOT acceptable.

I hope there is some way I can instill this in my son...the never give up trait. He might not ride horses (he might, but it's not likely, based on statistics) but there's got to be something he loves, dangerous or not (not, please) that he keeps on doing, no matter how many times he metaphorically falls off. Then he can translate that to the rest of his life, like us equestrians.