Autobiography of a Cowgirl

How could you not fall in love with that face?!?! :)

I'm just your not so average country girl who grew up in the middle of a big city. My family hates country music, I love it. Most of the people I know back home are terrified of large horses but I throw myself into a small circular pen with them for hours of training. I'm usually limping or have some kind of interesting livestock or horse induced injury. And my mom will never understand why I love working with dangerous animals as much as I do.

I love working dogs, but training dogs is something that comes easily to me. I was raised to train them as their leader and not to spoil them as so many individuals do. But most dog issues can be solved easily, they take a little bit of creative thinking and a lot of experience. I'm good at that. 

Horses are more challenging for me, and there for more rewarding when I figure out how to do something right with them. You see, my horse experience started much differently than it does for most people. My family doesn't have enough money to afford equestrian expense. I have been in love with horses for as long as I can remember. Riding a horse for the first time is one of my first memories and by far my favorite. A very good friend of my moms who I now refer to as my aunt, knew a couple with probably a dozen horses. The first time I got on my favorite speckle butt Appaloosa filly, Star, I was 4 years old. We melted together like butter instantly. I remember sitting in the tiny western saddle on her back letting go of the reins and wrapping my arms around her neck with my cheek squished up against her. This was how I learned horses. You put the saddle on, go for a ride, unsaddle, clean them up and throw them out to pasture until you ride again. Not really an ideal relationship to have with your horse as I later discovered. 

Star and I had a great connection, I was never the greatest rider, but we made it work. I never learned how to do ground work during the 8 years or so that I rode that mare. It wasn't until college that I started to understand the importance of having a good connection with your horse on the ground. My first semester of college started out rockey in the equine world. I was taking all my advice from someone who thought horses where all rainbows, glitter, and magic. Yes, this person did have a few valid points but it was a bad way to start things off. Natural horsemanship is great but not all of it makes sense to the horse . You have to learn to take bits and pieces of it and only use what makes sense. Other wise you will waste tons of time and create a bad relationship with your horse. 

This last semester I had an 800 lb pushy year old AQH gelding and I knew that I would have to do things differently. He had issues taking corrections and needed a good leader who would guide him to do the right thing. I had to learn to be that person. It wasn't easy but I learned by watching what worked for people around me. I learned to be a good leader. For my horse and for myself.
Sometimes I still feel like a total klutz who doesn't know what she's doing, but when I look back on the progress I have made, I know that's not the case. I waited a long time to be able to train horses. I'm less experienced than most of my peers, but that's okay, because it only means that there is that much more for me to learn. I pay attention to what I'm doing with my horse and if its someone tells me to do something that is unsafe or to exterior for them, then I have no problem telling them I won't do it. 

So that's how I became the cowgirl I am today. Well, that and being in 4-H for 14 years. A lot of people say that you have to fall off a horse 3 times to be considered a real cowgirl, but I don't think that's true. The girls who stay on even when their horse decides to be a snot, do the dirty work, and put forth the effort to overcome obstacles are the real cowgirls of the west. And I am proud to be one of them.

Happy Trails! 
Kyia + Sage

English just makes you tougher