UPCOMING HORSE SHOWS:

Gulfport Week IV – 3/5 – 3/9/08

Gulfport Week V – 3/12 – 3/16/08

Springtime in Dixie – 4/9 – 4/13/08
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Springtime Encore – 4/16 – 4/20/08
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Memphis in May – 5/7 – 5/11/08
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Memphis Blues Classic – 5/14 – 5/18/08
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HORSE SHOW RESULTS

 Gulfport was a busy show with lots of horses!  Maggie, Hayley’s new jumper, got good ribbons in the Jr/AO Jumpers and was second in the Classic.  Cates and Sarah Steele got good ribbons in the Medal, Maclay, and Junior Hunters.  Derby was 1^st in the Classic and got good ribbons in the Junior Hunters.  Kenny and Alyson finished 2^nd overall in the WIHS and got good ribbons in the Medal, Maclay and Junior Hunters.  The Segerson’s Little Guy got good ribbons in the Adult Hunters and LuLu got ribbons in the 2’9” Special Hunters.  Muchacha got great ribbons in the Special Hunters.  Paddy and Maura ribboned in the Pre-Adults.  Tellus and Brittany Rhea got ribbons in the Medal, WIHS Hunter Phase, Junior Hunters, and the Classic.  Toby and Hayley were 1^st overall in the WIHS and 1^st in the USEF Talent Search.  They also placed 3^rd in the Junior Hunter Classic.  Just My Style was Champion in the Baby Greens and No Worries was Reserve Champion in the Pre-Greens.

Week two, Toby and Hayley cleaned house!  They were 1^st in the WIHS overall, the USEF Talent, USEF Medal, and the Maclay.  Cody got great ribbons in the Low Jr/AO Jumpers.  Derby got good ribbons in the 1^st years.  Drafi was Reserve Champion in the Adult Jumpers, 4^th in the Classic, and 2^nd in the USEF Talent Search.  George got ribbons in the A/O’s.  Kenny got good ribbons in the Maclay and Small Juniors.  Muchacha got plenty of ribbons in the Special Hunters.  Paddy and Maura earned ribbons in the Pre-Adults.  Tellus not only got ribbons in the Junior Hunters, but the 1^st years as well.  Emanuel got a blue ribbon in the Special Hunters.  Congrats to all who competed!

SPRING MILL NEWS

Ever wonder what your children gain from being around horses?  Below is one woman’s account of what her daughter got from growing up with horses! (Author unknown)

Because my daughter grew up with horses, she has compassion.  She knows that we must take special care of the very young and the very old.  We must make sure those without voices to speak of their pain are still cared for.

Because my daughter grew up with horses, she learned that regardless of the weather you must still care for those you have stewardship of.  There are no “days off” just because you don’t feel like being a horse owner that day.  She learned that for every hour of fun you have there are days of hard slogging work you must do first.

Because my daughter grew up with horses, she learned not to be afraid of getting dirty and that appearances don’t matter to most of the breathing things in the world we live in.  Horses do not care about designer clothes, jewelry,  pretty hairdos, or anything else we put on our bodies to try to impress others.  What a horse cares about are your abilities to work within his natural world.  He doesn’t care if you are wearing $80.00 jeans while you are doing it.

Because my daughter grew up with horses, she learned about sex and how it can both enrich and complicate lives.  She learned that it only takes one time to make a baby, and the only way to ensure babies aren’t produced is not to breed.  She learned how babies are planned, made, born and sadly, sometimes die before reaching their potential.  She learned how sleepless nights and trying to outsmart a crafty broodmare could result in getting to see, as non-horse people rarely do, the birth of a true miracle.

Because my daughter grew up with horses, she understands the value of money.  Every dollar can be translated into bales of hay, bags of feed or farrier visits.  Purchasing non-necessities during lean times can mean the difference between feed and good care, or neglect and starvation.  She has learned to judge the level of her care against the care she sees provided by others and to make sure her standards newer lower, and only increase as her knowledge grows.

Because my daughter grew up with horses, she has learned to learn on her own.  She has had teachers that cannot speak, nor write, nor communicate beyond body language and reactions.  She has to learn to “read” her surroundings for both safe and unsafe objects, to look for hazards where other might only see a pretty meadow.  She has learned to judge people as she judges horses.  She looks beyond appearances and trappings to see what is within.

Because my daughter grew up with horses, she has learned sportsmanship to a high degree.  Everyone that competes fairly is a willer.  Trophies and ribbons may prove someone is a winner, but they do not prove someone is a horseman.  She has also also learned that some people will do anything to win, regardless of who it hurts.  She knows that those who will cheat in the show ring will also cheat in every other aspect of their life and are not to be trusted.

Because my daughter grew up with horses, she has self esteem and an engaging personality.  She can talk to anyone she meets with confidence because she has to express herself to her horse with more than words.  She knows  the satisfaction of controlling a 1000 pound animal that will yield willingly to her gentle touch and ignore the more forceful and inept handling of those stronger than she is.  She holds herself with poise and professionalism in the company of those far older than herself.

Because my daughter grew up with horses, she has learned to plan ahead.  She knows that choices made today can effect what happens five years down the road.  She knows that you cannot care for and protect your investments without savings to fall back on.  She knows the value of land and buildings, and that caring for your vehicle can mean the difference between easy travel or being stranded on the side of the road with a four horse trailer on a hot day.

When I look at what she has learned and what it will help her become, I can honestly say that I haven’t “wasted” a penny on providing her with horses.  I only wish that all children had the same opportunities to learn these lessons from horses before setting out on the road to adulthood.   

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