This summer my neighbor, Tisa, decided to host a horse camp for kids. She asked if I would work as a helper to teach them about horses, saddling, and riding. The kids that came live in town and had no experience with horses.

I had a great time at camp. I loved explaining the different parts of a horse and the different parts of a saddle. It was awesome when the kids asked even the most basic questions: Why is the horse chewing on the bit? Why does the horse’s skin twitch when a fly lands on him? What are those things wrapped
around the horse’s legs?

It’s the best when the little girls trotted around on the ponies. Although they were bouncing about a foot off the saddle because of no stirrups, they were still filled with joy, smiling ear to ear.

I loved the look in their eyes when they touched a horse for the first time and called it MY horse. It made me happy to see all the smiles on the little kids’ faces. I knew we must be doing something right.

One girl at camp asked if she could take home her favorite horse by the end of the day. Another girl told me that when she gets older, she wants to have a ranch with pretty horses just like Mrs. Peek. After that, she also said that she would put on camps too.

I think that the kids at camp will never forget their experience with horses. Every time the kids go home, I can’t wait for the next camp to come.

I can’t imagine growing up without a horse — the smell of sweat on a horse after being rode or the sound of the horse’s hooves on cement in the barn. I love how my heart races while waiting my turn in the alley way and the feeling of the wind in my face coming home after a barrel pattern.

The trust between a horse and its rider is amazing. I’m glad I could share a little bit of it with all the kids at camp.