DailySusan Humor Blog

LEG! LEG! LEG! LEG! LEG!

Maddy and I were out horsin’ around yesterday. There was a big horse show at our neighborhood’s twin arenas. So we went down there to see what was going on.

It was the regional qualifying competition for western-style horseback riding events. Take first or second, and you get to go to State. There must have been 50 teenagers with their horses and entourages from all around eastern Nebraska.

We watched the pole racing. The kids in their starched white shirts and fresh jeans, and the horses all groomed to a T . . . it was beautiful.

‘’Ooh!’’ Maddy said. ‘’There’s a DALMATIAN!’’ It was a speckled Appaloosa, black on white.

‘’Ahh!’’ we all exclaimed, as a skinny girl of about 14 skillfully stayed on her fiery black mount, who reared back twice.

You could tell who was a novice: leads flailing, horses shaking their heads in confusion and changing gaits from a trot to a gallop and back, poles missed and knocked down, times with big numbers.

Those who won were as one with their horses. They raced as one unit to the poles, wove smoothly in and out, in and out, ‘round the big turn, and in and out, in and out, ‘til they raced again as one creature all the way back to the finish line. They were making times of 23 or 24 seconds. It was awesome.

Just as there are soccer moms and baseball dads, the parents filled the sidelines and yelled their hearts out.

‘’Leg! Leg! Leg! Leg! Leg!’’ they yelled, meaning, use the nonverbal pressure of your legs to get the horse to turn faster, and don’t just ‘’neck-rein.’’

‘’Cue! Cue! Cue! Cue! Cue!’’ which means, communicate to guide your horse, don’t just sit on there like a stone.

Hmmm. Awfully good advice for parenting, too. Ride ‘em, Cowgirl: never say ‘’neigh.’’

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Prayer request: I’ve been working on a fellow named Duane for some time now, to come to know Christ. He doesn’t believe in prayer and isn’t even sure there’s a God. Let’s train our spiritual sights on him today, and ask the Lord to reveal Himself to Duane in a wonderful, unmistakeable way. We seek Duane’s conversion, Father, for your greater glory. (Daniel 2:28)