Horsing Around

 For this blog post, I decided to share a few pictures of people enjoying their horses! You will see a mixture of pics with Amish and non-Amish folks "Horsing Around."
This man seems pleased to give us a look at his amazing stallion.

 If you want to enjoy a buggy ride, head to Shipshewana, Indiana. The price might have gone up since I took this pic about 3 years ago. At the time, an Amish man gave the tours and I believe he still the one taxying people around.

 These horses are showing off their raw power. At least one Amish man is taking in the sight.

 The Budweiser Hitch is a joyful sight to behold.

 These young folks are having fun getting horses ready for a show.

 This is a fun pic... but actually, the gal is a horse chiropractor and busy doing her job.

 This little girl is as cute as her pony. She is bathing it at the Iowa State Fair.

 These Amish sisters are enjoying some horseback riding.

 If you have a team, it's fun to hitch them up and drive around the farm.

 My little granddaughters love sitting on my draft horses.

 These Amish sisters love taking their ponies over some jumps.

 Amish folks enjoy seeing beautiful horses in action. They seem to love horses as much or more than anyone. Like cowboys, Amish people work with horses almost every day. People that do, seem to develop a deep connection and understanding with them. I know some people are bent on showing Amish as harsh with horses. I can't defend the whole group any more than they should condemn all. Almost all of the Amish I know personally (and I know many) treat their horses with deep respect and are amazing horse handlers. 

 This pic was taken during a photo session for a book cover.
 (Yep, that's me, my daughter, and my horses)

To see the results, click on this link: Catbird Singing

 This Amish gal trained her horse to lay down.

 I love this pic of my three grandchildren sitting on my sweet, old mare, Karma.

 A very old pic of my daughter sitting on one of my other favorite mares, Sal.

(Yes, that's me holding the lead rope.)
Many of these pics have appeared in other posts on the Amish Horses Blog. They all seem to fit together under the heading of, Horsing Around.

Sweet eyes!

Thriving

 When a horse and handler connect, they thrive together.

Horses have an amazing ability to form bonds with humans, much like that between a dog and a person. Dogs, horses, and people flourish when we feel loved and cared for.


One subject I dwell on in my novel Under the Heavens is the way horses reflect their human counterpart. If a rider is calm and confident, their mount will be relaxed and bold. When the one holding the lines is skittish or tense, the horse will show it.



Angel, this young horse, was born a few years ago on Annie's home farm. Since then, the two of them have become best friends. These photos were taken at Angels very first horse show. They entered eleven classes and won eight ribbons!

This young horse and rider can do it all. They showed in bareback, English, open driving, and much more. Angel enjoys a trail ride as much as pulling a cart down the road. No doubt, this is one special young mare. However, Annie's horse skills and good nature are clearly reflected by the way Angel is thriving.

In the photo below, Annie's husband and sisters give her help and support. Her sister, tagged 298, also entered a "pairs" class with Annie and they won ribbons in that event.


Note: All Amish districts have their own unique set of rules. Some will and some won't allow pictures or horse shows.

 At the end of the day...

We all flourish if we feel valued.

Amish Girls at a Horse Show

Amish girls at a Horse Show

(this was not in Iowa)

It turns out that you will occasionally find Amish at a Horse Show.  The reality is that there are a wide variety of Amish groups, each with their own set of standards.  And within each of those groups there are individual families that are more, or less strict.  I have also found that when an Amish family is on a vacation they may go to a Theme Park, or visit a Shopping Mall, or even spend a day at the beach.  When Amish go to Sarasota, Florida for the winter they will ride bikes, even if that is banned in their home community.

I think these girls found a pretty good way to stay modest while riding horses in a dress... spandex!

These girls are sisters.  I talked to the older sister, Annie, and found out that she has a Facebook group where she sells Horse-shoe Dream Catchers.
Here is the link to her Facebook Group "Horse Shoes For Sale."  Please join the group even if you don't buy one it still may help.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/475856485884295/


 At this show in June, Annie got 1st place in Western Walk and Trot. I think she said 3rd in the Egg Race, and 5th in a "Boot Race"  I'm not sure what a Boot Race is but I've seen Egg Races before.  You balance an raw egg on a spoon and ride your horses at a walk, then trot, canter and whoever is the last one with an egg still in tact on the spoon wins. It's a challenge and there are broken eggs everywhere.

 Boot Race

 Egg Race
(notice the egg Annie is holding)

These girls, like most Amish young people, are very comfortable around horses.  Not all Amish people love horses, some only tolerate them because they have to. I can see plain-as-day that these are real Horse-girls!