Bloodlines

Apparently, we humans have genetic inclinations towards certain behaviors just like our horses.

I have had the most wonderful season as a parent. Quinten, who is in his second year at St. Mary’s University on the Nelson Wolf track to law school, came to me this fall and said “Mom, I want to ride again.”

Quinten was a pretty handy little rider as a child, but in seventh grade he migrated his interest to school sports and rarely even visited the barn. Now, as this boy’s mom, I know this kid can be lazy and procrastinate endlessly, but I also know when he sets a goal, he is relentless in achieving it.

When Quinten was last riding consistently, he lived in a body that was a foot and a half shorter. He has battled re-teaching his body to balance and direct his horses, but he has been coachable and willing to try different approaches to re-building his foundation. He has been diligent in getting to the barn on the weekends and asking for more horses to ride and helping with chores.

He and I rode in a working equitation clinic with Pati Pierucci the weekend before Christmas. He worked on preparing his riding and turn-out. We each had productive rides and when we got home, he begged me to ride one more horse before we ended the day.

He has shadowed his dad and me while we worked with young horses, asked questions and experimented with concepts. Jeff and I use a simple system to start young horses under saddle and we have been teaching it to Quinten. He has been rewarded for the work by enjoying that fun feeling of being the first person to sit on a colt.

As far back as I can trace in both Jeff’s and my paternal family lines, our families are riders and producers of good horses. The blood didn’t dilute.