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Dear Friends of The Pony Express,
I met "Jessie" when he was 12. He was introduced to me by his grandma. She was at her wit's end. Jessie's dad was in prison, his mom addicted to drugs, leaving Jessie in the care of his caring, but clearly overwhelmed grandmother. "Can he please join your program?" she asked.
Jessie was not well received by all. He was a big kid with an even bigger in-your-face energy that often left him on the outs with others. Like many of the kids we work with, Jessie struggled with emotional regulation, and setting and respecting boundaries. At first glance, Jessie appeared to be an extrovert with a lot of extra. Yet, I noticed he had gravitated toward a horse in our rescue that appeared to be his polar opposite; Peanut: a sensitive quarter horse mare who was very much an introvert. Jessie wore his emotions like a shield on the outside; and it succeeded in keeping others at a distance. This played out in his partnership with Peanut as well. I watched as he pushed, and she pulled. Until one day there was a pause, and the walls came tumbling down.
Connection and relationship, we all need it; we all want it. The lesson is learning how to ask for it, in ways that honor consent and agreement, while cultivating mutual trust and respect. One of the many lessons our horses teach us so well.
Now many years later, Jessie is still in our program. His struggles have been real, but so has his strength and determination to overcome them. He is now 18, graduated from high school and looking for work in the trades. He still comes out to the ranch once a week, oftentimes with his girlfriend, and always makes a beeline for Peanut.
Jessie's grandma recently shared with me. "I am so grateful for your program. It takes a village, and I'm so thankful you were in mine." In the work that we do, it does take a village of those with two legs, and four. A herd of horse support can make all of the difference. While the kids may not always say thank you in words; they do in actions. They show up. In my life, and in theirs.
We are so grateful to everyone in our village for helping us to take care of our horses, who take care of our kids, and teach them that those who know the most about humanity, aren't always humans. Thank you!
Let your horse teach you about yourself,
for you may be at the age where no one else can.
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