Horse Sense-Trail Blazing

Growing up, our family had some awesome experiences with camping. We almost always took our horses and headed up to Lime Creek. Most of our 4H camp trips were in that area too.

Dad's trail rides were not for the faint-of heart. We did not amble along some wide trail that had just been cleared. No! We had to break a new trail and that meant traversing steep mountains or jumping over trees. But the arduous journey was always worth it, because we discovered old mines, natural hot springs hidden from ordinary view and breathtaking scenery from the mountain tops.

We had a mare whose name was Pat. She belonged to my mom, who didn't ride very often. Pat was great to use for a trail ride. She was sure-footed and it didn't faze her to climb up a mountain side or travel down one either.

Horses are as unique as humans when it comes to making choices. Some horses will not cross a ditch without some agitated pacing, while others will jump over the biggest ditch and balk at the smallest one.

One horse will shy at a sudden noise and another will keep walking as though nothing happened

An ornery horse will bite you when your back is turned and a gentle horse will simply touch you with their nose.

The trail ride of yesterday is just a memory. Our horses could carry us up the mountains and through the valleys without losing their footing. And even when it became dark and stormy, we could trust them to take us home.

Today, our lives are filled with challenges and hidden dangers. It is said that our country is making history and blazing new trails. But in truth, we find that they are only paving over the old ones.

Making history or blazing new trails is not always a good thing. The history books are filled with hapless guides and infamous people who only claim to fame was a tragic event or a scandal.

Fortunately, we have also been blessed with men who had great faith and vision for this country. They crafted a timeless and inspired document to guide us back to the high road if we choose to do so.