The wind kicked up today, making the cold seem colder. Chores have been taking longer since Ladyhawke came down with Pigeon Fever almost 4 weeks ago, and she isn’t progressing as quickly as we’d like. So, the chores will continue to drag out and eat up a bigger chunk of my day for the foreseeable future. As I was gloving up and preparing to treat her, I looked at the blue paint splatters on her rubber mats and smiled. Each of the paddocks have various paints splattered on their mats, remnants of the sessions we held this season.
Painting days generally take place when it’s too hot for kiddos to ride in their sessions. While they have other choices, like crafts,or games, painting the horses (followed by giving them a bath) is a favorite choice. Not only is painting horses a lot of fun, but on a hot day, it’s always nice to have a hose in your hand at some point! There’s no staying dry when you’re washing a horse!
The summers here are long, VERY hot, dry, and often smoky from wildfires. To be honest, this gal is not a fan of summers in the Central Valley. I think all the horses would agree with me, especially when the sand reflects that heat and makes 100 degrees seem like 110. The beautiful trees we’ve planted all around the arena still have several years before they’ll offer any real shade to horse or rider, and the dust can be so thick you can’t see the horse 20 feet away from you when you’re trying to take a picture! Is it any wonder that everyone heads for the paints when sweat is running into your eyes and down your back?
There are other reasons kiddos and session leaders alike love painting days. For instance, all the painting takes place in the shade. The horses love to fall asleep while they’re being painted. They equally LOVE the cool bath that comes next, followed immediately by a good roll in the round pen. As a session leader, I love painting days because they’re a great conversation starter. So many of our ranch kiddos come to sessions with very heavy burdens. The ranch is a safe place for them to talk about the hard stuff. As leaders, we pray a lot that the Lord will direct our words and actions. We pray for open doors to speak of the hope we personally know is only found in Jesus. Sometimes the activities we do when the kids are on a horse are just fun, and instructional, and downright goofy, and that’s all great! However, those moments when the floodgates open and struggles are the topic of conversation. What a beautiful work the Lord weaves through those little hearts, while paint flies, and horses sigh in complete bliss while being loved on by someone they get to love back.
When our session season comes to a close in October, and we shift into project mode through the winter, things are definitely quieter. You can sense that the ranch takes a deep sigh of its own. On this day, when the chores take so much longer, and the wind makes it seem so much colder, I thank my Jesus for every paint splatter, and every memory they represent. What a great and glorious thing our God is doing. May we all have the eyes to see and ears to hear.
In His steps,
Miss Mo
