O is for opportunities to make money. You can earn money training horses.  You can give horseback riding lessons.  You can do many different things to earn extra money with your horsemanship skills.

R is for responsibility. You cannot be a good horseman without responsibility.  Horses require work and daily care.  They need fresh water, hay, and feed.  They need minerals.  They need to be worked with and ridden.

S is for sensitizing or de-sensitizing depending on your horse. Cold-blooded horses need to be sensitized.  They need to get their feet moving.  On the other hand, hot-blooded horses need to be de-sensitized.  You need to know your horse.  This is an important part of a groundwork program.

E is for exercise. A person’s legs get great exercise riding a horse, especially his/her inner thighs.  Horseback riding can be a good workout for both horse and rider.  It can also be therapeutic.  After my mom had a terrible car accident, she was left with a badly broken femur.  Months later she was still having problems walking without a limp.  She began riding Ladd.  It helped stretch out her hip and thigh muscles.  Within a month she was walking normally.

M is for maintenance. You need to groom your horse.  Brushing your horse is a treat to your horse.  They like the attention and pampering.  It keeps their mane and tail untangled too.  Every six weeks horses need to have their feet trimmed.  Horses are a lot of work.

A is for animal science. As a horseman, it is important to learn the names of  the parts of your horse’s body.  Knowing what a wither or frog is helps you communicate well with other horseman and veterinarians.

N is for nurture. You need to take care of your horse’s needs.  They want to be your friend.  They enjoy the companionship.  Like any friendship, you need to nurture it.  Bring them a carrot occasionally.  Rub down their muscles.  Go visit with them for no real reason.  A good horse can be a man’s best friend.

S is for self-control. I am a hyper child.  When I get in a mood, I can drive people crazy.  When I am around horses, I have to control my behavior.  I cannot run around whooping loudly.  When I get upset with my horse, I cannot yell at it and hit it.  I cannot throw things at it.  I again demonstrate self-control.

H is for health. Horses need to be wormed and vaccinated.  If they get sick, then they need to see a veterinarian.  A healthy horse is a happy horse.

I is for information. I make a point to read and watch informational shows about horses.  I want to learn all that I can about them.  My favorite television program is Clinton Anderson’s program on RFD tv.  I also go to clinics, camps, and workshops throughout the year.

P is for play. All work and no play makes for a dull day.  The best part about horsemanship is having fun.  Riding horses is fun.  Going on trail rides is fun.  Teaching your horse tricks is fun.  Play! Play! Play!

They selected some mustangs to take to a prison.  The prisoners work with the horses.  They do not call it breaking a horse; they call it gentling a horse.  The inmates learn to trust horses.  They also learn patience.  The horses learn a lot, too.  They go from being touched by a human for the first time to being ridden and being adopted in a relatively short amount of time.  The inmates really enjoy the work.  It gives them something to look forward to and a sense of accomplishment.

After adoption, some of the horses go to a home for troubled teens.  Young people who have problems and/or are heading in the direction of jail.  They take the trained horses and gentle them even more.  The goal is to have gentle, desensitized horses that can work in rehabilitating the disabled.  The stories were touching.

I love working with horses.  As a young boy, I usually bounce off the walls.  I have a lot of energy.  You cannot be that way around horses.  So, I have learned some self-control.  I have learned to stay calm, talk sweetly, and have patience.  Working with horses is great for me and apparently other people.  I am glad that I am not alone.  I am glad that horses have the ability to help people.