RicelandMeadows

January 17, 2013

Last evening after getting a load of wood, we parked the sled out by the sugarhouse. It is better there since the snow melted. The gravel drive is hell on wooden runners! Anyway, once the sled was parked, the horses had to be driven to the barn. I handed the lines to Justin for him to drive them home.

He is a natural on the lines. He seemes to know just how much pressure to use. My horses are “up on the bit” so you need to take ahold and drive them. Sloppy lines are for whimps. My horses are alert and on the job… not crazy… just confident.

I could feel Justin’s nervousness when I handed him the lines for the first time, but after just a few yards I could see his confidence building. By the time we got to the barn , his chest was even sticking out a little. Yep, he’s hooked on draft horses 😮

I know what it feels like to have the lines in your hands for the first time. It’s much like the first time driving a car. Sure, you are puffed with pride and full of excitement, but the real statement is the fact that someone had enough confidence in you to say , “Go ahead, it’s your turn.” These are turning points in a guys’s life.

I took those times to heart. I always tried to do my best. There were times when my best wasn’t good enough, but I did learn something every time. That way, the next time I did better. I believed in myself…sometimes when many folks didn’t, but I would stand up, spit out the dirt and have another try at it.

Life is about getting knocked down once in awhile. It doesn’t matter how many times it happens… What matters is that you get up every time, square your shoulders and try it again! You can call it stupidity sometimes, but it builds confidence…and if you need anything in this world … It’s confidence… mixed with a little humility , of course 😮