Scout

Scout

I grew up always galloping to something new, and my partner for a time in my life on this quest was Scout, a paint gelding who soared with me through some incredible adventures as a child. Scout came into my life the summer of being nine years old. Previously I had a red mare named Gypsy, who was too large and overwhelming for me at the time. Dad sold Gypsy, and took me to the pony farm along with my sister who was two years older to find a pony. A Shetland caught my eye, and Scout caught my sister’s eyes. Seeing Scout at the pony farm that day did not feel like a match made in heaven between us. Though Scout is who came into my life that day. 

 

Scouts' attributes were stubborn, had a bite which would come out of the least expected circumstances and conditions, he would rear up and become a chaotic charmer at times and in the early times of our cohesion would pick a destination and refuse to be altered by somebody wanted to challenge or go the other way. Yep, we shared a lot in common. He was fight, challenge, perseverance and grew to be a great friend, once we understood each other. If I could ever see myself in one of God’s creatures, it was Scout.

The only days I would not ride, was when my mom flatly refused in the ride requiring a winter coat, boots and scarf and the chance of freezing before returning. We would ride to places I am sure I would have been grounded for weeks on end if known. I considered anything within 10 miles my riding space, my mother considered less than a mile. Living in a rural area at this time, 10 miles took me into a host of other towns, and lands, landscaped with deep draining ditches which could be rode like a never ending roller coaster next to the highways of the area. Scout did not have shoes, so roads were only used as absolute necessity. I knew of every backwoods farmer’s ponds and broken farm gates to pass through, with a mental road map void of roads for markers. 

 

Never owning a saddle of my own, one day I borrowed a saddle from Kathleen a friend of mine. As I was putting a saddle on Scout, he grimaced and made loud noises, finally kicking me in disgust. I got the hint, the saddle came off and I never attempted to straddle leather unto him again. Not too long after that, I noticed when I was riding how his bridle seemed to be a nuisance to him also, pulled the bridle that day never to replace the steel in his mouth again, from that time on Scout was free of all hardware, it was just him and I with the bridle being replaced by tapping the side of the neck to turn. Freedom! 

 

I spent endless days with Scout standing in fields of long grass eating and I would just lay back and watch the clouds flow by again. Still on my own quest to go beyond this world without leaving this world in the process of doing so. Lifelong quest, I would accomplish with my life, and belief that anything was possible. Scout showed me you can be unharnessed in peace of who you are. At times, this took me down a road of rebellion and less than the most wisdom of my choices, but always a freedom of thinking and belief.

Scout was unconditional although independent love, he knew being who he was could be parallel to who I was, without surrendering a part of his own being in the process of life. We did find compromises in life, rearing became a game or exercise for us and probably close to heart attack for my mother on one such chance when she witnessed this horse play. Bucking and kicking became a game also where we found the command between us in mutual agreement, rather than being used to obstruct the flow between us. Finding common ground with respect to the needs and desires of each of us and the urge of biting being removed, by removing an old habit of Scout believing sugar was in back pockets and taking buttocks in the process as a chew toy, relinquishing those parts of our lives or old habits which did not deem repeating. 

 

Lessons learned from Scout have been life long, not always practiced as should be. Knowledge is the experience and fabric of life and I was just lucky enough for a period of this life to have a great teacher in a Paint who for awhile was a great teacher and confidant. The last ride we took together was once again riding into a neighboring township, bareback and free of the bridle – I delivered Scout to his new home and family, never seeing him again. Confident Scout had more to teach in his aging years, and with a prayer the new family would see through his stubbornness into the heart of a great friend, I kissed his nose and said goodbye.