I Bought My Daughter a Horse

Last week, I took a significant chunk of money out of my savings account to buy my eleven-year-old daughter a new horse.

For the last year and a half, this girl’s life has become completely saturated with horses. It started with a rental, followed shortly after by the purchase of our first horse, a 20-year-old mare named Cricket! 

Mackenzie rode Cricket EVERY chance she got, and the two of them eventually made their way to SRCA (Saskatchewan Riding Club Association) provincials in September 2022. Here, they placed second in two of their three western class competitions. 

At the tender age of 11, Mackenzie has now officially coined her first year with horses “the best year of her life.” 

This horse has given my girl more than I could have ever dreamed or imagined … joy, confidence, determination … she’s helped her learn and grow and thrive in so many ways  … 

And her new horse will help her learn and grow and thrive even more … wherever Mackenzie wants to go with her, she can now go … 

Meet Rhonda (formerly Gladys), our new seven-year-old mare …

With Rhonda, I pray my daughter soaks in and savours … the scent of a horse and her soft, soft nose. 

I hope she never tires of hugging a horse around the neck or having a horse nuzzle or lean in to snuggle her. 

I pray she soaks up the heat of her horse when she’s cold, that she strengthens her sense of compassion for another living thing. 

I hope she becomes more and more aware of her body (and how her horse responds to her movements), while also maintaining her confidence and self-esteem, as she “controls” a thousand-plus pound animal. 

I hope she believes in herself and in her horse. 

I pray that she comes to know what it means to take GOOD care of something. 

I hope she respects the effort her horse invests. 

I hope she sees her hard work pay off with “wins” and accomplishing goals that she sets for herself. But I also hope she stays humble.

I hope she learns to recognize others’ hard work too, and she congratulates them profusely. 

I hope she loses gracefully. 

I hope she gives thanks again and again and again for this horse and for all of the people who have helped her (and will help her) along the way. 

I hope she repays them with service and acts of kindness again and again and again.

I bought my daughter a horse, because I want her to understand what it means to be “present” (with animals you have no choice). 

I want her to be outside where the air is fresh. I want her to experience all seasons, all weather (and persist or finish a task regardless). 

I want her to be out riding with her friends. 

I want her to have fun. 

She’s proven to me over and over and over that THIS is IT for her … THIS is what she LOVES … THIS is how she wants to spend her time … her hours … her days … her life … 

I personally think that this is quite PROFOUND … for an eleven-year-old girl to be SO SURE …

What else could I possibly do but buy my daughter a horse?