The Old Saddle: What Horses, Faith, and Time Teach Us About Purpose

For a year, I have been privileged to share my learning journey here. I have been given an opportunity to try my hand at writing while combining my love of horses with the behaviors of humans.

While diving into my quest for knowledge on horses, how they communicate, and what they reveal to us about us, I have also been leaning into my Christianity. I decided to simply Google what was out there regarding horses in the Bible and saw this, Job 39:19-25, God describes the horse’s might as part of His divine creations - fearless, strong, and full of purpose. This particularly hit home with me because I thought - isn’t this what we strive to be? Now, I’m not qualified to go into the meaning behind this passage, but as I understand it, only God could make such a magnificent animal and true strength and purpose come from God, not humans.

I have been taking care of an old horse across the street for 2 years now. He faithfully waits by the fence each morning for his breakfast or, as I call it, yum yums. I have worked with him so that he comes when I call, he is easy for the vet and farrier, and is a delight to all the neighborhood kids. Actually, if I look back, I believe my first article here was about him being out to pasture and how that translates to us humans.

He and I have formed a great bond and all I do is walk him around, feed him and groom him. No jumping, no trails, no roping, just me and him enjoying a sunny day together; or maybe him watching me break ice in his trough. I do this because his mom, June, can no longer care for him.

June can be described as an intelligent, determined horse girl. She was one of the first citizens of my town when it was first incorporated in 1973. Back then, the town was centered around cattle ranching, with plenty of pasture space for a horse. It was close enough to more urban areas to provide for income outside of farming, but far enough away to bask in the star-lit skies. An accomplished accountant by the day, June had a passion for horses which brought her from the Northeast to Texas. In a time when women were mostly either stay at home moms or maybe teachers, June worked for an accounting firm and began a quest for a horse trail around the lake. She worked tirelessly with the army corp of engineers to design and develop an equestrian trail which would span over 30 miles.

As I write this piece, I am preparing to take Theo for a Christmas ride tomorrow on that very trail.

Last week something special happened. June’s brothers gave me her old trail saddle. Since she can no longer use it, they wanted it to be put to good use. I carried that old saddle home and a tear rolled down my cheek. The end of her era as a horse girl. Well, in our hearts that never leaves, but by and large her encounters will be few. I began to clean it up, and I found the names and numbers of the people with whom she rode. She had trail maps tucked away, with copies made, probably for a passer-by. She was proud of her trail, and she should be, it’s beautiful and provides joy to many. And, it’s really the cornerstone of our little town. Horses were her purpose. Her desire to ride along the countryside drove her to take on the project of working with the government to have a trail created and marked. I can’t imagine this was an easy task; especially for a woman in the 1970s. But horse girls seem to have what it takes to move mountains, don’t they? And she did. She was fearless, strong and full of purpose.

I tried the saddle on Theo in hopes I could someday ride the trail on it and somehow become the horse girl she was. But, she had a quarter horse and I have a Drum. It would be like me trying to get into those size 2 jeans from back in the day… not likely. But I thought about it, and what she wants most is for people to maintain the integrity of the trail for those who have the same love of horses. The old saddle, a constant reminder to live with strength, without fear and to follow God’s purpose.

Kimberlee & Theo

Written by Kimberlee Delany

Life begins after 50, or when you decide to learn about horses! With a passion for animals and a quest for learning, it’s not surprising I began lessons after I turned 50.

With a BS in Psychology, I spent my career in technology, starting at the help desk and landing as a technical business advisor; doing all the techie steps that are needed in-between to cross that bridge.

Continuous improvement is the name of the game.

While growing in my career, I also started a fitness journey. Over the past twenty years, I have explored a variety of sports, from triathlons to Olympic weightlifting. I have competed in local events up and down the East Coast and, most recently, the Texas State Weightlifting Championship.

It all leads to this!

When you are around horses, you notice something, something within you is awakened. It doesn’t matter how old you are, there is something to uncover. In a quest for knowledge, and the sheer experience of discovering the mystery of ‘why I feel so at peace with horses’, I became certified in Equine Assisted Learning (EAL). Now, with a desire to share this amazing journey on how horses heal, I began journaling my experiences with horses and how they teach us about life.

This article is from the January issue of Equine Business Magazine