Head, Heart, Hands and Health

Adam was showing me his ribbons from the 4-H competition in Armstrong.

The 4-H is a youth organization, like the Scouts, helping kids develop citizenship, leadership and life skills. It started in the U.S. to help introduce new agricultural technology to a rather reluctant general adult audience. We have always resisted change: why not use the kids?

The 4-H’s stand for Head, Heart, Hands and Health and are all about learning by doing. Doing is how my grandson learns best and he is totally hooked on horses these days.

Ad rides Western, on a Quarter Horse while his buddy Ethan does it English style, and while there are lots of similarities, there are many differences as well.

He talks about a side pass, he can do that with his horse. He can also go from a walk to a lope, which is the same as a canter, but the English canter, in the west apparently, we lope. He can turn his horse on his forehand or on his haunches. That sounds cool and looks amazing. Adam can also make this huge animal back up. It is almost like driving a car!

While the English saddles have lovely clean lines and look sleek, smooth and light, Adam has a great heavy thing complete with rings and ties so he can carry and add stuff to this more practical piece of riding equipment. It has a deeper seat than the English saddle, a horn to wrap a rope around and wider stirrups. It just seems more substantial to me, like his horse.

A Quarter horse is also a Western invention. It is a cross between the English thoroughbreds and the Chickasaw horses.

What is a Chickasaw Horse you ask?! I looked it up on Wikipedia.

It sounds like this may be the breed the Cowboy and Indian shows called the painted pony. First Nations people bred their animals from the different breeds brought over by the Spanish Conquistadors. Chickasaw horses are a combination of Iberian (horses from Portugal and Spain, said to be the oldest on the planet dating back to at least 300 BC), Arabian and Barb (North African) stock.

Adams horse is 15.2 hands high and Adam sits beautifully on this majestic gelding. The boy is lucky to be able to work with such a well-trained animal, but is ready and looking for one of his own now. He is 12 ½ and pretty tall himself these days. Riding with his buddy Ethan since he returned from two years in Oman, and seriously for over year now, he is ready for the responsibility.

Training kids in Citizenship, Leadership and Life. I think I like 4-H! Grandma Wolfer, Grandma Bower, Papa John would be very proud of this protégé.

And ya, grandma Jocie is pretty proud of her grandson too! !