What I Learned From A Ranch Horse,
Might Be All I Need In Life
As I find society today, we have created a people who are self centered. Most are looking for ways to make great sums of wealth, power or prestige, or maybe all three. It does not matter who they feed off of or who they take advantage of (most often the good hearted). They give tokens for what they use, and assume that it is theirs to use permanently for that small token. There is no real honesty or loyalty, just the appearance of such, once they have used or emptied the source it is discarded as if it is useless. Those people are treated as good ol boys as long as they fit within the scheme and the moment, when they are not they’re just that S. O. B. that exist within their presence.
So This is what I learned from ranch horses, I've had.
1. If I'm in charge. Something or someone has put me or let me be in control.
2. If I'm in control, I must be trusted.
3. What ever I ask, they'll give.
4. Trust and loyalty is everything.
5. Don't ask for more than I have authority over.
6. If I expect loyalty, I must give it.
7. If I expect trust, I must give it.
8. Never ask more of a horse (or a person) than they have permission, ability or authority to give.
9. Take care of what you have power over, they'll take care of you.
10. If you use too much power / they still have power to rebel.
11. When you swim the river, don't just flow with the current, it'll take you down, the same will happen in life.
12. If you curb a horse too much, he can't give you all he has.
13. If you curb a horse too often, you eventually kill his spirit.
14. If you misjudge his abilities or strength, you cripple him.
15. If you misuse your power you can cripple yourself.
16. If you humble yourself to the horses strength, he'll submit to your authority.
17. If you comfort your horse at the end of the day, he'll always forgive.
18. Always pay in full what your horse has been worth today, it'll pay dividends.
19. At the end of the day, no matter how hard the day, how bad the episode, or how difficult the trail, your horse will let you lay your head on his withers for comfort and he'll just stand there.
20. When it's come to the point that, that old horse is worn out, you don't just shoot him. You turn him out to pasture and care for him as you would an old friend, HE'S SPENT HIS TIME CARING FOR YOU.
© 2009 Merle Roehr
Visions
Standing here in hopes,
living there in dreams.
We sometimes live stagnate lives,
floating down emptying streams.
It’s time to do what we dream,
take hold of life and live.
Work towards the hope we have,
take hold of the things, He gives.
There’s hope for those who look,
a vision there, that lies ahead.
To give those there a life,
instead of living as if their dead.
© 2009 Merle Roehr
Longhorns
Glistening ivory reaching high.
Blackened points turned to sky.
Hooves like iron, tempered by dirt.
A fog of dust, ‘round them skirt.
They run and charge and travel hard.
The ground a shaking, scattering rocks and chard.
Pushed in a herd, from ‘round their flank.
The ol cowboy’s heart, within him sank.
The herd he’d gathered, had found a hole.
It’s all through life, they’ve tormented his soul.
They’ve beat his horse into the ground.
They’ve turned his skin a sun beaten brown.
The herd he’d managed were never his own.
On the open prairie, they were to roam.
The beast, on him, had taken toll.
They’ve spent their life to torment his soul.
Oh, he’d never had it another way.
A longhorn’s trail, was just enough pay.
Even the days, after he’s died.
After them on a horse he’ll ride.
© 2009 Merle Roehr
An old Cowboy’s Standards
dedicated to Rickie Bingham
There’s a set of standards, others seldom see.
We’ve seen all our life, they were set for you and me.
We’ll get through life with understanding, it’s rough and long and hard.
We know that to survive within it, we’ll have to play all our cards.
Now we’re the sons and daughters of those men, others oft pursue.
And those who find their selves in our world, to those standards, must be true.
There are those who find us crazy, by the standards that we live.
Most cannot understand, it’s also the standards by which we give.
We’ll work and strive by the standards, which within us, burns.
We expect those around us always, to live the same in return.
Now we’re the sons and daughters of those men, others oft pursue.
And those who find their selves in our world, to those standards, must be true.
It sometimes is a lonesome road, we find our selves going down.
But it’s a set of higher standards, we’ve found our selves to be bound.
Now if you wish to pursue that one, who by these standards live.
You must look within your self, is it the standards by which you’ll give?
Now we’re the sons and daughters of those men, others oft pursue.
And those who find their selves in our world, to those standards, must be true.
© 2009 Merle Roehr
