When she was a teen, mom was a small town rodeo trick rider. She hid her silver fringe rhinestone pants in the back of her closet. She married dad before she hit 20 and always wanted to have horses. I cant imagine how they raised 5 kids on a $21k paycheck, but we had 5 acres of scrub in Illinois sandwiched between corn & soy. Dad scrapped together our barn & fences from abandoned barns. We ended up with an orphanage of sorts, taking in old mares that neighbors didnt want anymore. We could offer them lots of grass to graze, but little grain & never a vet visit.In that part of the country, you get used to frigid nights with no windbreaks. I remember waking up many 3 ams wondering if their winter coats were thick enough. If dad would ever be able to keep up with boarding up the drafts from a barn that was constantly losing its walls. Where could I get one of those fancy race horse coat things? A lifetime later, my little brother and his family built a beautiful horse farm just down the road from where our childhood house & barn once stood. His girls are horsewomen now. Theyve been raised in it. They know what 5 am feeding hours feels like in negative windchill. To break the ice on the water troughs. To worry if the new colt will make it. But theyve grown up with stronger fences, more stable stalls and a lifetime supply of grain. My neice is in her 2nd year at MIZZOU College of Veterinary Medicine.Even though theyve been 6 ft under in that backyard for 45 years, I still wake up at 3 am sometimes wondering if our horses are warm enough. I cant remember all their names now. Black beauty Taco Shokey Colt (apparently, the most creative name a 7 year old could come up with).I like to imagine everybodys lost childhood pets are waiting for us. Someplace with no drafts & coyotes. With endless grain. And they never age. A few outtakes here from a recent camp ride with @thecraighensel @erikengstromphoto @mindysegal It was nice to be back in the saddle for a minute, this time with Charlie. Something about growing up with horses teaches a kid empathy & resilienceis that something that can be passed down in your DNA? Hoping so.

December 13, 2024 • Published by Tereasa Surratt • Instagram