Sometimes Iām in denial. Despite the fact that I was born in Colorado, I am a Texan. My family and I moved to Houston when I was about 2 years old. And as much I absolutely love mountain sunsets, Texas is what I know.
The author riding Nimbus the American Quarter Horse.
I donāt blame them. Texas is famous around the world. However, Texas isnāt necessarily famous around the globe for the huge cities of Dallas and Houston and the up and coming tech capitol of Austin.
Texas is famous for horses. Cowboys. The wild, wild west.
Even though Iāve spent summers as a wrangler and horseback riding instructor, I am not a member of the wild, wild west. Iām a product of the huge city of Houston and the amazing barns where Iāve grown up riding.
Interestingly enough, my Texas background gets me cred even when I donāt realize it. The summer I moved to Colorado to wrangle at a guest ranch, it appeared that the guests were extra excited to have a wrangler from Texas take them out on the trails.
“No ā I donāt ride horses to school,ā Iād tell the adorable kiddos on the trail rides. “But sometimes I ride horses after school!ā
More interesting than my “Texan in Coloradoā experience is my experience in Oslo, Norway. Several years ago my parents moved to Norway on an expatriate assignment. My family dog Mattie made the move with them, and my mom met a horse-crazy girl named Linda at Mattieās vet clinic.
Linda and her horse, Jac. Photo: John Hermansen
The power of Facebook put Linda and me in touch, and the rest is history. Linda rides Quarter Horses in Norway. There arenāt that many Quarter Horses in Scandinavia, but I got to ride one of them. Acornās Jac, known as Jac, is an absolutely breathtaking palomino, and Nimbus Commander (“Nimbusā) is another wonderful mount. Both are registered Quarter Horses with the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA).
The author with Linda
Together we rode through the snowy woods of Norway, and even though the snow prohibited us from doing any kind of fast-paced horsemanship pattern, it was clear these were very nice horses.
When I told Linda how wonderful the horses were, she was ecstatic. I remember her saying something to the effect of, “I canāt wait to tell everyone that a rider from Texas loves our horses!ā
Linda and Jac.
It was true ā I am a rider from Texas. But when I gave her the compliment, I wasnāt necessarily thinking it would make her happy because of where I was from. Iām glad I didnāt embarrass myself or my state with a bad ride!
The next time I came to Norway, I brought Linda some tack, including a headstall, with Texas star conchos on it. She was so excited, and I must say, Jac looked very handsome.
Jac in his new Headstall.
While my state of Texas helped with the first impressions, itās the horses that are the amazing part of my Norwegian experience. It doesnāt matter where youāre from or what language you speak. As sappy as it sounds, itās true. The love of horses is a universal language, and a shared love of horses can lead to a lasting friendship. And it never hurts to have some Texas cred, too.
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Beautiful Pictures!!
I like the part where it reads, when ask where they are from 50 percent say “Texas”….Texas is a country all on its own…:)
neat pictures
Cool article. š