A Change of Heart

What does a "Change of Heart" really mean. Well its simply a reversal of one's opinion, attitude or feelings about something. So the following is my story of why I had a change of heart when it came to the ranch.

When Tim and I met, we were on the rodeo team at Spokane Community College. I fell in love with this man because he was a cowboy at heart. He rode Bareback at the college rodeos and did a little Bullfighting on the side. You could just tell he was an authentic cowboy because not only did he wear Wranglers but he knew how to handle horses and calves and had a work ethic like no one else I knew. After we got married, his love for rodeo shifted to different adventures like skydiving, scuba diving and flying. So our future in rodeoing together grew dim and I sold my last horse in 1999. My daughter Alyssa was 5 and it just got harder and harder to keep horses ridden and cared for.

Fast forward to 2018, Tim and I had been helping on the Bar X Ranch, after his Dad passed away, with the help of his sister Marty. There was and still are a couple of geldings who had been on the ranch for 20 some years. Tim and I rode on occasion, but time was taking its toll on old Chex and we couldn’t ride as far and long as we would have liked to. I loved going to the ranch to ride and help out, but my heart was not totally committed to maintaining the ranch at that time.

So, my husband in his infinite wisdom, devised a plan. I think he was quite clever and strategic to say the least. He suggested that we buy a horse for me to ride and keep at the ranch. Well of course, I was all for that idea. You see being a horse person is something that settles in your heart and soul and you never grow out of it or lose the desire to ride. His niece, Amanda, had a little mare that she needed to sell. So we tried her out, and we added Lil Lena to the Bar X Ranch.

It sounds funny to say, but I believe she was the catalyst to a change in my heart toward the ranch. For some reason, she made me feel like I was finally connected, invested, and interested in being a part of the ranch. Tim and I started going up every weekend to ride and keep her ridden down, as she was a bit spicy. By that I mean, she would start bucking a little every time I kicked her into a lope.

As I consider my change of heart, I really think it started with her. I had something to call my own and work on when we would go up to feed or build fence. Don’t get me wrong, she is a bit of a pain in the rear, but I have had a few crazy horses in my past and love a challenge. Every horse has a personality, just like every animal. If Lena were a person, she would be sassy, bossy and quite obstinate. Good thing I love her and her little quirks.

As Tim and I ride every chance we get, I began to marvel at the beauty of the ranch and the area around it. The rugged beauty of the rocks and mountains reminded me of God’s handiwork and creativity. As the sights and sounds of the ranch settled in my heart, I began to feel drawn to becoming part of something more. I am still not sure what “something more” really means yet, but Tim and I are figuring it out as we go.